Barbaresco 'Valeirano'

Score

95+

"Another wine of importance from La Spinetta, this is a well-structured and compact expression with lots of dark fruit and ripe berries buried within. The 2016 Barbaresco Valeirano Vürsù, sporting a fittingly hefty rhinoceros depicted on the front of the bottle, is heavier and denser than the others from this line. There are dry and astringent tannins, and like the pachyderm on the label, this wine will live to a ripe old age—if it isn't poached from the cellar beforehand. Some 7,000 bottles were made."

Score

95+

"The 2016 Barbaresco Vigneto Valeirano is the most refined wine I have tasted from this site in Treiso. The tannins, always forbidding in Valeirano, are wonderfully polished, and yet convey the essential feeling of structure that is such a central part of what makes Barbaresco so compelling as a wine. Dark wild cherry, incense, graphite, spice and dried flowers add shades of dimension to this virile, potent Barbaresco that captures the essence of this site, but with an added touch of sophistication that is quite welcome. I can't wait to see how the 2016 ages. In a word: Superb!"

Score

95

"Here is another knock-out Barbaresco from the talented team at La Spinetta. The 2015 Barbaresco Valeirano Vürsù grows quickly in power and volume as it sits in the glass. That fluid evolution adds to the expansive and generous nature of the bouquet. The wine passes through various phases of fruit, spice and delicate herbal intensity. In the mouth, it remains silky and long in resolve and endurance. Despite the heat of the vintage, this edition boasts beautiful softness and ripeness that is never too heavy."

Score

95

"The 2015 Barbaresco Vigneto Valeirano is another striking wine from La Spinetta. Precise and finely cut, the 2015 shows the slightly austere personality that is typical of this cru. Even so, the 2015 possesses tremendous energy and intensity. Sweet spice, crushed flowers, crushed rocks, leather, spice, mint and sweet tobacco grace this exquisite, wonderfully nuanced Barbaresco. The 2015 finishes with real substance and gravitas, both of which bode well for its future in bottle. This may be the most finessed edition of Valeirano ever here."

Score

94

"From the Treiso township, the 2014 Barbaresco Valeirano Vürsù represents a stylistic marriage of the elegant Gallina and the more powerful Starderi crus (both in the Neive township). This is a compact and fine Nebbiolo with a mid-weight style and slightly sweet tannins. In terms of its flavor profile, the wine shows savory spice and barbecue smoke followed by blackberry and dried cherry. In a sense, this wine borrows the best attributes of the other two Barbaresco expressions also reviewed in this report."

Score

90

"An elegant style, this delivers cherry, strawberry, tar and underbrush flavors. Firm and compact on the taut, fresh finish. Best from 2020 through 2030. 1,100 cases made, 50 cases imported."

Score

94+

"La Spinetta's 2014 Barbaresco Vigneto Valeirano is a dark, brooding wine. Because of its depth and overall structure, the oak element is less evident here than it is in some of the other wines. Smoke, licorice, tar, spice, black cherry and rose petal gradually emerge from a wall of firm, imposing tannins. Readers will have to be patient with the 2014, but it is a striking wine in the making. As is often the case, the Valeirano has a distinctive element of austerity and nerve."

Score

92

"This red combines cherry and berry flavors with savory eucalyptus, juniper and tobacco notes. Firmly structured, with assertive yet balanced tannins and a lingering finish. Best from 2018 through 2028. 580 cases made"

Score

93+

"The 2013 Barbaresco Vigneto Valeirano is a powerhouse. Tannic, rough around the edges and virile in its expression, the 2013 is going to need at least few years in bottle to shed some of its tannin. The flavors are deep and boldly sketched, with the acidity of the vintage and the incisive Treiso tannins adding brightness throughout. Sweet dark cherries, cinnamon, new leather and menthol meld into the powerful, tannic finish."

Score

91

"The 2007 Barbaresco Vigneto Valeirano, on the other hand, is the most clenched and unexpressive of these 2007 Barbareschi. The Valeirano emerges from the glass with red berries, minerals, French oak and menthol. It is a surprisingly austere wine for 2007 and I am not sure it has the sheer density in its fruit to stand up to the French oak. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2027. This is a beautiful set of 2007 Barbareschi from La Spinetta. With one exception the wines show the trademark open sensual quality of the vintage but with less overt oakiness than has sometimes been the case. In short, readers who appreciate sensual full-bodied Nebbiolo will find much to admire here."

Score

94

"Suave and silky, this red boasts wild aromas and flavors of menthol and forest underbrush to complement its sweet cherry and berry notes. Opulent and dense, with complexity and a lingering aftertaste of fruit, woodsy spices and mineral. Best from 2014 through 2030. 580 cases made. "

Score

93+

"Good full red. Musky, wild aromas of strawberry and mint; more classic than the 2006 version. Then broad and perfumed in the mouth, with sexy flavors of spicy red fruits, minerals, dried rose and spices. Finishes broad and very long. A vibrant, complex Barbaresco that will need time. Rivetti says this reminds him of a Barolo from Serralunga. A very strong showing."

Score

91

"The 2006 Barbaresco Vigneto Valeirano is another exuberant wine. Here, too, the aromatics literally jump out of the glass, as layers of perfumed super-ripe fruit are intermingled with a persistent vein of minerality. The powerful, focused Valeirano offers outstanding balance, but needs a few years in bottle for the tannins to melt away. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2021."

Score

91

"The 2006 Barbaresco Vigneto Valeirano is another exuberant wine. Here, too, the aromatics literally jump out of the glass, as layers of perfumed super-ripe fruit are intermingled with a persistent vein of minerality. The powerful, focused Valeirano offers outstanding balance, but needs a few years in bottle for the tannins to melt away."