Ar Pe Pe Valtellina Superiore Grumello Rocca De Piro 2015 750 ML

Initially shy, the subtle nose eventually reveals new leather, Alpine herb and wild berry. The savory palate has an understated elegance, offering Marasca cherry, pomegranate and graphite alongside refined tannins. Producer Information Arpepe (also sometimes stylised as Ar.Pe.Pe) is a well-regarded wine producer based in the town of Sondrio in the Valtellina wine region of Lombardy in northern Italy, producing a range of wines predominantly based on the local expression of Nebbiolo. As a family affair (Arpepe is a conflation of the founder’s name: Arturo Pelizzatti Perego), Arpepe dates back to the 19th Century when it was established as Pelizzatti. Despite a solid reputation, rocky times in the 1970s saw the Pelizzatti family sell several vineyard plots and the original domaine name. The winemaking enterprise was revived in the mid-1980s as Arpepe and, over the years, some of the vineyards sold in the 70s come back under the control of the estate. The portfolio is headed by a range of Valtellina Superiore labels covering the Grumello, Inferno and Sassella DOCG subregions. Based on Chiavennasca (the local name for Nebbiolo), these often single-vineyard expressions also encompass stylistic variations, from the vine-raisined Ultimi Raggi (Sassella) to the use of chestnut oak barrels in the Sesto Canto Riserva (Inferno). An entry-level Rosso di Valtelina and Il Pettirosso (the latter a Valtellina Superiore blend of the three main subregions) both from Chiavennasca, although “Nebbiolo” is used on the label are also produced. The estate covers 13 hectares (32 acres) of vineyard, all in Valtellina. Winemaking is relatively traditional with a preference for steel and concrete tank fermentation and aging in oak vats and large-format oak barrels.