2012 La Spinetta Langhe Nebbiolo, Piedmont

The 2007 edition of Gambero Rosso named this Italy's No. 2 winery just behind Gaja, and the international press continually lauds it as one of the country's most progressive wineries. Suffice to say we were more than curious to find out what all the fuss was about. A visit to Italy confirmed what we had read: this truly is a world-class producer. La Spinetta was founded in 1977 and now spans 165 hectares between Piedmont and Tuscany. Instead of inheriting their land through generations of winemakers, the Rivettis have carefully selected their vineyards over time. All sites have a south, south-east or south-west exposure and the vines tend to have a bit of age (35-65 years). The approach in the winery may be modern but the vineyard ethos is utterly traditional: extensive year round care, extremely low yields and no use of chemical fertilisers, herbicides or pesticides. La Spinetta means “top of the hill” and refers to the location of their first cellar in Castagnole delle Lanze in Piedmont. La Spinetta’s motto is: "Making wine with passion". We’ll drink to that.