At a glance

Producer

La Spinetta

Region

Barbaresco, Piedmont, Italy

Grape variety

Nebbiolo

Wine type

Red

Body

Full-bodied and Bold

Sweetness

Dry

Typical price

$140-$180 USD

Tasting profile

Intense aromas of dark cherry, raspberry, rose petal, licorice, and tar. Mouthfeel is firm and powerful with youthful tannins, layered black fruit, underbrush, tobacco and spice. Long mineral finish.

Evolution: Will gain complexity over next decade: expect dried flowers, leather, truffle, more pronounced earth and savory minerality. Tannins will gradually soften.

At peak: At peak, highly perfumed with haunting floral and spice, persistent finish, silky yet structured texture. Superb balance and length.

Structure

Acidity

High, balancing richness and supporting longevity

Tannins

High, firm but polished; classic Nebbiolo texture

Alcohol

14.5% ABV

Aging potential

Exceptional; will age gracefully for 25+ years from vintage

Drinking window

Peak drinking

2026 to 2048

Optimal window

2022 to 2051

Current status

Drink or hold

Current condition

Structured, youthful but entering early maturity; open with decanting, will develop secondary and tertiary notes with further aging

Starderi is from a single cru and among Barbaresco’s most age-worthy sites. 2016 is regarded as a classic, outstanding vintage with structure and precision. La Spinetta’s reputation, single vineyard bottling, and superior vineyard work mean this wine can easily thrive for 25-30+ years, opening up complexity decade by decade.

Food pairing

Braised veal or beef (Brasato al Barolo), osso buco, aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, porcini mushroom risotto, truffle pasta, game birds, roast lamb, duck breast with cherry or berry reduction.

Serving

Serving temperature

16-18°C / 61-64°F

Decant

Yes (2-3 hours) — Decanting is strongly recommended to soften tannins and allow aromatic complexity to emerge from its youthful structure.

Sustainability

Sustainability score: 7/10

La Spinetta employs organic philosophies (no chemical fertilizers or herbicides), dense vine plantings for quality, hand-harvesting, gravity flow winemaking, limited use of new oak, and cork selection for sustainability. Efforts are made to reduce pesticides, encourage biodiversity, and use local labor.

La Spinetta pursues high-quality, sustainable farming with strong organic leanings (herbicide-free, biodiversity, and low-impact vineyard work), but does not carry third-party organic or biodynamic certification. Packaging is conventional, with traditional glass bottles, and there are ongoing efforts to lower overall impact. Small-scale, site-specific, hands-on production exceeds industrial standards, but could improve with certification, energy use reporting, or new packaging. For a premium Barbaresco, this is above-average for sustainability though room for improvement on official credentials and carbon management.