Arpepe / AR.PE.PE. "Il Pettirosso" Valtellina Superiore DOCG 2016 (Lombardy, Italy) - [DM 93] [WA 92] [WE 92] [VM 92]

Arpepe / AR.PE.PE. "Il Pettirosso" Valtellina Superiore DOCG 2016
(Lombardy, Italy) - [DM 93] [WA 92] [WE 92] [VM 92]


$55.00 $54.99 Save $0.01
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DM93 WA92 WE92 VM92
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Only 6 items in stock!
  • 100% Chiavennasca (Nebbiolo)
  • 50-100-year-old vines
  • 400-550 meters
  • Southern exposure
  • 100-day maceration in 50 -hectoliter untoasted oak casks
  • Rests 24 months in bottle before release
  • 2,000 cases produced annually

Tucked in between the Orobic and Retic Alps just south of the Italian-Swiss border, you’ll find the terraced vineyards of Ar. Pe. Pe.

At the helm of this storied estate, located in the Grumello subzone of Valtellina in Lombardy, is the fifth generation of the Pelizzatti Perego family.

The roots of this blue-chip estate go back to the 1860s, when the current generation’s great, great grandfather Giovanni founded a successful winery in the area, then known only as “Pelizzatti.”

Over 150 years of history have passed since then, including the dark days of the 1970s during which the current generation’s grandfather fell ill, and the family was forced to sell the Pelizzatti brand along with some of their vineyards.

The more recent history of the estate is an almost deus-ex-machina turn of events: the family re-founded their company under the Ar. Pe. Pe. label in 1984, reclaimed many of their proprietary vineyards from renters, and were able to reclaim their cellar in Grumello.

Today, Ar. Pe. Pe. is widely recognized as the single best producer in the appellation (as well as a benchmark producer of Nebbiolo in general)

93 Points - Decanter:
Il Pettirosso, or 'robin redbreast', is a dedication to Ar Pe Pe’s founder, Arturo who first created this bottling in 1997. A selection of casks ready to be bottled after relatively minimal ageing, it brings together parcels in the subzones of Sassella and Grumello. Piercing pure rose, cherry blossom and tobacco lead the way to a nucleus of sweet raspberry, red cherry and subtle flintiness. It's fine-boned in frame and zesty in acidity, with silky-smooth tannins that glide effortlessly across the palate. The epitome of elegance. (Drink between 2021-2028)

92 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
Here's a beautiful wine with a great human story behind it. Fruit from 50-year-old vines planted in friable granitic mountain soils is carried down to the winery in small cassettes on the hearty shoulders of the harvesters. With some 24,000 bottles made, the Ar. Pe. Pe. 2016 Valtellina Superiore Nebbiolo Il Pettirosso is perfumed with rosebud, wild berry, sour cherry and crushed stone. All that backbreaking human labor leads to a soft and gently polished red wine to pair with a classic buckwheat pasta from this ski-loving region.

92 Points - Wine Enthusiast: 
Bright and tangy, this fragrant wine offers head scents of red rose, pine forest, wet flint and Alpine herb. Vibrant and savory, the racy palate has lovely mineral energy and tension, doling out juicy Marasca cherry, ground clove and a hint of hazelnut alongside taut, refined tannins and bright acidity. Drink through 2026. KERIN O’KEEFE

92 Points - Vinous:
2016 Valtellina Superiore Il Pettirosso is a terrific choice for readers who want to explore the Ar.Pe.Pe. wines before delving into some of the more pricey bottlings. Dried autumn leaves, cedar, pipe tobacco, herbs and licorice are some of the many notes that grace this wonderfully expressive, super-classic Valtellina Nebbiolo. Aging in cask brings out the nuances of these old vines so well. The transparency of Nebbiolo comes through beautifully. Drinking window: 2021 - 2036.