Many historical wine regions in Italy have two camps of producers: modernist and traditionalist. Modernist producers usually employ shorter maceration and the use of new small oak barrel to allow their wines to be enjoyed earlier. Modernist style wines tend to be more fruity and more international in style. Most drinkers new to Italian wines prefer modernist style wines since they are closer to what they usually drink. Personally, I prefer traditionalist style as it offers more unique style according to its tradition. This bottle of modernist Barbaresco, however, is really so good that I like it a lot.
La Spinetta is a producer that I have great confident in it. I have tried its Moscato d’Asti and Barbera d’Asti Ca’di Pian before, both are very good. As one of the leader of modernist style producers, La Spinetta has very advanced winery equipments. Fermentation is done by high-end rotofermenter. Most of its single cru Barbaresco (this bottle is one of them) use 80% new French oak for ageing. The winery also has a very high hygiene standard. If you think this is normal, then you are wrong. Many wineries in Italy deliberately prefer their wineries not to be too hygienic as they believe the yeast in their wineries would help to make their wines having more character. Another thing very famous for La Spinetta Barbaresco is its label. I found it really beautiful.
This bottle of Barbaresco has been opened for four hours before drinking. When opened, it immediately released strong and attractive sweet fruit flavours. To ensure the wine is served at its best, I use glassware designed for Pinot Noir (Nebbiolo use the same) and the wine continued to be served at about 16C to avoid temperature being too high.
Initially, the wine showed strong sweet black fruits flavours with dried herbs and violet. After about an hour, the wine evolved into much more elegant style. The fruit flavours changed from black fruits to lighter red fruits. Violet changed into more elegant rose petal. Intensity in palate continued to be very high from the start until we finished the bottle. Although the wine has rich fruits just as most modernist style wines, it is really elegant. It has richness with weight! Although both Barolo and Barbaresco is produced by the same grape variety of Nebbiolo, they really express very different style. Barolo is very muscular. This Barbaresco is much more elegant and feminine.
Many wines that are modern in style have rich and intense fruit flavours but they usually lack elegant and complexity. This is a very good expression of modern style wine that should please fans of both modernist and traditionalist style wines.
Purchase Regis Wine (Original: HK$988 / Special $818)