Winemaker Notes
La Spinetta Barolo Garretti is a pale ruby red. The nose is intense and refined, with aromas of dried rose, ripe cherry and delicate hints of licorice. Full and harmonious on the palate, with notes of ripe red fruit, subtle tobacco nuances and a delicate mineral character. Soft, perfectly integrated tannins lead to a long, elegant and persistent finish.
Blend: 100% Nebbiolo
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
From Grinzane Cavour and vines averaging around 30 years old, the 2022 Barolo Garretti pours a jeweled ruby hue. Aromas of grenadine, ripe peach, sweet cedar, and pressed wildflowers emerge from the glass. Medium-bodied, it is polished and elegant, with balanced acidity, refined tannins, and a subtle grip on the finish. It’s approachable now but capable of aging well. 11,000 bottles were produced. Drink 2026-2040.
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James Suckling
Very aromatic, exuberant and floral with a peachy note, a touch of citrus and some incense. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, with abundant fruit complemented by integrated acidity and supple tannins. Drink or hold.
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.
The center of the production of the world’s most exclusive and age-worthy red wines made from Nebbiolo, the Barolo wine region includes five core townships: La Morra, Monforte d’Alba, Serralunga d’Alba, Castiglione Falletto and the Barolo village itself, as well as a few outlying villages. The landscape of Barolo, characterized by prominent and castle-topped hills, is full of history and romance centered on the Nebbiolo grape. Its wines, with the signature “tar and roses” aromas, have a deceptively light garnet color but full presence on the palate and plenty of tannins and acidity. In a well-made Barolo wine, one can expect to find complexity and good evolution with notes of, for example, strawberry, cherry, plum, leather, truffle, anise, fresh and dried herbs, tobacco and violets.
There are two predominant soil types here, which distinguish Barolo from the lesser surrounding areas. Compact and fertile Tortonian sandy marls define the vineyards farthest west and at higher elevations. Typically the Barolo wines coming from this side, from La Morra and Barolo, can be approachable relatively early on in their evolution and represent the “feminine” side of Barolo, often closer in style to Barbaresco with elegant perfume and fresh fruit.
On the eastern side of the Barolo wine region, Helvetian soils of compressed sandstone and chalks are less fertile, producing wines with intense body, power and structured tannins. This more “masculine” style comes from Monforte d’Alba and Serralunga d’Alba. The township of Castiglione Falletto covers a spine with both soil types.
The best Barolo wines need 10-15 years before they are ready to drink, and can further age for several decades.