La Spinetta (Rivetti) Barbera d'Asti Cà di Pian

Decanting at the restaurant was not great as there was significant sediment. Color dark maroon with slight bricking on the edge. Nose of earth, shoe polish, blackberry, and leather. These followed through on the medium + bodied palate. A dose of tannin and acidity present in the finish perhaps made a bit harsher by loose sediment. Still a big wine. Be sure to handle appropriately for expected sediment.

2000 vintage

Don't believe the posted drinking window. This is still fantastic.

2000 vintage

had a bottle that was clearly past prime

2000 vintage

ooh, juicy, dark berry fruit, lush, and licorice. a wow barbera.

2000 vintage

opened and sampled - very acrid, bitter flavor and no nose to speak of. Aerated with Vinturi and left in decanter for 24 hours. Sampled again - stunning change. Luxh full mouth, nice though not overpowering nose - cherry and dark fruit, big on the palate, tannins fully resolved, afterbreath (through the nose) slightly astringent but not unpleasantly so. We would have dumped this down the drain on first tasting but the wait was more than worth it. This reinforced …

2000 vintage

Very, very good. Needs a couple of hours decanted to get going. Really no hurry at all with it based on this bottle. Fresh acidity, sweetish cherry fruit and (very luxurious) oak.

2000 vintage

Bottle was full of so much Brett hard to stomach drinking any of this. Very funky. Smelled like you woke up in a barnyard.

2000 vintage

Mature, drink now but allow 24 hours of air, a bit "acidic" upon opening but quite wonderful with some air.

2000 vintage

Wow this is unexpectedly awesome. Great nose soaring from the glass. Touch of earth with complex red and some black fruit. I could leave my nose in it all day long. Moderate maturity in the nose. Old world all the way which I was not expecting. When I bought on release, others dissed it as 'new world', international and Marc de Grazia. Well some age has done well for this wine. Palate has deep fruit and bouncing acidity which keeps …

2000 vintage

Bottle seemed to be much different than last one....a bit acidic and stringent seemed to mellow with some air. Quite a bit of sediment.

2000 vintage

This bottle had gone bad. Noticeable funk to the nose and palate.

2000 vintage

Really nice example of aging Barbera - great acidity - definitely a food wine.

2000 vintage

Consistent with previous note. Too bad this was my last one.

2000 vintage

Good nose. Hollow mid-palate. Better served on the cool side as the woodiness and heat described by other tasters become more apparent with warming/time open.

2000 vintage

Decanted 2.5 hours served at 14C. Dark red with purple highlights. Full bouquet of red fruits, licorice and chocolate. On the palate an immediate attack with red fruits, licorice, fine tannins and an acidic core that kept the wine lively. Long finish and excellent balance. This was a very enjoyable, accessible wine that left no one unimpressed and for all it's hedonistic qualities had a remarkable balance and elegance as well. 50+5+13+17+8=93

2000 vintage

Upon opening, the wine had aromatics of fresh berries and vanilla. The taste was similiar, but the finish was of bitter toasted oak. After an hour in a decanter, the finish was more of a tobacco taste and the bitterness had faded. Not to my taste. I've enjoyed other vintages more than this one.

2000 vintage

Piedmont Night at the Kirkpatricks' Home (Newburyport, MA) : Piedmont Night. Nose of red and black fruits, it was a veritable assault on the palate with good dark fruits followed quickly by the heat of alcohol and astringent tannin. Finish again revealed good residual fruit. The stronger cheeses tempered the tannins a bit. Overall seemed to be a well-built wine, but was still a bit much for me. I wonder if it would have mellowed with some decanting?

2000 vintage

Pizza at home (Seattle, WA) : This was my last bottle and the best showing yet for this wine. Intense notes of blackberry, espresso, and shoe polish. This has really setlled down, and, while it is clearly a La Spinetta, this actually shows some typicity. This delicious bottle was gone in seeming seconds.

2000 vintage

Some recent Italians; 10/1/2005-2/5/2006 : Full throttle Barbera from Spinetta, there is no escaping the fruit or weight, but its all so sexy you don't mind being slightly overwhelmed. Slightly less imposing once paired with the ragu, but man this is rich. Lots of red fruit, plums and blackberries, espresso, graphite and cream, and I mean lots. It’s so smooth and well made, a perfect modernist Barbera, carrying its girth and alcohol with suprising grace.

2000 vintage

Wow, GREAT showing for this wine! Served with eggplant Parmigiana, angel hair with garlic and olive oil, and grilled broccolini. This wine was easily up to the challenge of the meal. Delicious with porty notes and copious chocolate on the nose. The palate was an explosion of black fruit, shoe leather, bright acid, chewy and fresh at the same time, a simply amazing mouthful of fruit. This is the best showing I have had yet for the Spinetta Superiore.

2000 vintage

Second day on wine saver. Impenetrable pitch purple with magenta rim. Very effuse nose of dark berry liqueur, shoe polish and cinnamon stick. Quite tannic on entry. Very dense palate of concentrated black cherry, leather and creosote. Extracted vs. ripe. Very dusty finish and a bit hot from the EtOH. Very atypical barbera but hedonistic all the same.

2000 vintage

After four days in Napa drinking mushy cabs, it was refreshing to come home to something with some acid yet also the in-your-face fruit to smack a palate used to Napa cabs. This is an interesting hybrid, clearly showing some elements of its Barbera heritage with terrific acid, a leathery texture and hints of shoe polish. However, the grippy palate is so ripe and rich with raspberry and blackberry and the (somehow) subtle spice of oak that it is easy …

2000 vintage

Tasted at McCarthy & Schiering. I was 'blinded' by this wine after a series of 2001 Napa Cabernets. I made the very poor assumption that this would be another Cabernet. On first taste I found the nose atypical and the palate highly acidic, so sticking with the Cabernet theme I assumed Washington Cabernet. Duh! I was WAY off... The nose is floral, showing powdered sugar, vanilla and raspberry. The palate is lush and chewy with 'crunchy' acidity, a lovely textured …

2000 vintage

Whew, another impressive wine from La Spinetta. Compared to the 2001 Gallina Barbera d'Alba this was far more approachable and clearly acting more like a Barbera with shoe polish, barnyard and very leather notes. That said, this is still pitch black in color, deeply concentrated, and with a few hours it opened and smoothed considerably, showing piercing floral notes and chambord sweetness on the palate. There was an interested smell of something roasted, almost burned that slowly faded away into …

2000 vintage

Certainly a jammy looking appearance, and while aromas and flavors were bold and intense, it was still very well balanced. Lively young fruit showing concentrated blackberry. Great mid-palate and finish.

2000 vintage

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La Spinetta (Rivetti) Barbera d'Asti Cà di Pian

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