ArPePe Valtellina Superiore Sassella Nuova Regina Riserva 2013 3 L
Tucked in between the Orobic and Retic Alps just south of the Italian-Swiss border, you’ll find the terraced vineyards of ARPEPE. At the helm of this storied estate, located in the Grumello subzone of Valtellina in Lombardy, is the fifth generation of the Pelizzatti Perego family. The roots of this blue-chip estate go back to the 1860s, when the current generation’s great-great-grandfather Giovanni founded a successful winery in the area, then known only as “Pelizzatti.” Over 150 years of history have passed since then, including the dark days of the 1970s during which the current generation’s grandfather fell ill, and the family was forced to sell the Pelizzatti brand along with some of their vineyards. The more recent history of the estate is an almost deus-ex-machina turn of events: the family re-founded their company under the ARPEPE label in 1984, got back many of their proprietary vineyards from renters, and were able to reclaim their cellar in Grumello. Today, ARPEPE is widely recognized as the single best producer in the appellation, as well as a benchmark producer of Nebbiolo in general!
From the winery:
The cadastral maps had borne the name for generations, probably even before that our ancestor Giovanni Pelizzatti started selling his wine across the border with Switzerland in 1860.
Close to the Rocce Rosse, the “New Queen” rises to over 450 metres, as far as the road that leads from Sant’Anna to Triasso. There seems to be more rock than earth in this vineyard and here we have kept the greatest number of old vines: a collection of ancient genes that, in the best years, create one of the longest-lasting, most precious Riserva, as only a completely manual process can give. 1991 was an amazing vintage but it’s harder to find one today on a restaurant wine list than it is to meet the Queen herself.
The Valtellina Superiore Sassella Riserva Nuova Regina DOCG shows you how exciting a red wine from the Valtellina can be if you have the good fortune to enjoy it when it has been given all the the right waiting time. Its quintessential simplicity surprise you for its wonderful cleanliness and freshness in the mouth and, thanks to the versatility of Nebbiolo from the Alps, it brings out its best on tables around the world.
| Vintage | 2013 |
| Varietal | Nebbiolo |
| Appellation | Valtellina Superiore |
| Vineyard | Nuova Regina |
| Alcohol | 13.00% |
| Volume | 3 liter |
| Country of Origin | ITALY |
| State of Origin | N/A |
| Artificially Carbonated | No |
| Sparkling Wine | No |
