Ar. Pe. Pe. Rosso di Valtellina 2017
Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesThe Ar. Pe. Pe. 2017 Rosso di Valtellina is very pretty and lifted in feel. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry fruit, mint and white pepper give the 2017 an attractive top register of aromatic intensity as this airy, mid-weight Valtellina red opens up in the glass. The 2017 can be enjoyed now or cellared for at least a handful of years. I find it irresistibly delicious right now. Drinking window: 2020 - 2027
Containing an exciting mix of wine producing subregions, Lombardy is Italy’s largest in size and population. Good quality Pinot noir, Bonarda and Barbera have elevated the reputation of the plains of Oltrepò Pavese. To its northeast in the Alps, Valtellina is the source of Italy’s best Nebbiolo wines outside of Piedmont. Often missed in the shadow of Prosecco, Franciacorta produces collectively Italy’s best Champagne style wines, and for the fun and less serious bubbly, find Lambrusco Mantovano around the city of Mantua. Lugana, a dry white with a devoted following, is produced to the southwest of Lake Garda.
Responsible for some of the most elegant and age-worthy wines in the world, Nebbiolo, named for the ubiquitous autumnal fog (called nebbia in Italian), is the star variety of northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Grown throughout the area, as well as in the neighboring Valle d’Aosta and Valtellina, it reaches its highest potential in the Piedmontese villages of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero. Outside of Italy, growers are still very much in the experimentation stage but some success has been achieved in parts of California. Somm Secret—If you’re new to Nebbiolo, start with a charming, wallet-friendly, early-drinking Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d'Alba.
