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{ SOMMjournal.com } 69 Aldo Rainoldi 2009 Fruttaio Ca'Rizzieri Sfursat di Valtellina DOCG ($47) This is one of Rainoldi's more complex wines and it is especially unique because the grapes are left to dry in a high-elevation fruttaio near the vineyard called Ca'Rizzieri, instead of at a lower elevation at the winery. A bouquet of mint, prune and black lico- rice leads to lush and rich fruit on the mid-palate. Not shy in the finish, flavors of almond and spiced rum complement ample tannins. MICHAEL SKURNIK WINES Aldo Rainoldi 2011 Rosso di Valtellina DOC ($13) This is a solid wine offering pleasant aromas of smoke, cherry, prune, vanilla, baking spices and a touch of black licorice. A good structure balances the spice and fruit. MICHAEL SKURNIK WINES ARPEPE 2005 Sassella Ultimi Raggi Valtellina Superiore DOCG ($95) All of the ARPEPE wines exhibit an ethereal character, but in this one, it is eminent. In optimal vintages a selection of Nebbiolo grapes are left to dry on the vine to produce the Ultimi Raggi ("special achievement"). The bouquet gives wet earth, clove, stewed plums and cherry candy; the palate shows concentration without being fruity. While expressive and changing, the wine has a velveteen texture and a pronounced minerality on the finish. TELLITALIA IMPORTS Nino Negri 2009 Le Tense Sassella Valtellina Superiore DOCG ($32) Sweet red cherry and perfume come forward, while scents of pine forest dance in the background. Full-fledged with fruit on the mid-palate, but this wine never lacks finesse or structure. FREDERICK WILDMAN & SONS Nino Negri 2009 Carlo Negri Sfursat di Valtellina DOCG ($45) Like most sfursat (or sforzato) wines, this one is certainly not demure in the aroma depart- ment: fresh and candied cherry, sun dried tomato, pine needles and clove. Refined and a pleasure to drink. FREDERICK WILDMAN & SONS Nera 2008 Alisio Sassella Valtellina Superiore DOCG ($25) Floral and earthy undertones come after scents of cinnamon and cherry candy. True to its place of origin, a notable minerality and iron character support the wine on the palate and make it pleasing. MASCIARELLI WINE COMPANY/ENOTRIA WINE IMPORTS/ELLIOT BAY DISTRIBUTING Caven 2007 Messere Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG ($60) Closed at first, but this is a wine to ponder and it needs time in the glass. First come scents of dusty limestone but a few swirls bring mint, mush- room, black cherry, clove, allspice and cinnamon. It will age gracefully. MASCIARELLI WINE COMPANY/ENOTRIA WINE IMPORTS/ELLIOT BAY DISTRIBUTING Select Wines from Valtellina huge difference. For example, Fay's single vineyard Il Glicine, from Sassella, expresses scents of rose and juniper berry, and is delicate and refined on the palate. In contrast, ARPEPE's Stella Retica, also from Sassella, has aromas of smoke, forest and iron, offering more austerity on the palate. Variations in microclimate but also winemaking style contribute to the particularities of the two wines. Fay employs stainless steel for maceration and fermentation but ARPEPE uses wooden tanks. Fay ages for one year in 20% new French oak barrel, whereas ARPEPE ages for two years in 50 HL barrels. Sforzato/Sfursat There is a second DOCG wine of Valtellina, the Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG, which is an important and defining wine for many (but not all) produc- ers. Whereas Fay focuses on their single-vineyard Valtellina Superiore wines, Francesco Di Bernardo of Casa Vinicola Pietro Nera explains that for Nera, "it is the most important and known wine because of the technical standpoint [of drying the grapes] but also because of the careful selection of the best Nebbiolo grapes from the optimal sites." Sforzato in Italian (sfursat in local dialect) means "forced" and refers to wines made from the drying of Nebbiolo grapes before pressing, similar to Amarone of the Veneto. To qualify for the Sforzato DOCG, the rules are similar to those for the Valtellina Superiore DOCG, except that aging is 20 months, 12 of which must be in barrel, and the grapes come from specific areas at about 2,000 feet in elevation, but some- times close to 3,000. At those elevations they can attain higher acidity and thicker skins, making them suitable for a long drying time. The grapes are left to dry in a room called a fruttaio for weeks to months over the winter. This time allows the moisture to reduce by 30% and the sugars to become concen- trated. Sforzato wines must have a minimum alcohol percentage of 14%. Wedged between and protected by Alps to the north and south, Valtellina has for centuries been a land of wine. In the present day, its unique mountain Nebbiolo has the opportunity to enrich the global wine scene. But the people of Valtellina have always known that, regardless of the change in power and marching of time, Chiavennasca has always been king. Somm Journal June/July.indd 69 5/9/14 12:10 PM