Winemaker Notes
The 2018 La Spinetta Barbaresco Bordini is ruby red in appearance. The nose displays hints of ripe plum with subtle accents of roses. Full-bodied and intense with a pleasant continuation on the palate, upholding a fruity texture.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
La Spinetta's 2018 Barbaresco Bordini is a very nuanced and streamlined expression. It opens softly to present aromas of red and purple currants. The elegance of the wine comes out, thanks to the subtle mineral tones of crushed limestone and dry earth that lift so delicately from the bouquet. The La Spinetta house style is normally richer and more concentrated, and this cool vintage comes as a nice surprise.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Bordini has southeast exposition with sandy soils at 240 meters elevation. The 2018 Barbaresco Bordini offers soft floral aromas of candied peach, wild strawberry, and cinnamon. The palate is medium-bodied and inviting, with fresh raspberry, delicately steeped tea, and rosewater. It has fine tannins, and with its lean texture and refreshing acidity, it is prime for early drinking. Enjoy 2021-2028.
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Wine & Spirits
Flavors of sweet cherry and raspberry jelly mix with notes of black-currant pastille and cherry cola in this bold, spice-laden wine. The notes begin to harmonize toward the finish, brightened by hints of licorice and menthol.
Responsible for some of the most elegant and age-worthy wines in the world, Nebbiolo, named for the ubiquitous autumnal fog (called nebbia in Italian), is the star variety of northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Grown throughout the area, as well as in the neighboring Valle d’Aosta and Valtellina, it reaches its highest potential in the Piedmontese villages of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero. Outside of Italy, growers are still very much in the experimentation stage but some success has been achieved in parts of California. Somm Secret—If you’re new to Nebbiolo, start with a charming, wallet-friendly, early-drinking Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d'Alba.
A wine that most perfectly conveys the spirit and essence of its place, Barbaresco is true reflection of terroir. Its star grape, like that in the neighboring Barolo region, is Nebbiolo. Four townships within the Barbaresco zone can produce Barbaresco: the actual village of Barbaresco, as well as Neive, Treiso and San Rocco Seno d'Elvio.
Broadly speaking there are more similarities in the soils of Barbaresco and Barolo than there are differences. Barbaresco’s soils are approximately of the same two major soil types as Barolo: blue-grey marl of the Tortonion epoch, producing more fragile and aromatic characteristics, and Helvetian white yellow marl, which produces wines with more structure and tannins.
Nebbiolo ripens earlier in Barbaresco than in Barolo, primarily due to the vineyards’ proximity to the Tanaro River and lower elevations. While the wines here are still powerful, Barbaresco expresses a more feminine side of Nebbiolo, often with softer tannins, delicate fruit and an elegant perfume. Typical in a well-made Barbaresco are expressions of rose petal, cherry, strawberry, violets, smoke and spice. These wines need a few years before they reach their peak, the best of which need over a decade or longer. Bottle aging adds more savory characteristics, such as earth, iron and dried fruit.