Winemaker Notes
Light ruby red with hints of dried violet, spices and ripe wild strawberries on the nose. Elegant and refined, with nuances of citrus fruit and flowers that add personality to the long finish. Tannins are present but smooth.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Beautiful aromas of plums and violets with some flint. Full-bodied. Layered and softly chewy. Meat, berry and hints of cedar and nutmeg. Flavorful finish. Solid and very together with a softness at the back of the palate.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The La Spinetta 2019 Barbaresco Starderi Vürsù is perfumed and bright with dark rose and wild plum. The wine is solid and dense, with a pretty presentation of fruit that feels healthy and crunchy at the same time. The tannins are well integrated into this structured, full-bodied Barbaresco. The Starderi has shown a very consistent performance over the years. These releases from La Spinetta are all packaged in big, heavy glass bottles. Best After 2024
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Wine Spectator
A powerful red, yet well-defined too, with strawberry, cherry, floral, mineral and tobacco aromas and flavors aligned to a muscular structure. Feels balanced overall, yet will take a few years to fully integrate.
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.