Excellent. This was the last 2011 in our cellar, sitting within a Ca di Pian vertical. We pulled it out over the holidays given the CT drinking window is now closed. PnP and drank among 4 people over 60-90 minute period. Still holding a great balance of fruit and earth, still plenty of life. I would say it could have been held for another 2-3 years from now.
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Ruby red. Open bq w cherry, tobacco, some spices. Rounded tannins, good acidity, nice fruit w sour cherries. Good balance, well made. Alcohol and dark berries in aftertaste. Nice wine, if slightly overpriced.
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Apparently needed some time to integrate. It doesn't have the super brightness and does smell somewhat like tobacco. Wood tannin is so there I am being told. I'd say that needs to go!
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Big, dark and ripe on the nose, in a good way. Gorgio takes his Barbera extremely seriously. And that is rather darn good Barbera, if quite modern. And some structure on the back end. His belief it needs new and used oak. Under the oak influence it really blossoms. And sure, I get the message in this bottle.
The first vineyard purchased in Asti. Wild yeast fermented.
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Deep, dark ruby color with an immediate (surprising) floral nose. On the palate the dark fruits and chocolate came through with some licorice back. A much more medium bodied offering (as it looks like it would be a much heavier structure) with nice tannins that integrate well. Bionzo's relative to be sure.
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Great full bodied pop and pour. Brooding jammy dark fruit and sweet oak dominate. Some spice and heat on the finish. No real need to hold. Will make it strong for several more years.
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This was double decanted, yet still seemed very youthful. Medium (+) ruby with purple hues. The nose is clean, youthful, with black cherry, raspberry and dried plums with a nice oak overlay. Dry, but with plenty of ripe fruit; medium to medium (+) acidity, tannins and alcohol (14%). It is very big, rich and refined for a Barbera. It has great balance, with pronounced flavor intensity and a medium (+) long, pleasantly bitter finish. Drink or hold for several more years.
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Had a bottle at La Rustica in Seattle. Very nice and opened a little throughout our meal. Matched well with my lamb shank and pasta with marinara. Great wine. Deffinately would order/buy again. Mostly dry, some fruit, smooth.
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Vinitaly 2016; 4/10/2016-4/13/2016 (Verona, Italy): 100% Barbera offering ripe red fruit, some earthy notes, dried leaves and sweet oak, the palate is full, some medicinal off flavors there, aggressive, med tannins with short finish. I remember this one to be better
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Served to wine tasting group. Served after being open for abut 4 hours. Lot of fruit, but felt it was very young. Another person brought the same wine the he had decanted twice. Lost some of the fruit. The non decanted bottle was liked best.
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Very deep colour. Soft, sweet fruit with plenty of leathery tannin and quite assertive acidity at this stage. Robust, with herbs (sage?) as it opened in the glass. Berries, dark cherries. Deserves time.
La Spinetta tasting with Rory Benham (Wine Treasury) at Grand Union Wine Society.
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Restaurant fare so no official note, a nice version of Barbera with prominent acidity and dark cherry notes, let it get some age before opening it, at least another year or two.
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22 mois d'élevage fûts neufs en partie, fûts usagés, inox et bouteille. Intensité aromatique prononcée, muscade, myrtille, frais au palais, bonne acidité, tanins bien maîtrisés, mûr et amertume dosée à point, très bonne Barbera d'Asti !
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The wine was dark ruby in colour and offered floral notes, red and dark fruit, marzipan, chocolate and herbal notes on the nose. On the palate the wine showed red and dark fruit, chocolate, some coffee, herbs and liquorice, with medium-plus acidity, obtrusive, medium-plus tannin and very good length of the bitter chocolate-infused finish. The medium-bodied wine came across as dark and dense, with good structure, yet needs more time to smooth out. I would hold and start drinking from 2018. 88+
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Ruby colored, dark, almost violet in the glass. Cherry flavours and herbs in the nose. Strong acid gives grip to the fruit aroma. Good value for this entry level wine from an otherwise quite pricy producer. Matches well with aromatic cheese.
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Dark ruby colour, almost blue. Fruity nose with dark berries (cherry, blueberry and some blackcurrant), wood and a touch of coffee. Mediumbodied, with kicking acid (which settles down after an hour) and good structuring tannins. A direct, rich, fruity, good wine, although not very complex or nuanced. Will probably get even better with some years in the cellar.
I had it with tagliatelli, mushrooms and marinated (soysauce, chili, garlic, lime) venison. The sweet fruit in the wine matched the heat in the food.
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Tasting at La Spinetta (Castagnole Lanze, Piedmont, Italy): From 23 different vineyard sites and aged in used barique. Medium ruby. Nose has darker fruit of plum and black cherry with licorice and spice notes. Youthful, juicy and fresh with no signs of oak heaviness. Lighter finish and simpler. A bit one dimensional and uninteresting.
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A wine that represents some 20% of the whole Spinetta production: made from the grapes of 20-30 yo vines, aged for 12 months solely in old barriques.
Translucent dark cherry color. Sweet, juicy and succulent nose with very ripe aromas of bilberry, plummy fruit, boysenberry, blueberry yoghurt, some sous-bois and hints of sweet smoke. Medium-bodied, bright and lively palate with good acidity and smooth, velvety mouthfeel. Flavors of plummy fruit, pronounced spice, some bitterness, a little tart lingonberry and a touch of sweet volatility. The bright yet gentle structure relies completely on the tannins, as the wine has no perceptible tannins. The finish is long and acid-driven with succulent flavors of cranberry, pepper-driven spice, some coarse bitterness and a hint of plum jam.
For a Barbera this is really sweet stuff, but otherwise it is surprisingly nice with good acid brightness and lacking that overdone, overoaked and excessively soft La Spinetta style. A decent everyday red that can be paired easily with a wide variety of dishes as long as it won't matter that the wine's fruit is so ripe and sweet. Probably the best La Spinetta red wine I've had to this date.
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Contratto / La Spinetta Visit (Canelli, Italy): Very dark core, opaque, with duller purple rim; a lot of violets, mineral, almost grapey, sweet dark fruit, good tartness; dark fruit on the palate, juicy, some deep musky fruit, sage, slight leather, beef stock; serious, very good.
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Drank at Polpo last nite. Very nice wine, and decently priced for this restaurant. Ruby red, light to medium bodied, nose of cherries and some wood. Bright freshness, sweet cherries, a bit of earth. Not a particularly complex wine, but good fruit, decent depth and length, and overall very enjoyable as a table wine
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Drack den tillsammans med en flaska napa-cab och i jämförelse är doften av denna rätt så funky. Massor av icke-frukt-aromer; gummi, svamp, buljong, men på ett rätt så trevligt sätt : ). Smaken är jättegod, med röda bär och körsbär i förgrunden. Bra barbera som är fruktig men inte det minsta saft-lik. Bra köp. ---------------- Good quality barbera. On the nose there's a lot of non-fruit aromas going on; mushrooms, beef stock and even a touch of rubber, but in a nice way. On the palate it's fruitforward, but not too much, with nice tannins and a pretty nice complexity. Very nice value.
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9/25/2020 - Filler Likes this wine: 90 Points
In a great place right now. rich in fruit and great balance!
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12/30/2019 - RBHendrick Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent. This was the last 2011 in our cellar, sitting within a Ca di Pian vertical. We pulled it out over the holidays given the CT drinking window is now closed. PnP and drank among 4 people over 60-90 minute period. Still holding a great balance of fruit and earth, still plenty of life. I would say it could have been held for another 2-3 years from now.
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10/12/2019 - klaus3974 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good QPR Barbera. Medium body. Cherry and herbs. Well balanced. Easy to drink. Unidimensional.
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2/25/2018 - Leto South wrote: 88 Points
Ruby red. Open bq w cherry, tobacco, some spices. Rounded tannins, good acidity, nice fruit w sour cherries. Good balance, well made. Alcohol and dark berries in aftertaste. Nice wine, if slightly overpriced.
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12/18/2017 - ourwine417 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Had it double aerated. Opened up immediately. Nice fruit flavor. Smooth finish.
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10/18/2017 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Apparently needed some time to integrate. It doesn't have the super brightness and does smell somewhat like tobacco. Wood tannin is so there I am being told. I'd say that needs to go!
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5/11/2017 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Big, dark and ripe on the nose, in a good way. Gorgio takes his Barbera extremely seriously. And that is rather darn good Barbera, if quite modern. And some structure on the back end. His belief it needs new and used oak. Under the oak influence it really blossoms. And sure, I get the message in this bottle.
The first vineyard purchased in Asti. Wild yeast fermented.
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11/14/2016 - FLI Likes this wine: 87 Points
A nice everyday drinker.
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10/29/2016 - ChopperWine wrote: 90 Points
Deep, dark ruby color with an immediate (surprising) floral nose. On the palate the dark fruits and chocolate came through with some licorice back. A much more medium bodied offering (as it looks like it would be a much heavier structure) with nice tannins that integrate well. Bionzo's relative to be sure.
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10/10/2016 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 92 Points
Great full bodied pop and pour. Brooding jammy dark fruit and sweet oak dominate. Some spice and heat on the finish. No real need to hold. Will make it strong for several more years.
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9/30/2016 - tgang Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very nice. Earthy Italian bouquet of cherry, black fruit and earth. I would buy this again.
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9/25/2016 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 90 Points
This was double decanted, yet still seemed very youthful. Medium (+) ruby with purple hues. The nose is clean, youthful, with black cherry, raspberry and dried plums with a nice oak overlay. Dry, but with plenty of ripe fruit; medium to medium (+) acidity, tannins and alcohol (14%). It is very big, rich and refined for a Barbera. It has great balance, with pronounced flavor intensity and a medium (+) long, pleasantly bitter finish. Drink or hold for several more years.
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9/16/2016 - EdS57 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Had a bottle at La Rustica in Seattle. Very nice and opened a little throughout our meal. Matched well with my lamb shank and pasta with marinara. Great wine. Deffinately would order/buy again.
Mostly dry, some fruit, smooth.
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8/3/2016 - fcxj wrote: 86 Points
Ok enough chilled with Indonesian food.
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4/13/2016 - kostaslonis wrote: 84 Points
Vinitaly 2016; 4/10/2016-4/13/2016 (Verona, Italy): 100% Barbera offering ripe red fruit, some earthy notes, dried leaves and sweet oak, the palate is full, some medicinal off flavors there, aggressive, med tannins with short finish. I remember this one to be better
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3/19/2016 - PAB1941 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Served to wine tasting group. Served after being open for abut 4 hours. Lot of fruit, but felt it was very young. Another person brought the same wine the he had decanted twice. Lost some of the fruit. The non decanted bottle was liked best.
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3/11/2016 - johnrm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very deep colour. Soft, sweet fruit with plenty of leathery tannin and quite assertive acidity at this stage. Robust, with herbs (sage?) as it opened in the glass. Berries, dark cherries. Deserves time.
La Spinetta tasting with Rory Benham (Wine Treasury) at Grand Union Wine Society.
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2/10/2016 - quaffnov Likes this wine: 90 Points
Restaurant fare so no official note, a nice version of Barbera with prominent acidity and dark cherry notes, let it get some age before opening it, at least another year or two.
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2/4/2016 - Makani Likes this wine:
22 mois d'élevage fûts neufs en partie, fûts usagés, inox et bouteille. Intensité aromatique prononcée, muscade, myrtille, frais au palais, bonne acidité, tanins bien maîtrisés, mûr et amertume dosée à point, très bonne Barbera d'Asti !
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1/28/2016 - PSPatrick wrote: 88 Points
The wine was dark ruby in colour and offered floral notes, red and dark fruit, marzipan, chocolate and herbal notes on the nose. On the palate the wine showed red and dark fruit, chocolate, some coffee, herbs and liquorice, with medium-plus acidity, obtrusive, medium-plus tannin and very good length of the bitter chocolate-infused finish. The medium-bodied wine came across as dark and dense, with good structure, yet needs more time to smooth out. I would hold and start drinking from 2018. 88+
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11/21/2015 - TJay Likes this wine: 87 Points
Ruby colored, dark, almost violet in the glass. Cherry flavours and herbs in the nose. Strong acid gives grip to the fruit aroma. Good value for this entry level wine from an otherwise quite pricy producer. Matches well with aromatic cheese.
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11/4/2015 - Conde Likes this wine: 88 Points
Dark ruby colour, almost blue.
Fruity nose with dark berries (cherry, blueberry and some blackcurrant), wood and a touch of coffee.
Mediumbodied, with kicking acid (which settles down after an hour) and good structuring tannins. A direct, rich, fruity, good wine, although not very complex or nuanced. Will probably get even better with some years in the cellar.
I had it with tagliatelli, mushrooms and marinated (soysauce, chili, garlic, lime) venison. The sweet fruit in the wine matched the heat in the food.
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11/1/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
Miscellaneous Notes from Italy (mostly Champagne and Nebbiolo); 10/31/2015-11/6/2015 (Piemonte and Milano): Deep ruby. Bright, forward cherry. Medium weight, meaty and lush with a base of wood, zippy acidity, and round, yielding tannins. Very good now.
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10/17/2015 - Nanda wrote: 85 Points
Tasting at La Spinetta (Castagnole Lanze, Piedmont, Italy): From 23 different vineyard sites and aged in used barique. Medium ruby. Nose has darker fruit of plum and black cherry with licorice and spice notes. Youthful, juicy and fresh with no signs of oak heaviness. Lighter finish and simpler. A bit one dimensional and uninteresting.
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4/24/2015 - forceberry wrote: 85 Points
A wine that represents some 20% of the whole Spinetta production: made from the grapes of 20-30 yo vines, aged for 12 months solely in old barriques.
Translucent dark cherry color. Sweet, juicy and succulent nose with very ripe aromas of bilberry, plummy fruit, boysenberry, blueberry yoghurt, some sous-bois and hints of sweet smoke. Medium-bodied, bright and lively palate with good acidity and smooth, velvety mouthfeel. Flavors of plummy fruit, pronounced spice, some bitterness, a little tart lingonberry and a touch of sweet volatility. The bright yet gentle structure relies completely on the tannins, as the wine has no perceptible tannins. The finish is long and acid-driven with succulent flavors of cranberry, pepper-driven spice, some coarse bitterness and a hint of plum jam.
For a Barbera this is really sweet stuff, but otherwise it is surprisingly nice with good acid brightness and lacking that overdone, overoaked and excessively soft La Spinetta style. A decent everyday red that can be paired easily with a wide variety of dishes as long as it won't matter that the wine's fruit is so ripe and sweet. Probably the best La Spinetta red wine I've had to this date.
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3/27/2015 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Contratto / La Spinetta Visit (Canelli, Italy): Very dark core, opaque, with duller purple rim; a lot of violets, mineral, almost grapey, sweet dark fruit, good tartness; dark fruit on the palate, juicy, some deep musky fruit, sage, slight leather, beef stock; serious, very good.
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3/22/2015 - cephomer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drank at Polpo last nite. Very nice wine, and decently priced for this restaurant. Ruby red, light to medium bodied, nose of cherries and some wood. Bright freshness, sweet cherries, a bit of earth. Not a particularly complex wine, but good fruit, decent depth and length, and overall very enjoyable as a table wine
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2/3/2015 - aChave wrote: 90 Points
Ruby color with very good balance of fruit and tannins. Beautiful balance for ageing 5-8 years. Tasted with Giorgio Rivetti.
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11/9/2014 - JohanOhman Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drack den tillsammans med en flaska napa-cab och i jämförelse är doften av denna rätt så funky. Massor av icke-frukt-aromer; gummi, svamp, buljong, men på ett rätt så trevligt sätt : ). Smaken är jättegod, med röda bär och körsbär i förgrunden. Bra barbera som är fruktig men inte det minsta saft-lik. Bra köp.
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Good quality barbera. On the nose there's a lot of non-fruit aromas going on; mushrooms, beef stock and even a touch of rubber, but in a nice way. On the palate it's fruitforward, but not too much, with nice tannins and a pretty nice complexity. Very nice value.
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