La Spinetta Barbaresco Valeirano 2022

Valeirano is a 2.5-hectare plot located in Treiso, one of the communes of the Barbaresco appellation, in the Piedmontese Langhe. Facing south-east, at around 380 metres above sea level, it lies on calcareous and sandy marls. This high-altitude cru is renowned for producing one of the most taut and mineral Barbarescos of La Spinetta, the estate founded in 1977 by the Rivetti family in Castagnole Lanze.

The Nebbiolo is grown there with sustainable viticulture, paying close attention to the soils and biodiversity. After the harvest, the grapes undergo a fifteen-day maceration, then the wine is aged for eighteen months in French oak barrels, 25% of them new. The 2022 vintage produced a powerful, dark wine, fairly austere in its youth, with excellent potential for development.

This wine reveals notes of cherry, blackcurrant, dried herbs, damp earth, graphite, liquorice, incense and black pepper. The bright ruby colour precedes a deep, spicy nose. On the palate, the structure is powerful and intense, with dense tannins that remain elegant and precise. The wine has a dark energy and remarkable ageing potential.

Ah, Italy, what a beautiful, hedonistic country, the land of la dolce vita, but how difficult it is to understand its wine industry! The key to understanding the appellation system in Italy is to think of it as several small countries rather than a single homogeneous nation, as each region has its own appellation system. Italy can offer wine lovers a multitude of wines with varied and unique flavors and styles, bottles brimming with surprise and creativity. Unfortunately, it also produces a large quantity of soulless, characterless wines sold under their most commercially useful and prestigious name: Pinot Grigio, Chianti, Valpolicella, Lambrusco, Prosecco, and many others... But let's talk a little history. Viticulture in Italy dates back to antiquity and originated in Greece. The Etruscans are said to have introduced the vine, and Greek immigrants improved and modified the grape varieties, subsequently calling the country "Oenotria": the land of wine. At the height of the Roman Empire, wine held an important place in daily life, and certain regions already distinguished themselves by the excellence of their product. The Romans also established numerous vineyards in Europe, leaving an indelible mark of their conquest. Today, Italy is the world's largest wine producer, ahead of France. Italy is divided into three climatic zones. The northern mountains have a rather harsh mountain climate. The plains of the "central boot" are characterized by a continental climate with cold winters and hot, stormy summers. In the southern part of the Italian boot, the Mediterranean climate prevails, with very hot and dry summers, not forgetting the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. In short, Italy produces a wide variety of wines thanks to its 200 different grape varieties, many of which originated in its own lands. It is a country as complex as its wines, which deserve to be explored!