Sassella Ultimi Raggi Riserva

Wines

Sassella Ultimi Raggi Riserva gets its character from slightly drying the grapes on the vine, up to 600 meters above sea level, at the highest point of Sassella, in the zone called “Ere.”

The right time: to reach the right degree of phenolic ripening can take some weeks longer than in the vineyards below. The variations in temperature between day and night during the harvest add strength to the skins and concentrate the sugars. The fruit slowly dries in the wind, while still attached to the vine, as it prepares for its winter rest. Just before the snow comes, between the middle and end of November, the grapes are picked, gently crushed and pressed in a wooden vat. At the first racking, it is completely dry and acidity levels are quite pronounced. The super-ripeness mitigates the nervous tannins of Valtellina Superiore Sassella Riserva Ultimi Raggi DOCG and ageing in large barrels smooths-out its rich texture. The sweetness of the ripe fruit thus lingers in the fragrance, without any cloying softness on the palate.

Appellation: Valtellina Superiore DOCG Sassella (late harvest)

Type: Red wine

Grape variety: 100% Chiavennasca (Nebbiolo)

Wine Details:

Tasting Notes:

Color: Intense ruby red.

Bouquet: Marked and persistent, fruity, strawberry, raspberry, cherry and sweet spices.

Taste: Complex, rich, intense, dry and slightly tannic..

Alcohol: 13.5%.

Serving Notes: 15/16º C (59/61º F). We recommend you let the wine ‘breathe’ an hour before serving in a large Nebbiolo glass.

Food Pairing: Bresaola della Valtellina, pasta with meat sauce, game dishes, roasted and grilled meat and poultry, beef stews, and young, hard cheeses, especially aged Bitto.

Vinyard Notes:

Production Area: Sassella sottozona, municipality of Sondrio.

Elevation: 600 meters above sea level a.s.l.

Exposure: South/West.

Winemaking Notes:

Harvest: Manual, mid-November.

Vinification: Maceration 58 days in 50 HL wooden vats..

Aging: 39 months in 50hl wooden barrels, concrete, bottle.