Sergio's Pick

"It's no secret that I love Nebbiolo. For me, these wines are a near perfect interplay of fruit, floral, and earth tones. What I don't love about this varietal, is how long one has to wait for the wines to achieve this balance. While I wait for my esteemed Barolo's to hit their stride, I seek out alpine Nebbiolo from Boca or Carema in Piemonte to those originating from today's offer: the Valtellina in Lombardia.

The Valtellina is an important region for Nebbiolo (or Chiavennasca as the locals refer to it). Much like Piemonte, Valtellina has established viticultural sub-zones considered to be the best sources for the highest quality Valtellina wine. While labelled with the modest IGT Alpi Retiche designation, this Rosso is sourced from Valgella which along with Grumello, Sassella, Inferno and Maroggia produce stunning wines with serious cellaring potential. But for today, we are focusing on the now, and this wine now is absolutely singing!

Highly expressive notes of pluots, cherry pits, rose petal, maitakes, mint, and iron leap from the glass. The palate is harmonious with a charged acidity that introduces a seriously mineral-forward silky/juicy profile that fades into a mild, yet elegant, velvet-like tannic touch. The finish is lengthy with exit notes of hibiscus, underripe strawberries and forest floor.