2016 La Spinetta, Barolo, Campe

The 2016 Barolo Campè is superb. Dark, potent and powerful, the 2016 possesses tremendous intensity to match its dark, virile personality. More than anything else, in 2016 the Campè offers a captivating interplay of fruit and structure. The 2016 is not a shy wine; rather it is rich and hedonistic to the core, while maintaining a striking sense of translucence. Black cherry, chocolate, espresso, licorice and clove all build into the huge finish. In a word: Superb. In 2016 Giorgio Rivetti and his team made a Barolo with a sense of classicism I have never seen before to this degree in a La Spinetta wine.

The Campè vineyard is above Garretti in Grinzane Cavour. La Spinetta's 2016 Barolo Campè Vürsù draws its fruit from the upper part of the vineyard where the topsoils are shallow and the vines are oldest, aged 70+ years. Fruit comes from a three-hectare site with beautiful southern exposures. This beautiful wine opens to a velvety and dark appearance with dark garnet highlights. To the nose, it produces dark primary fruit with dried blackberry and plum, but you also get savory notes of spice, tar and dried licorice root. The wine shows a firm backbone, but the tannins are nicely tucked into the greater fiber and power of the mouthfeel. Production is 9,000 bottles.

Grinzane Cavour. Tasted blind. Quite deep ruby with orange tinges. Lifted nose of cassis, and really exotic palate with passion fruit and cherries. Whole bunch? Quite tough tannins on the exotically perfumed finish. Drying. (WS)