Sometimes a wine catches you by surprise. The afternoon I was lucky enough to stick my nose into a glass of La Spinetta Barbaresco Valeirano, 2003, I almost fell off my chair.
This is an impressive wine- an opus to the huge possibilities of Nebbiolo at the hands of a master like Giorgio Rivetti.
2003 was a warmer vintage- but the wine is still feminine, still a monument to the elegance and grace of Barbaresco. Full of the haunting aromas of white truffles and steely, wet rocks. On the palate it is generous and slick- this is a wine to match beautifully marbled cuts of beef, grilled pork chops, or braised short ribs.
Of course, it’s also a wine I want to enjoy all on its own- sinfully lip-smacking and aromatically complex. Just me, a bottle of Barbaresco and a deserted beach somewhere at midnight.
I wish I had a chance to have seen this article earlier. I too had this wine, and enjoyed it a great deal. In addition to what you wrote above, I tasted some sour red cherry, sweet spice, and plums; as you stated, very complex, and a long finish. We paired this with Osso Bucco and risotto.
Osso buco Sounds like the perfect choice. I am partial to pairing that kind of rich braised meat with either big nebbiolo, or big sangiovese! Can’t go wrong there… Thanks!