Barbera is planted in the middle section of the celebrated Gallina cru in Neive. The rest of this vineyard is planted to Nebbiolo to make Barbaresco Gallina. Counterintuitively, La Spinetta left that strip of Barbera grapes intact because they wanted to preserve tradition. Others would have probably replaced it with the more lucrative Nebbiolo variety. The 2014 Barbera d'Alba Gallina is made from old vines evidently happy to stay exactly where they are at the moment. Despite the difficulties of the vintage, this wine oozes forth with dark intensity, a velvety structure and exuberant fruit aromas. Smokey mineral dustings also appear.

A flashy style, offering plenty of toasty, vanilla and clove aromas and flavors, yielding to blackberry and plum fruit before finishing with an element of green olive. Substantial tannins provide support. Drink now through 2021. 833 cases made, 50 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barbera d'Alba Select to Add