Barolo Bergera-Pezzole Sorì Gepin (2019)

About this wine

This Barolo is made from 100% Nebbiolo grown in La Spinona’s single vineyard in Novello, one of the villages within the Barolo zone, and it shows that place with real clarity. The nose opens with rose petals, dried cherry, fig, and a gentle thread of spice that feels lifted and inviting. On the palate, it brings red cherry, plum, blood orange, and a touch of licorice, with the grape’s natural grip giving it shape without taking away its charm. The 2019 vintage in Barolo is known for structure and classic definition, and that comes through here in a wine that feels focused, steady, and very true to Nebbiolo. La Spinona has deep roots in the Langhe, and this bottling stands out for combining the floral side people love in Barolo with the darker, more savory notes that make the wine so memorable.

About the grape

Nebbiolo is the sole grape behind this bottling, a long established Piedmont variety prized for its thin skins and late ripening, and at La Spinona it is grown in the single vineyard Bergera Pezzole Sorì Gepin in the commune of Novello. The site enjoys full southern exposure and vineyards in this area sit on calcareous marl soils that favor Nebbiolo by promoting slow ripening and concentrated phenolics. In this wine Nebbiolo is cultivated and managed for Barolo production with careful canopy work and spacing to cope with its vigorous growth and late harvest, and the producer emphasizes site expression by vinifying grapes from this distinct parcel separately.

Quick facts

• 🌄 This Barolo comes from a single 4‑hectare Sorì (top sun‑exposed) vineyard site in Novello rather than from the producer’s home town, making it a true single‑vineyard Barolo.
• ☀️ The word Sorì on the label is Piedmontese for the highest, south‑facing part of a hill, a local “grand cru” term that promises maximum sun and early snowmelt for the Nebbiolo grapes.
• 🏘️ La Spinona is a Barbaresco‑based estate that bottles this Barolo — an intriguing cross‑town specialty: a Barbaresco producer crafting an ambitious Nebbiolo from the Bergera‑Pezzole MGA in Novello.
• 🍇 Grapes for the Sorì Gepin are picked by hand from the upper part of the vineyard into small perforated baskets (about 18 kg) to preserve berry integrity before fermentation.
• 🕰️ The 2019 Sorì Gepin drew attention on the critics’ circuit (Falstaff tasting notes describe sealing wax, tobacco leaf and redcurrant), showing a youthful, tightly wound character with gripping tannins that hint at long ageing potential.

Palate profile

Producer

La Spinona traces its origins to a vineyard purchase on November 12, 1920, when Giovanni Berutti bought a hectare in the Faset cru, and it evolved into a family winery across five generations. The business was formally founded by Pietro Berutti in 1967, who began bottling and promoting Barbaresco beyond the local area. Over the decades the family expanded holdings to roughly 24 hectares, including vineyards in Barbaresco and a Nebbiolo site in Novello acquired in the 1990s. The estate takes its name from the family dog Baica, a Spinone Italiano, which appears in the winery logo as a tribute. Today Pietropaolo Berutti, trained in oenology, runs winemaking while the family continues to farm the vineyards and welcome visitors by appointment.