Copy of Discover the Aged Alpine Nebbiolo “Riserva” That Left Us Speechless!

Just Added - 2016 RISERVA DEBUT. Discover the Aged Alpine Nebbiolo “Riserva” That Left Us Speechless! Produced Just Twenty Times in Forty Years from the Artisan of Valtellina Superiore.

“Readers with classically leaning palates will flip out over the wines… If you love aged Barolo or Barbaresco, do not miss this wine!” “I served an Ar. Pe. Pe. Sassella next to the best of Burgundy and Piedmont at a charity dinner, and it showed beautifully. The best wines of Valtellina can hold their own alongside long-established benchmarks. In my view, Valtellina is a region with tremendous potential, especially as the world furthers its love affair with Nebbiolo.” – Antonio Galloni

How do we surpass our best-selling offering of the 2013 ArPePe Valtellina Superiore Riservas? How ‘bout trying some of the new releases from 2016! That’s exactly what the IWM Team went out and did. We just tasted the signature Valtellina Superiore Rocce Rosse Riserva from the fabled Lombardia estate and their jaw-dropping expression of alpine Nebbiolo – known as Chiavennasca.

Dare we say it one more time, move over Barolo and Barbaresco, let alone Gattinara and Carema, the new “King of the North” or the rising star for the noble Nebbiolo might just be from Valtellina and its artisanal master, ArPePe? The Perego family has been painstakingly tending to the alpine Nebbiolo vines at dizzying heights on the sheer granite terraces just south of the Swiss border since 1860. It should be noted that the ArPePe Valtellina Superiore Riserva Rocce Rosse has only been produced in the best vintages twenty times over the past forty years with a miniscule production of just 1000-2000 cases for the entire world.  The single vineyard Rocce Rosse takes its name from the vineyard’s iron-rich, red rocks that impart intense, often sanguine mineral sensations and is the product of some of the oldest vines of the estate located in the heart of Sassella at 400 meters altitude.

Sure, it is another artisanal wine and story we love to share, but more importantly these are the ethereal, mind-bending wines that get us so excited about what we do and are simply why Italian Wine Merchants came to be.  They are as Antonio Galloni, and many others have stated, “Readers with classically leaning palates will flip out over the wines.”  That begins with the signature of the estate, the Rocce Rosse as well as our favorites of AR Pe Pe Valtellina Superiore Riserva Sassella Nuova Regina and Buon Consiglio. If you love aged Barolo or Barbaresco, do not miss these wines!

FEATURED WINE(s): Debut from the Prized Nebbiolo Riserva of ArPePe

*Note: wines are pre-arrival

“Wine is a labor of love.” We so often hear this phrase from winemakers, but there is perhaps no producer or wine that epitomizes this statement better than ArPePe in Valtellina. It is here in the mountainous alpine region of Lombardia, that Nebbiolo, known locally as Chiavennasca, clingingly grows up to a dizzying 700 of meters altitude for a truly unique terroir-driven expression of Italy’s noble varietal. At first glance, you feel you might need a mountain climbing apparatus or some serious Velcro just to walk the vineyards. This is truly extreme viticulture; these are heights with angles of steepness that challenge and surpass those of Hermitage, Priorat, or even that of Cinque Terre. The threat of landslides and vertigo are very real, and the harsh reality is that this unforgiving terroir makes little economic sense for winemaking. It is mindboggling to hear that these steep, alpine vineyards at ArPePe require up to 1,500 hours of labor per hectare each vintage. In comparison to some important wineries in Tuscany and Piedmont, that is three to four times the amount of labor. Needless to say, it was a privilege to taste this aged release. For those new to this winery and the wines, ArPePe, is an acronym for their founder Arturo Pelizzatti Perego. The wines are each a magical expression for the Nebbiolo purist, as well as those that appreciate old school Burgundy and Rioja, or delicate wines of absolute finesse, acidity, chiseled structure, and quiet power. They truly are a unique expression of the land, and alongside Sandro Fay, and a few others, they are what make Valtellina so exciting to watch and taste.

ADDITIONAL NOTES AND REVIEWS:

“I served an Ar. Pe. Pe. Sassella next to the best of Burgundy and Piedmont at a charity dinner, and it showed beautifully. The best wines of Valtellina can hold their own alongside long-established benchmarks. In my view, Valtellina is a region with tremendous potential, especially as the world furthers its love affair with Nebbiolo.” – Antonio Galloni

2016 ARPEPE Valtellina Superiore Sassella Rocce Rosse Riserva

Christopher Deas, Italian Wine Merchants: “It is a Riserva that is produced only in truly extraordinary vintages and that has only happened twenty times for the Sassella Rocce Rosse in past forty years. It is one of the veteran Sassella Riservas from the Ar. Pe. Pe. portfolio and is sourced from 50-year-old vines at 400 meters altitude within a subplot of Sassella. In this vineyard more iron-rich rock than earth emerges, and it shows in the wine and this is a savory expression. This is typically the more expressive and approachable Riserva of the estate. The nose alone is worth the price of admission and simply intoxicates anyone in the room with potpourri, violets, licorice. On the palate the saga continues as the wine shows more concentration, staining the palate and lingering for a long finish. You can expect to find red fruit galore, highlighted by strawberry compote, red cherries, blood orange, accompanied by nuances of wild herbs, tomato leaf, leather, coffee bean, brown spice and minerality. Tasted the bottle over two days and the wine is constantly changing and evolving in the glass.”

Kerin O’Keefe: “Tight, taut and very young, this gorgeous wine has intense aromas of Alpine berry, orange zest, camphor and cake spice. On the savory, elegantly structured palate, firm tannins accompany crushed mint, wild strawberry, pomegranate and grilled Porcini. A salty note signals the close while vibrant acidity keeps it balanced. Drink through 2046 Abv: 13%.”

James Suckling: “Very flowery on the nose, with fresh violets, roses, red currants, bright fruitiness, licorice and stony minerality. The attack is soft, with a medium body, brilliant crisp acidity and tight yet ripe tannins soaked in fruit. Not an easy wine, more elegant than powerful. It needs time to develop more complexity. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.”

2019 ARPEPE Valtellina Superiore Grumello 'Rocca de Piro'

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: “I just love this wine, thanks to its sheer brightness and energy. The Ar. Pe. Pe. 2019 Valtellina Superiore Grumello Rocca de Piro reveals impeccable balance and a very silky quality, with nuanced delivery of cherry cola, white licorice root and blue mountain flower. The wine evokes a warmer sense as well with mountain meadow and sunshine on slate rock. All of these elements work in harmony and transfer to the palate with soft intensity.

This is an email ONLY offer! Should you have any questions on these exciting wines, or would like to take advantage of this offering (that is only available until 11:59pm, February 2nd), we are asking that orders be emailed back to chris.deas@italianwinemerchants.com, or connect with your Portfolio Manager AND mention receipt of this offer if calling the store. All orders are subject to confirmation. IWM is not responsible for typographical errors.

All my best,

Chris