ARPEPE - Nebbiolo from the Valtellina Alps - PubKlemo
ARPEPE - Nebbiolo from the Valtellina Alps
Laurenz Möseler, Pubklemo, 17 September 2023
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Imposing terraced vineyards characterize the granite slopes of this glacial valley. Thousands of kilometers of man-made stone walls run through and support the steep, south-facing Rhaetian slope, a mosaic, a connection between man and nature, the largest terraced wine-growing region in Italy.
AR.PE.PE. - Behind it is the Pelizzatti Perego winemaking family in Sondrio, in the middle of the Valtellina Valley in northern Lombardy, where Valtellina DOCG of the top league is being grown in the fifth generation. Father Arturo was not only a guide here, but also gave his name with his acronym.
The family cultivates 13 hectares of the red grape known in Valtellina as Chiavennasca, which has long since achieved cult status as the "King of Wines" internationally as Nebbiolo, a sought-after grape variety, planted to only 6,000 hectares globally. Comparative value: Sangiovese can be found on around 70,000 hectares.
What the Pelizzatti Perego family has learned over 5 generations of working with the Nebbiolo grape is patience. The younger generation also swears by traditional principles: work is done entirely by hand, in balance with nature and the unique terroir. Innovation, yes, but not short-lived trends in a fast fashion style - rather an attempt to perfect original traditions. The wine is given the time it needs. This means that after a long, gentle maceration, the wines rest in large wood, concrete and steel for up to 5 years until they are bottled in accordance with the rhythm of the moon phases. Then more rest, in the bottle. The goal of AR.PE.PE. is a puristic, unadulterated Nebbiolo from the Veltliner Alps, a terroir ambassador that ranks among the greats. But how does an Alpine Nebbiolo taste now? Fortunately, AR.PE.PE from their superior areas Sassella, Grumello & Inferno not only bottle wines that have to be forgotten in the cellar for a decade before they are ready to drink.
"Rosso di Valtellina" is the name of the winery's base wine, a cuvée of the average 50-year-old Nebbiolo vines from terraces at 350-600m altitude. After 2 months on the mash and half a year in barrels and concrete, the wine is given another year of self-discovery in the bottle before it reaches our hands. The 21 is therefore the freshest product from the winery, but is now incredibly fine. Maybe it's the bright color, the scent of fresh red fruit, or this extremely elegant presence on the palate, very fine tannin structure, great acidity, pure drinking flow, even at 13.5%. Top food accompaniment, even in summer, because it's even more important: it cools down well!
"Petirosso", Robin's name, is the big brother of Rosso, a blend of the Valtellina Superiore vineyards Sassella, Grumello and Inferno. The name is dedicated to an actual robin who called attention to a leaky barrel in '97. This cuvée spends over 100 days on the mash, where this complex structure and depth are already inherent in it. After a healthy barrel and bottle rest, the whole thing is elegantly red-fruity and balanced, but also really spicy, with star anise, allspice, cloves.
At DOCG level we still find the winery's single-vineyard bottlings, which are developed as Riserva in selected years and spend many years in the cellar of the Pelizzatti Perrego family before they are finished.
Grumello Riserva "Rocca de Piro" is probably the winery's most drinkable Superiore, which forms the transition to Grumella Riserva "Buon Consiglio" with fine fruit intensity and almost light-footedness. This grows on slightly lower terraces of around 400m height, which are usually harvested a little earlier. The longer the grapes are given in the cellar, 3 months of maceration, 3 years in the barrel, then bottle maturity, 2016, the current vintage, has an incredible spiciness.
The Sassella Riserva "Ultimi Raggi" soaks up the "last rays" of the sun until November, before the slightly dried berries go into the cellar, where a completely dry, yet more concentrated and deeper Nebbiolo is created in the barrel for over 39 months. Umami!