2012 La Spinetta Barbaresco "Vigneto Starderi", Piedmont, Italy
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ABOUT THIS WINE
The Vigneto Starderi cuvée comes from a southwest-facing vineyard in the Neive commune of Barbaresco, planted with old-vine Nebbiolo on calcareous soils. This site consistently produces the most powerful and structured of La Spinetta’s three Barbaresco crus, and the 2012 vintage is no exception. It reflects a growing season that started cool but turned warm and dry toward harvest, allowing for slow, even ripening and excellent phenolic development.
The fruit is hand-harvested and fermented with native yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in oak, followed by 22 months of aging in 100% new French oak barrels, then additional bottle aging before release. Despite the oak regimen, La Spinetta carefully integrates the wood with fruit purity and vineyard character.
2012’s expression of Starderi shows a slight edge of finesse compared to more muscular vintages, yet remains deeply structured and cellar-worthy. Drinking beautifully now with decanting, this wine also promises evolution over the next 10–15 years.
ABOUT THE PRODUCER
La Spinetta, led by the dynamic Giorgio Rivetti, is one of Piedmont’s most influential modern producers. Founded in the 1970s and initially focused on Moscato and Barbera, the estate’s expansion into Barbaresco in the mid-1990s marked a pivotal moment. The Vigneto Starderi, along with Gallina and Valeirano, form the estate’s prestigious single-vineyard Barbaresco lineup.
La Spinetta’s winemaking philosophy embraces low yields, organic farming, manual harvesting, and a modernist cellar approach: new French oak, native fermentations, and bottling without filtration. While polished and fruit-forward in youth, the wines retain a deep core of terroir and structure, evolving beautifully with age.
The distinctive Dürer lion label represents the strength and nobility of this cuvée—one that consistently ranks among the most expressive and age-worthy in all of Barbaresco.