Vanessa

9.5

Melt my heart. This wine is stunning.

ARPEPE Sassella “Rocce Rosse” Riserva 2013—an outstanding expression of Nebbiolo from the Valtellina Superiore DOCG.

🏔️ Valtellina is a northerly district in Lombardy, Italy, bordering Switzerland. It boasts a majestic alpine mountain-scape w/ terraced vineyards perched on the steep slopes of the Alps, surrounding an oasis of sunshine on the valley floor.

Valtellina is famous for its perfumed & elegant wines made mostly from Nebbiolo (locally ‘Chiavennasca’).

🍷 This 2013 is 100% Chiavennasca from a site at 400-500 meters elevation in the Sassella subzone.

🍒It offers pronounced aromas & flavors of dark cherry, bright raspberry, mulberry, pomegranate, fig, strawberry rhubarb, potpourri, black tea, star anise, fennel, peat, olive tapenade, vanilla, cardamom, nutmeg & forest floor.

😍 On the palate, it is lifted & ethereal w/ mouth-watering acidity & velveteen tannins that support a lingering finish. A BEAUTIFUL wine. — 17 days ago

with Deked1

Marc Karetsky

9.5

Love this maker. Classic Nebbiolo. — 7 months ago

Aaron Tan

9.2

The 16’ Ultimi Raggi, though impressive, just had to bow out to the Vrana Petra. Both shared vibrant red fruit aromas and dried florals, but the Ultimi Raggi leaned into richer, plummy notes with chocolate, nutty warmth, and a balsamic edge. On the palate, both wines were similarly intense, yet the Vrana Petra’s mineral-driven elegance outpaced the Ultimi Raggi’s richness. Towards the end of the night, the Ultimi Raggi’s austere tannins became very pronounced, rendering it a bit more challenging to drink. Both excellent wines, but in it was the Vrana Petra that took the cake at this stage with its clarity and poise. I can’t say this wasn’t expected though, given the Ultimi Raggi’s late-harvest nature. If anything, it did provide excellent context for the “Barolo of Greece” claims attached to the Vrana Petra. — 2 years ago

Tomas Kaudern

9.0

Gillade den här väldigt mycket. Toner av nypon och torkade rosor. Smaken är lite mer ruffig än piemonte varianterna, bra syra, mogna tanniner och med viss eldighet — 5 years ago

Young Bock Lee

10

blend of sassella and grumello vineyard. Acid, structures are well balanced and very fine. More dense minerality, fruit, good structure than Arpepe rosso. Amazing. — 6 years ago

Cathy Corison

Owner/Winemaker Corison Winery

9.3

Maraschino cherries. Nicely tannic. Leather. Delicious. — 7 years ago

with Grace and William

Zach D

9.6

I thought it would be fitting to pop this as it was harvested Oct 17 2017, exactly 9 years ago. Still very fresh strawberry compote, fresh and dried roses, fresh porcini, tar on the nose. Excellent acidity, depth, silky tannins on the palate; confirming everything on the nose. Great length. Fantastic wine, possibly at its apex if you like a balance between fruit and earth. — 21 days ago

Matt Perlman

9.4

More open knit than the Sassella, total deliciousness and high toned elegance — 7 months ago

Matt Perlman

9.2

Very good. High toned red berries and soil. A bit softer than the Sassella but you really have to squint to tell the difference — a year ago

Paco Suro

9.0

Rustic. Light. Yummy. — 4 years ago

Jody Scharf

8.9

Nice delicate red. Alcohol is low. Drinking is easy — 6 years ago

Riccardo L.

9.0

A nice variation to a sassella-style Nebbiolo. Light and lingering. Vibrating acidity on the tail. Cigar box. Wet stone. Roses. Roses. Roses. — 6 years ago

David Watts

9.0

An excellent wine - medium bodied, beautiful light red colour. Dry, but not overly so. Oak & cherry. — 7 years ago

Conrad Green

9.1

Lovely fruit. Cherry and violet and lifted fragrance. Light mid palate — 6 months ago

with Peter and Gregg

Matt Perlman

9.3

This is, as expected, the more structured between the Sassella and the Grumello of the same vintage, but on this night actually preferred the latter. — 7 months ago

romo

9.2

First bottle three years ago had more energy. Went sour on day 2. — 8 months ago

Eleanor Levett-Millett

9.0

Had this in Como at Riva Cafè — 4 years ago

Monis Mirza

9.2

Very well made. Bold wine. Nice tannin structure. Tons of acid. Drinking well right now. — 5 years ago

with Seemi

Charles York

9.1

Light. Stone. Cherry. Fun — 6 years ago

Martin Bergo

9.2

Pale brown in color is this 10-year-old wine from Valtellina, looks unfiltered; beeswax on the nose along with earthy dusty notes with faint nebbiolo flowers and tar in the background; high acids. mouthfilling balanced with chocolate, coffee, dark small berries; long nice finish.

Interesting wine from La Spia (i.e. the Spy) of the Rigamonti family in the far-northern Valtellina region with breath-taking views. — 6 years ago