Lombardia
Sassella
The Convento San Lorenzo is the most imposing architectural feature of the landscape of Sassella, perhaps the most famed sub zone of the Valtellina. The geological features are impressive enough, but this fortress-like convent crowning Sassella's highest mountain is, well.. just an impressive sight to behold.The massive structure from 1100 AD , sits above 600 M ASL with the steep, stone-terraced, Nebbiolo vineyards cascading down towards the valley floor in front of it. Twenty some years ago, Mamete Prevostini took control of the vineyards and did major work in re-orienting rows, replanting etc. The 7.5 hectares that surround the convent are now mature enough and Mamete has launched a separate company from the Prevostini label, devoted just to this project at the top of his quality pyramid. These wines are Valtellina grace and elegance defined. I feel honored that he felt the right home for this project is Artisan Wines.
Mese
(Available in Connecticut & Rhode Island only)
The Valtellina is a stunning place of heroic and historic viticulture. To call the terraced hillsides "steep", just doesn't do it justice. Working in these vineyards is not for the faint of heart. Luckily, Mamete's brother Paolo is just the sort of man for the job. A cross between Sly Stallone in "Cliffhanger" and your prototypical Vignaiolo, Paolo makes sure the grapes that his brother gets are the best possible. One has to appreciate the elegant, ethereal, restrained, yet "sneakily powerful" style of Nebbiolo that is the hallmark of the region's wines to make it all seem worthwhile. Mamete is one of the leading figures in the area, president of the consortium etc etc. Most importantly, he is a great winemaker who carefully treads the line between traditional flavor profiles (if not methods) and a healthy disdain for dirty and sloppy wines, which are not hard to find in the area. Between the two there is plenty of both Brain and Brawn, just what is necessary here. They have lots of awards from Italian press sources. All the wines are 100% Nebbiolo.
Botticino Mattina
Although it is one of the very first zones to be awarded DOC status in Italy in 1967, Botticino is more likely to be well known amongst those in the stone business than the wine business. These two facts are linked. The marble in Grand Central Station as well as the White House and many other places around the world where they want the finest, was mined in Botticino. In 1900 there were approximately 1300 hectares in production of grapes here and given the tiny size of the area, that is most of the land that could be planted to grapes. But given how hard it is to tend vines where under thin layers of topsoil, the vines must send their roots into the cracks between slabs of underground marble, not to mention the steep grade of these hills, higher paying and easier jobs in the marble quarrying business lured folks away from producing the then famous Botticino wine. Today there are only 42 hectares still in production, eighteen of those by Pierangelo Noventa, his daughter Alessandra and her husband Cristiano. There are a few others that bottle commercially, and I was very surprised to learn that Noventa is NOT the only producer available in NY, but most that is made now is for household use by the locals.
It was forty years ago that Pierangelo, seeing most of the viticultural history of this area being eroded by higher paying jobs in the marble business, decided to become a producer at a commercial (if small) level. Their focus, like any great producer, is on the vineyards and the unique characteristics that the various plots produce and for many years have bottled cru's based on soil types. Although they have been farming organically for many years, their official certification came through effective for the 2014 vintage after the 7 year application process. These wines smell, taste and feel like they do mostly due to the soils they grow on. Here perhaps more than anywhere, the variety is only the conduit to transmit the taste of these unique soils, however I know that I cannot get away with not stating what the varieties are, even though it is truly secondary. The DOC discipline calls for a blend of Sangiovese, Barbera, Marzemino and Schiava Gentile. Although the percentages vary a bit by the Cru and vintage, Barbera and Sangiovese play the leading roles, the other two, supporting roles. Aging varies from 36 to 50 months in 12-18 HL Garbellotti Botte. Not surprisingly they have several top SloWine awards and now three straight Tre Bichierri. The finest kind of Gem!
Desenzano del Garda
Selva (wild) Capuzza (hood) is situated on the highest elevations (110-125 M) of Lugana, a notoriously low and flat zone. Much of the wine of the zone is produced not far off Lake Garda's shores which sits at 65 M ASL. The ancient name of the place refers to these hills and the natural state of things in them. While 125 meters is not exactly towering above the rest of the zone, its important for two key reasons. Here is where the glacier that carved out Lago di Garda came to rest against the gentle hill and the soil compostion is a bit different than the flatter area towards the lake with it's highly compacted clay soils.
There is a bit more sand and rock here (along with the important white clay) and enough of a slope resulting in much better drainage. More importantly this sole hilltop gets wind off the lake. A lot, almost everday, greatly reducing the amount of spraying of copper and sulfur needed that is common in the zone to ward off perinospora and oidium, which in this very humid area by a huge lake, is a constant struggle. Podere Selva Capuzza is composed of 2 old estates, Selva Capuzza and San Biagio where most of the red grapes are grown. At 34 hectares in total, it's not a very small producer, but not that big either and Luca has no plans to expand. More telling is the low production off that land which is indicative of the low yields off their old vines (35+ for most). The entry level wine, Lugana San Vigilio is made with the same care but from younger, recent plantings (4 to 17 years) and is finished with a stelvin closure. Selva and Riserva Menasasso are from the same old vine plot at the highest elevation.
There are also impressive red wines here, something rare in this zone, moreso because Luca has resisted the temptation over the last few decades when it was fashionable, to blend international varieties with indigenous grapes. Here the reds celebrate their local culture and history and employ only those cultivars. Something of a rarity is a 100% varietal Groppello. This is a delicious light to medium bodied red that is only 12.5 % and has a quaffable, versatile character. There are 500 hectares of it planted around the western side of Garda, so it's not as rare as Verduno Pelaverga, but most of it ends up in a DOC blend of this region known as Garda Classico Rosso and Rosato or alternatively Riviera del Garda Classico Rosso and Rosato. I mention Pelaverga because it is somehow reminiscent of that variety. The fruit tones are darker tending towards darker red and blue fruit tones, and the characteristic spiciness carries a more mineral vein than Pelaverga. Yet,... drinking it I was as charmed as I was drinking my first Pelaverga.