Ar.Pe.Pe. Sassella Riserva Ultimi Raggi · 2018

Do not make the Sforzato di Valtellina sounds strange to all fans of the reds of this land, but at Ar.Pe.Pe. it was a coherent choice. Like Sforzato, this wine plays on the over-ripening of the grapes. The game, however, does not end in the fruit cellar, but in the vineyard, at an altitude that reaches 600 meters, the limit of the upper part of Sassella, an area called "Ere". The right waiting time to reach the correct phenolic ripening of the bunches is a few weeks longer than the vineyards located at lower altitudes. The temperature changes between day and night in the harvest period strengthen the skins and concentrate the sugars. The fruit slowly dehydrates in the wind, still attached to the plant which is preparing for winter hibernation. Just before the snow, between the middle and the end of November, it is picked, softly pressed and mashed in the vat. When drawing off, it is completely dry and the acidity remains clearly visible. The overmaturation mitigates the nervous tannins of the Last Rays and the aging in large barrels smoothes the dense texture. You can find the sweetness of ripe fruit in the perfume, without cloying softness on the palate. After resting in the bottle, Ultimi Raggi becomes the wine with the highest alcohol content of Ar.Pe.Pe., while retaining the freshness and drink of Nebbiolo delle Alpi.

Nose

Ripe fruit

Palate

Dry, Fresh

Pairs with

Stewed meats with mushrooms, Chorizo sausage, Cured cheeses with intense flavors, Veal ragout

Drink

Serve between 18ºC and 20ºC

£145.21

About the vineyard[+]

Among the regions of heroic and mountain viticulture in Italy, Valtellina certainly occupies a place of honour. The south-facing slope of the upper Adda Valley, a natural bridge between Lombardy's lakes and the Swiss Alps, is extraordinarily rich in vineyards, laid out on ancient terraces built by hand since the 16th century. Snow, currents, day/night temperature ranges from 5 to 35°C, summer heat and, above all, soils that are as steep as they are precious, rich in sand, clay and silt, give the wine an amazing structure, finesse and longevity. In the five Valtellina wine areas, all characterised by a particular personality, the local Nebbiolo, probably the oldest in the world, has found a chosen land in which to express all its austere power and surprising finesse, framed in typically soft colours and deep scents of the mountains: the fine and velvety Grumello, the sunny and rich Inferno, the austere and grand Sassella, all aged for at least two years in large casks (three for the Reserves). And mention must be made of the majestic Sforzato, which is an appellation in its own right, produced from raisined and vinified dry Nebbiolo grapes, the guardian of a power and roundness that the true lover of these mountains and of this amazing vine cannot fail to appreciate. Food pairings? A hearty Valtellina dinner with bresaola, pizzoccheri and salmì game would be the best base to start tasting these monuments of mountain oenology.

£145.21