Nebbiolo on the Mountain
2002 Ar. Pe. Pe. Valtellina Superiore
Sassella Riserva Rocce Rosse
"A wine for lovers of classic, traditionally made Nebbiolo, the 2002 Rocce Rosse delivers the goods, and then some... Don't miss it." -Antonio Galloni
The wines of Ar. Pe. Pe. received a pretty major boost last week when Antonio Galloni placed their 2002 Rocce Rosse at the very top of the heap in his coverage of Valtellina.
We were very happy to see this. Ar. Pe. Pe. makes some of the most soulful and captivating examples of Nebbiolo around. I remember opening a bottle of 1996 Rocce Rosse for the staff back in 2008 and everyone was blown away. The wines have been staff favorites ever since.
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Valtellina is one of the regions where the combination of heroic viticulture, ingenuity, and some help from Mother Nature allow grapes to ripen. The region borders Switzerland and the vineyards reach elevations of two thousand feet. In order to soak up every precious ray of sunlight, the vineyards are steeply terraced and south facing with heat-retaining rocky soils. It's a bizarre micro-climate to be honest, a number of factors come together to even allow prickly pears to ripen in this region.
Nebbiolo (like all noble grapes) is incredibly sensitive to where it’s planted and can display an enormous range of flavors. Up in Valtellina and in the staunchly traditional hands of Ar. Pe. Pe, Nebbiolo flaunts its more nervous, delicate and finessed side.
Unlike most of Italy, 2002 was a strong vintage in Valtellina and this Rocce Rosse shows the incredible range of complexity and breeding that Nebbiolo can reach. There's spice, game, dried rose petals, cherry and perfumed raspberry fruits, tar, leather, tobacco and a fascinating thread of sun-scorched, rocky minerality unique to the stony terraced hills of Valtellina. The palate is silky and amazingly nuanced with intense verve.
Ar. Pe. Pe. crafts their Valtellina in a most decidedly old-school fashion, respecting the traditions of five generations of their family who have tended the backbreaking slopes of the region. They practice long macerations, keep their wines in barrel for long periods of time, and then bottle age it even further until it’s begun to enter its drinking window.
The wines of Ar. Pe. Pe. are one of a kind. They capture Nebbiolo at its most agile, most haunting, most perfumed and most mysterious. Catching a strong vintage of the Rocce Rosse is a really special thing. Happy to offer.
To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
Sassella Riserva Rocce Rosse