2014 La Spinetta/Giorgio Rivetti Barbera d'Asti Cà di Pian 750 ml

Somm Favorite From Coast-to-Coast

The 2014 La Spinetta Barbera d'Asti Ca’ Di Pian is the trendsetter that impressed us with by-the-glass holdings on some of the hottest wine lists from coast-to-coast including Maialino in NYC, Oenotri in Napa and Cotogna in San Francisco. Why have somms around the country zeroed in on an allocation of La Spinetta? Aside from the glowing reviews and multiple high scores for their top-tier Barbaresco wines, the Ca’ Di Pian is a local-darling turned international-charmer—one of the few Barbera d’Asti reds that balances dark, juicy fruit and pleasant, food-friendly acidity with super-concentrated Piedmont pedigree. Offered at $19.99 on cases—the best price in the nation—while our allocation lasts.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate has gone on the record praising La Spinetta—in fact, every bottle from the 2014 vintage received a score of 91-points or more. Included in this pocket of excellence is 91-point 2014 La Spinetta Barbera d'Asti Ca' Di Pian with fruit sourced from 45-year-old vines leaving the Advocate proclaiming that “richness comes naturally,” which is experienced through a gorgeous pop of red cherry and juicy pomegranate.

La Spinetta is a 100 percent family-owned operation, where everyone abides by the gospel of superb vineyard methods: the bare minimum on treatments, complete reverence for indigenous varieties and several rounds of strictly deliberate green harvesting, overseen by owner and winemaker Giorgio Rivetti himself. We agree full-stop with Wine Advocate’s assessment of precision-tuned acidity from “yields farmed low” for a satisfying, friable, spicy tension on the finish.