Valtellina Superiore (Italy)
Valtellina Superiore is a red wine from Valtellina in Lombardia.
It is made from minimum 90% Nebbiolo grapes.
A Barolo from the Alps.
Typical Flavors
 Raspberry |
 Red Cherry |
 Black Cherry |
 Blackberry |
 Rose Petals |
 Violets |
 Black Currant |
 Dried Herbs |
Oak added Flavors
 Oak |
 Licorice |
 Hazelnut |
 Slate |
Valtellina Superiore tastes something between Barolo and Pinot Noir.
Wild Red Fruit. Cerries. Black Fruit. Flowers. Dried Herbs.
Notes of Wood, Earth. Licorice, and Hazelnut.
With a Mineral finish from the Mountains.
Profile
Valtellina Superiore have a good Body, good Acidity, and good Tannins:
| BODY | Full | ||
| TANNINS | Medium Plus | ||
| FRUIT | Medium Plus | ||
| ACIDITY | Medium Plus | ||
| |||
Food Pairing
 Cold Cuts |
 Salami |
 Stew |
 Rabbit |
 Lamb |
 Wild Boar |
 Game |
 Red Meat |
In Lombardia, Valtellina Superiore is served with Stews and Brased Meat.
Pairing Suggestions
Excellent Pairing:
Lombardian Cuisine.
Braised Meat.
Game. Rabbit. Wild Boar.
Cheese:
Mature Cheese.
Grana Padano. Parmigiano Reggiano. Pecorino Vecchio.
Lombardian Specialities:
Bresaola Salame.
The Ideal Glass
The Bordeaux glass is perfect for a bodied red wine.
It is taller than other red wine glasses, and has a slimmer bowl.
The large size of the glass allows the bouquet to develop. It smooths out rough edges, plays down tannins, and allows the wines to achieve balance.
The slimmer bowl sends the wine directly to the back of the mouth for maximum taste.
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Italian DOC(G)
Italian wine labels was introduced in 1963. They were designed to copy the French AOC/AC system.
DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) regulates production areas, grape varieties, alcohol levels, and vinification techniques.
DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) is the highest classification.
Strict rules defines grape varieties, yield limits, grape ripeness, winemaking procedures, barrel and bottle maturation, and tasting procedures. Each bottle must have a numbered government seal.
Valtellina DOC(G)
Valtellina produces 3 categories of Nebbiolo wines:
- Valtellina Superiore DOCG
- Rosso di Valtellina DOC
- Sforzato di Vallentina DOCG
| Rosso di Valtellina DOC 1968 |
Minimum 90% Nebbiolo (Chiavennasca) Maximum 10% other Lombardia grapes Maximum harvest 10 tonnes/ha Aged minimum 6 months Minimum alcohol 11% |
| Valtellina Superiore DOCG 1998 |
Minimum 90% Nebbiolo (Chiavennasca) Maximum 10% other Lombardia grapes Maximum harvest 8 tonnes/ha Aged minimum 2 years (3 for Riserva) minimum 1 year in barrel Minimum alcohol 12% |
| Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG 2003 |
Amarone style dry passito wine Minimum 90% Nebbiolo (Chiavennasca) Maximum 10% other Lombardia grapes Aged minimum 20 months between barrel and bottle Minimum alcohol 14% |
Valtellina Superiore DOCG Areas
DOCG villages for Valtellina Superiore are: Grumello, Inferno, Maroggia, Sassella, and Valgella, and the village name is indicated on the label.
If Stagafassli appears on the label, it is not a subzone. It indicates Valtellina Superiore wine aged and bottled in Switzerland, with grapes from Valtellina in Italy.
GrumelloFull bodied rich wines. Fruit driven and aromatic.This area has deeper soils and more clay. |
InfernoFull bodied powerful wines.This area is the warmest and produces concentrated wines. |
SassellaFull body. Complex, elegant and rich. Soft tannins.The soil contains a lot of sassi (large stones) |
ValgellaMedium body. Nebbiolo aromas. A bit more tannic.The soil here is gravelly, well drained, and rich in silica. |
MaroggiaBalanced fruity style. Full body. Light tannins. Good acidity.This district is the smallest of the Valtellina DOCG districts. |
About Valtellina
"A valley surrounded by high and terrible mountains. But they make really powerful wines." was the summary provided by Leonardo da Vinci in his sketch collection "Codice Atlantico".
Valtellina is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy on the border to Switzerland. It is one of Italy's smallest wine regions, with dramatic high altitude vineyard landscapes, angled as solar panels to the south, on steep slopes and tiny terraces.
Most of the wines in the region are red wines produced on the grape Chiavennasca, a local Nebbiolo varity named after the city Chiavenna.
Italy's greatest grape Nebbiolo, has the local name Chiavennasca in Lombardia, Spanna in northern Piemonte, and Picotener in Val d’Aosta.
Valtellina Wine Road
Valtellina Strada del Vino is a 70 km panoramic road through the terraced vineyards where "Nebbiolo delle Alpi" is made.
The road runs from Ardenno to Tirano in the valley.
On the road, there are wineries that provides wine tasting, guided tours, and the possibility to stay overnight, discover traditional dishes "like grandma used to", while drinking local Valtellina wines, and meat the locals who work in the mountains.
Lombardia (Lombardy)
Lombardia, in the north of Italy, is one of the richest regions in Europe.
The capital Milano is the largest metropolitan area in Italy with about 10 million inhabitants.
Lombardia is blessed with spectacular lakes: Como, Maggiore, Garda, and Iseo.
Lombardia has 5 DOCG Regions.
Red Wines:
Moscato di Scanzo
Oltrepò Pavese
Sforzato di Valtellina
Valtellina
Valtellina Superiore
White Wines:
Lugana
Oltrepò Pavese
Pinot Grigio
Turbiana
