Spin 17 Barbaresco Starderi

Spin 17 Barbaresco Starderi is listed as an Italian red from producer Esplanda, with a Massachusetts, United States origin on the record. The name points to the Barbaresco style and to Starderi, which is a named vineyard site in Piedmont's Barbaresco zone. Check the label for the grape and the exact origin before you count on a particular profile. Traditional Barbaresco is made from Nebbiolo, and the notes below describe what that style usually delivers, not a measured profile of this bottle. Expect a pale-to-medium garnet colour and a perfumed nose of dried rose, red cherry, tar and sometimes licorice or dried herbs. On the palate, wines in this style usually pair a medium to medium-full body with high acidity and firm, grippy tannin. The finish tends to run long and savoury, with oak, if used, more of a background spice than a sweet vanilla note. Because the tannin and acidity are both structural, this style tastes tight when young and softens with bottle age. If the producer has made this one for earlier drinking, it will be more approachable. Without a vintage or tasting sheet, a bottle like this is best opened with a meal. Serve it at about 16 to 18°C, a little below room temperature, because a warm glass exaggerates the alcohol and flattens the aromatics. Decant for 30 to 60 minutes, or pour it into a wide carafe, so the tannins loosen and the perfume opens up. Use a large-bowled Burgundy-style or Nebbiolo glass, which concentrates the floral and fruit aromas while leaving room to swirl. At the table, the acidity and tannin suit fat and umami: braised beef or veal, mushroom risotto, tagliatelle with ragù, roast duck, aged hard cheeses such as Parmigiano-Reggiano, and anything with white truffle or sage butter. Avoid very spicy dishes and delicate fish, which the tannin will overpower.