Tucked in between the Orobic and Retic Alps just south of the Italian-Swiss border, you’ll find the terraced vineyards of Ar. Pe. Pe. 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 Ar. Pe. Pe. label in 1984, reclaimed many of their proprietary vineyards from renters, and were able to reclaim their cellar in Grumello. Today, Ar. Pe. Pe. is widely recognized as the single best producer in the appellation (as well as a benchmark producer of Nebbiolo in general).

Winemaking Notes: Just before the snow, between mid- and the end of November, Nebbiolo is picked, softly pressed and slammed in the vat. At racking it is completely dry and the acidity remains clearly evident. The slight drying of the grapes mitigates the nervous tannin of Valtellina Superiore Sassella Riserva Ultimi Raggi DOCG and aging in large cask smoothes its dense texture.The sweetness of ripe fruit can thus be found in the scent, without cloying softness on the palate.

Tasting Notes: You'll find aromas of ripe berry, exotic spice, scorched earth, violet and balsamic notes on this generous fragrant red. The structured savory palate delivers crushed raspberry, succulent red cherry, star anise and tobacco alongside decisive but refined tannins. It's balanced, with fresh acidity.

Varietal: Nebbiolo

Region: Valtellina, Lombardy, Italy