2023 Rivetti G. (La Spinetta) - Barbera d'Asti Ca' di Pian (750ml)
The Rivetti family story starts in the 1890s, when Giovanni Rivetti left Piedmont for Argentina in search of fortune, hoping one day to return home and make great wine. That dream passed to his son Giuseppe, nicknamed Pin, who married Lidia, bought vineyards, and began producing wine in earnest. In 1977 the family settled at La Spinetta, meaning "top of the hill," in Castagnole Lanze, historically Moscato d'Asti country. Their first red wine was this very Barbera, Ca' di Pian, and the estate has since grown under Pin's sons Carlo, Bruno, and Giorgio into one of Piedmont's most respected producers of Barolo, Barbaresco, and Barbera alike.
Ca' di Pian is sourced from younger vine Barbera grown across two sites, Castagnole and the Bionzo vineyard in Costigliole, both within the Barbera d'Asti DOCG. The grapes are harvested and vinified with attention to preserving the variety's natural brightness rather than masking it with heavy extraction. The wine is aged in a mix of second- and third-use French oak barrels, a lighter touch than La Spinetta's top-tier bottlings, one meant to keep the wine fresh, fruit-forward, and ready to drink on release rather than built for long cellaring.
The nose offers blueberry, black cherry, and lavender, with a savory undercurrent of menthol and cocoa. The palate is soft and supple, carried by Barbera's signature vibrant acidity and a smooth, easy finish. Pour this wine with grilled sausages, braised short ribs, or a hard aged cheese.