Almost immediately after our excellent Emidio Pepe tasting we had a vertical of another legendary producer - ArPePe. The tasting was almost solely on their Rocce Rosse single vineyard bottling, but for the 2001 vintage we had also Vigna Regina and Buon Consiglio, making it a tiny horizontal of three single vineyard Riservas.
I suppose many of you know the winery, so this introduction is basically for those who are not that familiar with the wines of Valtellina.
The Pelizzatti-Perego family have been farming Nebbiolo (or Chiavennasca, as it is locally known) in Valtellina since the mid 1800’s. However, in 1973 Guido Pelizzatti - the owner of the historical Arturo Pelizzatti winery - was diagnosed with cancer, so he was forced to sell the winery brand and the 50-hectare estate was divided between his four children. However, Guido’s son, Arturo Pelizzatti-Perego, did not sell his share own of six hectares, but instead rented them out on a 10-year contract.
Arturo waited until 1984, and when the leases on his vineyards expired, he founded his own winery under the name ArPePe (or Ar. Pe. Pe.) - an acronym of his own name. Instead of trying to get back on the market as soon as possible, Arturo began making wines with a very uncompromising view: his wines were to be made traditionally, should be of the highest possible quality and released only after long enough aging. His first vintage, 1984, was released only in the early 1990’s and for the first twenty years the winery produced only wines eligible for the Riserva designation, meaning they were to be released only after at least six years of aging. The winery made a few Valtellina Superiore bottlings (aged for “only” three years) in the late 1990’s, but it wasn’t until 2003 when the winery was forced to produce their first Rosso di Valtellina due to the very difficult vintage. ArPePe have produced a Rosso di Valtellina annually since, but their emphasis still remains quite heavily on their exceptional single vineyard wines.
Unfortunately Arturo lost his battle with cancer 2004, but the winery remains in good hands as it is now run by Arturo’s three children, the fifth generation of the Pelizzatti-Perego family.
The ArPePe wines are known to be not only very long-lived, but also rather unapologetic and austere in their youth. They are very unlike their weightier Piedmontese cousins of Barolo and Barbaresco - the ArPePe’s Nebbiolos are noticeably lighter in body and higher in acidity, the fruit profile typically much drier and leaner in nature - yet the tannins in the wines can often be as formidable as in a traditional Barolo. Our tasting effectively proved how these single vineyard Riservas can easily call for at least 20 years before they start to feel approachable. And even then they can still feel like they are miles away from their peak!
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2009 AR.PE.PE. Valtellina Superiore - Sassella Riserva Rocce Rosse - Italy, Lombardia, Valtellina, Valtellina Superiore - Sassella (22.3.2023)
100% Nebbiolo harvested on October 22nd, 2009 from the old (average vineyard age is 50 years) 4-hectare Rocce Rosse vineyard - named after the red rocks in the soil - found in the rocky Valtellina subzone of Sassella. Following a few days of cold-soak, the wine is fermented spontaneously and macerated with the skins for 40 days (or, according to some sources, up to +100 days, but I guess that applies to more recent vintages) in old 5000-liter casks made of oak, acacia and chestnut. Typically aged for 4 years in old, untoasted 5500-liter botti casks made of oak, acacia and chestnut and a year in concrete tanks, but as this was bottled in March 2017, the wine was aged in botti and tanks for more than seven years. Made only in exceptional vintages - in other vintages the fruit gets declassified to the 2nd wine, Valtellina Superiore or Rosso di Valtellina. Total production 11977 bottles, 494 magnums and 92 double magnums. 13,5% alcohol. Double-decanted approximately two hours prior to tasting the wine.
Luminous, medium-deep and somewhat evolved pomegranate red color. The seductive nose feels ripe, youthful and wonderfully fragrant with juicy, sweet-toned aromas of dark forest fruits and Bing cherries, some ripe plummy tones, a little bit of pipe tobacco, light bilberry nuances, a hint of plum pits, a touch of puréed beet roots and a whiff of salty liquorice powder. Lots of everything going on here! Contrasting the relatively rich nose, the wine feels quite dry, austere and bone-dry on the palate with a light-to-medium body and very lean, crunchy flavors of chokeberries and sour cherry bitterness, some tart lingonberry tones, a little bit of ferrous blood, light floral nuances of violets and dried roses, a hint of elderberry and a touch of gamey meat. The structure relies mostly on the very high and incisive acidity rather than on the quite well-behaved medium tannins. The finish is crisp, bone-dry and somewhat austere with gently grippy tannins and a long, crunchy aftertaste of tart lingonberries and rather pronounced sour cherry bitterness, some gravelly mineral tones, a little bit of tar, light ferrous notes of blood, a hint of dried flowers and a touch of earth.
I was expecting a Valtellina Nebbiolo over a dozen years old show a little bit of resolution, but this Riserva was still as tough and lean as ArPePes are on the day they are released! The nose was wonderfully fragrant, nuanced and so expressive, but the wine was still super austere and nervous on the palate, showing very little sense of resolution or evolution. There is obviously a lot to love in this wine, but it is just not ready to give any of that yet - knowing how beautifully these wines age over decades and how they start to unwind and lose that austerity with age, I heartily recommend to let this wine age for at least another ten years. Seeing how ridiculously youthful this wine is at 13½ years of age, it is painfully obvious that this wine is built to age, not to be drunk young. Highly recommended - but only for those who are patient enough!
(92 points) -
2005 AR.PE.PE. Valtellina Superiore - Sassella Riserva Rocce Rosse - Italy, Lombardia, Valtellina, Valtellina Superiore - Sassella (22.3.2023)
100% Nebbiolo harvested on October 22nd, 2005 from the old (average vineyard age is 50 years) 4-hectare Rocce Rosse vineyard - named after the red rocks in the soil - found in the rocky Valtellina subzone of Sassella. Following a few days of cold-soak, the wine is fermented spontaneously and macerated with the skins for 35 days in old 5000-liter casks made of oak, acacia and chestnut. Typically aged for 4 years in old, untoasted 5500-liter botti casks made of oak, acacia and chestnut and a year in concrete tanks. Made only in exceptional vintages - in other vintages the fruit gets declassified to the 2nd wine, Valtellina Superiore or Rosso di Valtellina. Total production 10616 bottles, 960 magnums and 92 double magnums. 13% alcohol. Double-decanted approximately two hours prior to tasting the wine.
Luminous, pale-to-medium-deep garnet color with a slightly evolved brick-red hue. The nose feels quite fragrant but also rather savory and non-fruity with aromas of game and loose tobacco, some sour cherry tones, a little bit of crunchy cranberry and rowanberry, light pine tar nuances, a hint of brambly raspberry, an autumnal touch of damp leaves and a whiff of turmeric. The wine feels crunchy, quite angular and rather lean on the palate with a light-to-medium body and somewhat evolved yet relatively bitter flavors of wizened sour cherries and lingonberry juice, some raisiny tones, a little bit of tart cranberry, light stony mineral notes, a hint of wizened figs and a touch of ripe red plum. The noticeably high acidity lends great intensity to the flavors, but also seems to accentuate the bitterness in the sour cherry and lingonberry tones. The tannins don't feel particularly ample, but they are still somewhat grippy and gritty. The finish is long, dry and somewhat grippy with a savory aftertaste of tart lingonberries and quite pronounced sour cherry bitterness, some crunchy cranberry, a little bit of tar, light sweeter nuances of wizened figs, a hint of earth and a touch of rowanberry.
It's remarkable how very similar this wine was with the 2009 vintage that we tasted at the same time. I'd say this wine showed a bit more evolution with the slightly sweeter dried-fruit flavors, but at the same time the overall feel was even slightly leaner and more austere - and the 2009 vintage was pretty lean to begin with - so any sense of resolution from the aging was basically nullified with the somewhat angular and quite bitter overall character. I was honestly quite surprised how little evolution this wine showed - it came across as still surprisingly youthful and almost backward despite its almost 18 years of age! These Arpepe single-vineyard bottlings seem to call for 20 to 25 years of aging, minimum, before they really start to open up and become approachable. This was a lovely yet also very lean wine that is - still - more about aging potential rather than immediate accessibility. Great stuff - especially if you're willing to wait for longer! Expect the score to go up as the wine ages more.
(91 points) -
2002 AR.PE.PE. Valtellina Superiore - Sassella Riserva Rocce Rosse - Italy, Lombardia, Valtellina, Valtellina Superiore - Sassella (22.3.2023)
100% Nebbiolo harvested on October 30th, 2002 from the old (average vineyard age is 50 years) 4-hectare Rocce Rosse vineyard - named after the red rocks in the soil - found in the rocky Valtellina subzone of Sassella. Following a few days of cold-soak, the wine is fermented spontaneously and macerated with the skins for 35 days in old 5000-liter casks made of oak, acacia and chestnut. Typically aged for 4 years in old, untoasted 5500-liter botti casks made of oak, acacia and chestnut and a year in concrete tanks. Made only in exceptional vintages - in other vintages the fruit gets declassified to the 2nd wine or Valtellina Superiore. Total production 18000 bottles, 500 magnums and 200 double magnums. 13% alcohol. Double-decanted approximately 2½ hours prior to tasting the wine.
Luminous, quite pale and surprisingly youthful ruby-red color with a slightly evolved brick-red rim. The nose feels sweet-toned, fragrant and quite expressive with layered aromas of ripe black cherries and cherry pits, some blueberry and raspberry tones, a little bit of loose tobacco, light meaty nuances, a hint of baked beet root, a fragrant touch of dried flowers and an autumnal whiff of damp leaves and forest floor. The wine feels firm yet silky, harmonious and quite ethereal on the palate with a light-to-medium body and vibrant, almost bone-dry flavors of crunchy crowberries and tart lingonberries, pouch tobacco, some wizened sour cherry tones, a little bit of dried red fruits, light sanguine notes of iron, a hint of old leather and a touch of earth. The wine is noticeably high in acidity with rather ample and quite grippy yet not aggressive tannins. The finish is dry, savory and moderately grippy with a long, crunchy aftertaste of lingonberries and sour cherry bitterness, some tart red plums, a little bit of old leather, light earthy tones, a hint of pouch tobacco and a touch of tar.
A beautiful, very harmonious and remarkably youthful single-vineyard Valtellina with haunting aromatics and impressive sense of structure. Curiously, this wine seemed as youthful and backward as the 2005 and 2009 vintages we tasted at the same time, showing even more tannic structure, yet at the same time coming across as somewhat less lean and austere in overall character. Truly a conundrum. Even if the wine doesn't really show much age and the tannins haven't resolved that much, this vintage seemed to be somewhat closer to its drinking window than the 2005 and 2009 vintages. However, based on its youthful overall character and still remarkably tightly-knit structure, this wine is still years - maybe even decades - away from its apogee. All in all, here we have truly a fine vintage of Rocce Rosse that is easily among the best wines of Valtellina. Very highly recommended.
(94 points) -
2001 AR.PE.PE. Valtellina Superiore - Sassella Riserva Rocce Rosse - Italy, Lombardia, Valtellina, Valtellina Superiore - Sassella (22.3.2023)
100% Nebbiolo harvested on October 27th, 2001 from the old (average vineyard age is 50 years) 4-hectare Rocce Rosse vineyard - named after the red rocks in the soil - found in the rocky Valtellina subzone of Sassella. Following a few days of cold-soak, the wine is fermented spontaneously and macerated with the skins for 30 days in old 5000-liter casks made of oak, acacia and chestnut. Typically aged for 4 years in old, untoasted 5500-liter botti casks made of oak, acacia and chestnut and a year in concrete tanks. Made only in exceptional vintages - in other vintages the fruit gets declassified to the 2nd wine or Valtellina Superiore. Total production 18200 bottles, 500 magnums and 200 double magnums. 13% alcohol. Double-decanted approximately 2½ hours prior to tasting the wine.
Luminous, translucent and moderately evolved brick-red color with a maroon hue. The nose feels open, fragrant and quite seductive with layered aromas of wizened red fruits, some savory meaty tones, a little bit of ripe cranberry, light autumnal notes of damp leaves, a hint of tar, a touch of sour cherries and a whiff of pipe tobacco. The wine feels ripe, juicy and silky on the palate with a light-to-medium body and intense flavors of tart lingonberries and ripe cranberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of tar, light gamey tones, evolved hints of licorice root and dark raisiny fruit and a touch of gravelly minerality. The wine is high in acidity with moderately resolved yet still somewhat grippy medium tannins. The finish is dry, long and crunchy with some tannic grip and a quite intense aftertaste of cranberries and stony minerality, some sanguine notes of iron, a little bit of tar and smoky minerality, light fragrant notes of dried flowers, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of licorice root.
A fantastic, vibrant and harmonious single-vineyard Valtellina that shows the airy lightness, almost electric intensity and somewhat pronounced sour cherry bitterness that all define these best Arpepe wines - yet this wine is starting to come across as moderately resolved, silky and open-knit in character. Tasting this vintage side-by-side with the similarly fantastic 2002 vintage reveals how strikingly different they are: the 2002 is still super youthful, and while starting to slowly unwind and resolve, it still remains quite brisk and tightly-knit in texture; instead this 2001 shows more evolution and resolution, coming across as somewhat more tertiary, silky and - consequently - more approachable. While both the 2001 and 2002 were much more approachable than the still very stern 2005 and 2009 vintages of Rocce Rosse, this 2001 was on a whole different level, finally having reached its prime drinking window. I'd say this wine still isn't on its plateau of maturity, as there still seems to be a good deal of aging potential residing within the wine, but this might be the youngest vintage of Rocce Rosse that makes me think that further aging is not necessarily required to make this wine more accessible. Although the wine might gain more depth and complexity with further cellaring, it is so seductive right now that if it is necessary, one can pop a bottle open without regrets. An outstanding wine, very highly recommended.
(95 points) -
2001 AR.PE.PE. Valtellina Superiore - Grumello Riserva Buon Consiglio - Italy, Lombardia, Valtellina, Valtellina Superiore - Grumello (22.3.2023)
100% Nebbiolo from the old (average vineyard age is 50 years) Buon Consiglio ("Good Advice") vineyard - found in the Valtellina subzone of Grumello. Following a few days of cold-soak, the wine is fermented spontaneously and macerated with the skins for 30 days in old 5000-liter casks made of oak, acacia and chestnut. Typically aged for 4 years in old, untoasted 5500-liter botti casks made of oak, acacia and chestnut and a year in concrete tanks. Made only in exceptional vintages - in other vintages the fruit gets declassified to the 2nd wine or Valtellina Superiore. Lot number L08 242. Total production 6727 bottles. 13% alcohol. Double-decanted approximately 3 hours prior to tasting the wine.
Luminous, quite translucent and somewhat evolved pomegranate color. The nose feels savory and somewhat restrained with aromas of tobacco and salty liquorice powder, some sweeter nuances of dark berries, a little bit of old cigar box, light evolved nuances of wizened red plums and a hint of balsamic richness. At first the wine feels silky, resolved and even slightly sweet-toned on the palate with a light, airy body; then the rather lean flavors of tart lingonberries and bitter sour cherries kick in, making the wine come across as noticeably drier and more austere along with some old leather, a little bit of tobacco, light sweeter nuances of wizened dark fruits, a hint of gamey meat and a touch of earthy spices. The medium-to-moderately high acidity feels more than adequate to keep the wine in balance, but feels surprisingly modest for an Arpepe wine. The gentle medium tannins lend some firmness to the mouthfeel without coming across as too aggressive. The finish is juicy, gently grippy and quite harmonious with a bit understated, medium-long aftertaste of crunchy cranberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of licorice root, light tart notes of lingonberries, a sweeter hint of ripe black raspberries and a touch of earthy spices.
A tasty and quite harmonious single-vineyard Valtellina, but ultimately maybe a bit underwhelming and reticent in nature. This wine wasn't as lean and austere as some younger Rocce Rosses we tasted, coming across as somewhat silkier and more approachable in overall character, but at the same time feeling a bit of a lesser wine compared to the Rocce Rosses - especially the difference between this wine and the excellent 2001 Rocce Rosse was surprisingly big. This wasn't a bad wine in any way, just maybe a bit unimpressive and thus somewhat anti-climatic.
(89 points) -
2001 AR.PE.PE. Valtellina Superiore - Sassella Riserva Vigna Regina - Italy, Lombardia, Valtellina, Valtellina Superiore - Sassella (22.3.2023)
100% Nebbiolo from the oldest and rockiest Arpepe vineyard, Vigna Regina, located in the rocky Valtellina subzone of Sassella. The wine is fermented spontaneously and macerated with the skins for 30 days in old 5000-liter casks made of oak, acacia and chestnut. Typically aged for 4 years in old, untoasted 5500-liter botti casks made of oak, acacia and chestnut and a year in concrete tanks. Made only in exceptional vintages - in other vintages the fruit gets declassified to the 2nd wine or Valtellina Superiore. Total production 6727 bottles. 13% alcohol. Double-decanted approximately 3 hours prior to tasting the wine.
Translucent, luminous cherry-red color with a slightly evolved pomegranate hue. The nose feels fragrant but also a bit understated with attractive, layered aromas of dried flowers and autumnal leaves, some wizened dark berries, a little bit of dried cherry, light crunchy notes of cranberries, aged hints of old leather and licorice root, a touch of wild strawberry and a faint volatile whiff of nail polish. The wine feels ripe, juicy and harmonious on the palate with a moderately full body and complex, slightly evolved flavors of sweet black cherries and red licorice, some tart cranberry tones, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light tertiary notes of leather and beef jerky, a hint of salty liquorice and a touch of autumnal leaves. The overall feel is slightly more substantial than your typical Arpepe Riserva, but with its high acidity and ample, moderately grippy tannins that slowly pile up on your gums, the wine still manages to show simply excellent sense of balance and structure. The finish is moderately bitter, quite grippy and a bit austere with a very long, almost bone-dry aftertaste of sour cherry bitterness and tart lingonberry, some aged beef jerky tones, a little bit of old leather, light nuances of salty liquorice, sweet hints of dried fruits and volatile lift and a touch of wild strawberry.
This was simply a fantastic bottle of 2001 Valtellina Rosso. Tasting it next to Arpepe's 2001 Buon Consiglio and 2001 Rocce Rosse, it was pretty obvious that this wine was the best one of the three - even if Rocce Rosse was right behind this wine and only Buon Consiglio was noticeably lesser in quality, depth and character. Although Rocce Rosse also showed quite a bit of ripeness, it was still more typical of Arpepe's style - slightly lighter, leaner and more austere - whereas this Vigna Regina was comparatively weightier and more substantial in style. Not too much, though - you could see these wines were still pretty much cut from the same cloth. Although the wine is starting to show some tertiary qualities, I feel it is still quite far away from its apogee - most likely this wine will continue to develop and improve for maybe another decade or two and then keep just fine for even longer. This is really built for aging - although it seems the wine has finally reached its drinking window and doesn't necessarily ask for any further aging. In our Arpepe 2009-1997 vertical, this wine was on my shared #1 spot with the equally extraordinary Rocce Rosse 1997.
(96 points) -
1999 AR.PE.PE. Valtellina Superiore - Sassella Riserva Rocce Rosse - Italy, Lombardia, Valtellina, Valtellina Superiore - Sassella (22.3.2023)
100% Nebbiolo harvested from the old (average vineyard age is 50 years) 4-hectare Rocce Rosse vineyard - named after the red rocks in the soil - found in the rocky Valtellina subzone of Sassella. The wine is fermented spontaneously and macerated with the skins for 30 days in old 5000-liter casks made of oak, acacia and chestnut. Typically aged for 4 years in old, untoasted 5500-liter botti casks made of oak, acacia and chestnut and a year in concrete tanks. Made only in exceptional vintages - in other vintages the fruit gets declassified to the 2nd wine or Valtellina Superiore. Total production 9866 bottles. 13% alcohol. Double-decanted approximately 3½ hours prior to tasting the wine.
Luminous, pale and very translucent ruby red color with a faint brick-red hue. The fragrant nose feels sweet-toned with quite ripe aromas of black cherries and juicy black raspberries, some wild strawberry notes, a little bit of tar, light volatile nuances of nail polish, a hint of dusty earth, a touch of licorice root and a whiff of peppery spice. The wine feels ripe, juicy and bone-dry on the palate with a rather full body and quite tertiary flavors of beef jerky and autumnal leaves, some tart lingonberry tones, a little bit of balsamic richness, a hint of licorice root and a touch of sour cherry bitterness. The high acidity and balanced medium tannins make the wine feel balanced and quite structured but not too lean or angular. The finish is long, moderately grippy and bone-dry with a long, somewhat tertiary aftertaste of tart cranberries and lingonberries, some sour cherry bitterness, light autumnal notes of damp leaves, a little bit of salty liquorice, a hint of balsamic VA and an oxidative touch of beef jerky.
An aged, complex and harmonious Valtellina Riserva that was the only vintage in our 2009-1997 vertical that felt like it was at its peak. There are some tertiary, slightly oxidative nuances and despite its rather youthful appearance and nose, the wine comes across as quite evolved on the palate. Both the fruit department and the tannic structure feel so developed and resolved at the moment that they really don't call for any additional aging. Most likely the wine will keep fine for many years more, but I doubt the wine is going to improve much from where it is now. A fine, rewarding Nebbiolo that might feel quite lean and austere compared to its Langhe cousins, but comes across relatively ripe and open-knit compared to the younger vintages of Rocce Rosse we tasted. Lovely.
(93 points) -
1997 AR.PE.PE. Valtellina Superiore - Sassella Riserva Rocce Rosse - Italy, Lombardia, Valtellina, Valtellina Superiore - Sassella (22.3.2023)
100% Nebbiolo harvested from the old (average vineyard age is 50 years) 4-hectare Rocce Rosse vineyard - named after the red rocks in the soil - found in the rocky Valtellina subzone of Sassella. The wine is fermented spontaneously and macerated with the skins for 30 days in old 5000-liter casks made of oak, acacia and chestnut. Typically aged for 4 years in old, untoasted 5500-liter botti casks made of oak, acacia and chestnut and a year in concrete tanks. Made only in exceptional vintages - in other vintages the fruit gets declassified to the 2nd wine or Valtellina Superiore. Served from a three-liter double magnum, of which only 250 were made. Lot number L07.38. 13% alcohol. Double-decanted approximately 3½ hours prior to tasting the wine.
Deep, luminous and still surprisingly youthful black red color with faint evolved pomegranate red highlights. The nose feels juicy, ripe and sweet-toned with fragrant aromas of black raspberries, some licorice, a little bit of gamey meat, light perfumed notes of sweet exotic spices, a hint of wizened dark fruits, a touch of dried fig and a volatile whiff of nail polish. The wine feels dense, focused and sinewy on the palate with a sleek medium body and complex, bone-dry flavors of wizened figs and sour cherry bitterness, some licorice root, a little bit of game, light tart notes of lingonberries, a subtly sweet hint of dried dark berries and an evolved touch of savory umami. The wine is high in acidity with quite resolved medium tannins that slowly pile up on the gums, turning the wine slowly more grippy. The finish is dry, juicy and somewhat grippy with a quite dark-toned and still relatively youthful aftertaste of juicy dark plums, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of gamey meat, light tart lingonberry notes, hints of wizened black cherries and even cherry pits and a touch of dried figs.
A very complex, vibrant and still relatively youthful vintage of Rocce Rosse that is only starting to show its very first signs of evolution. Although this wine didn't seem to show as much body or ripeness as some preceding vintages (it's not as if those wines were particularly ripe or full-bodied), it instead showed more intensity, complexity and sense of vibrancy in its fruit that made it feel so extraordinary. It's hard to say if a 1997 Rocce Rosse in a normal 0,75-liter bottle was as youthful - even backward - as this double magnum was, but I'd be surprised if a normal-sized bottle was anywhere near its peak yet. At least this double magnum feels like it still has decades ahead of it. Truly a fantastic wine and a textbook example of top-tier Valtellina Nebbiolo. In our Arpepe 2009-1997 vertical, this wine was on my shared #1 spot with the equally extraordinary Vigna Regina 2001.
(96 points)
Posted from CellarTracker