ArPePe Valtellina Superiore Riserva Sassella Ultimi Raggi 2009 750ml (750ml)

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Producer	ArPePe
Country	Italy
Region	Lombardia
Varietal	Nebbiolo
Vintage	2009
Sku	RD11930
Size	750ml

 

Not drying grapes in "fruttaio" sounds rather odd to red wine lovers in this land, but if one is to remain true to one’s vision, one may indeed appear to be odd at times. This wine, born in 1999 from an Arturo's idea, plays on the slightly drying of the grapes in the vineyards, up to 600 meters above sea level, at the highest point of Sassella, in the zone called "Ere". The right waiting time to reach the right degree of phenolic ripening of the grapes can take some weeks later than in the vineyards below. The variations in temperature between day and night during the harvest add strength to the skins and concentrate the sugars. The fruit slowly dries in the wind, while still attached to the vine, as it prepares for its winter rest. Just before the snow comes, between the middle and end of November, the grapes are picked, gently crushed and pressed in a wooden vat. At the first racking, it is completely dry and acidity levels are quite pronounced. The super-ripeness mitigates t

"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 Ar.Pe.Pe. 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,