ArPePe 'Nuova Regina' Sassella Riserva, Valtellina Superiore, Lombardy, Italy 2013

ArPePe stands as one of Italy’s most revered mountain Nebbiolo producers, celebrated for long élevage, traditional fermentations, and a patient, old-school philosophy that privileges nuance, perfume, and alpine minerality over power. In the steep terraces of Valtellina, they craft wines of haunting delicacy and longevity — and 'Nuova Regina' is a pinnacle expression from the Sassella subzone.

• WINEMAKER: Isabella Pelizzatti Perego and Emanuele Pelizzatti Perego, continuing the family’s legacy of crafting traditional Nebbiolo wines

• FARMING: Practicing organic; steep terraced vineyards farmed by hand

• VARIETY: 100% Nebbiolo (Chiavennasca)

• TERROIR: Steep granite and schist terraces in the Sassella cru of Valtellina; extreme alpine viticulture at high elevation with dramatic diurnal swings; thin, rocky soils emphasizing purity, tension, and lifted aromatics.

• VINIFICATION: Native fermentation; extended maceration in traditional wooden tini; gentle, long extraction for fine tannin and aromatics.

• AGING: Extended aging in large neutral Slavonian oak botti, followed by significant bottle aging prior to release.

• TASTING NOTES: Ethereal mountain-Nebbiolo character with dried cherry, rose petal, alpine herbs, and delicate spice; silky yet firm tannins, crystalline acidity, and a long, mineral-etched finish marked by incense, stone, and subtle earth.

• FOOD PAIRINGS: Porcini risotto, braised rabbit, venison with juniper, alpine cheeses, saffron polenta with wild mushrooms.