La Spinetta Barbaresco Vursu Starderi 2021

Drink now or cellar for up to 17 years. Decant 1-2 hours prior to serving La Spinetta’s Vursu Starderi Barbaresco is a gorgeously complex, fantastically structured Barbaresco that has years and years of life ahead of it. Red cherry, tar, rose petal, and cinnamon aromas jump from the glass, with a dense red color that fades quickly as you look to the rim. On the palate, this is a full-bodied, powerful wine chock full of tannin and flavor. Earthy tones reminiscent of foie gras and damp stone are followed by pure, juicy raspberry and plum notes. The finish is balanced and very long. This wine deserves to be aged for at least 4-5 more years, although with a long decant it is approachable in the next 1-2. While fantastic on its own, this Barbaresco would pair well with grilled foods, sauce heavy meat dishes like Bolognese, or any meal that has fresh black truffle shaved on top. Made of 100% sustainably grown (no use of herbicides or pesticides) Nebbiolo grapes from vines ranging 50-55 years in age, the La Spinetta Vursu Starderi Barbaresco is aged for 20-22 months in new French oak barrels. After this aging, it is transferred to stainless steel vats for 3 months before being bottled, and held in bottle for 12 months before release, 3 years after it was initially harvested. This allows Nebbiolo’s notoriously intense tannins to soften and be approachable upon release. La Spinetta, meaning “top of the hill”, is named after the Rivetti families first winery, Castagnole Lanze, where many of their wines, including this one, are still produced.