2019 Foradori, Fuoripista, Pinot Grigio, Vigneti Delle Dolomiti IGP

The Wine: “Only 8,000 bottles of Fuoripista Pinot Grigio from the biodynamic vineyards of the Campo Rotaliano site are pressed by Elisabetta Foradori each year. The wine is fermented on the skins for eight months in tinajas (Spanish amphorae), where it slowly matures to reveal the delicate character of Pinot Grigio and the forgotten diversity of Trentino”. Superiore.de

“Skin fermentation has given this pinot grigio a rosé color, but also a lot of peach-skin, rose-petal and candied-orange character. Notes of wet earth and umami, which you normally associate with red wines, develops as it aerates in the glass. Then comes the surprisingly delicate, medium-bodied palate that is so fresh, the delicate tannins and rose-petal notes lifting the long, almost weightless finish.” James Sukling.

Fuoripista is a different kind of wine that takes an alternative route and has a different approach towards nature. This wine is the result of a collaboration between Foradori and Marco Devigili, biodynamic winemaker from Campo Rotaliano, and aims to express the true essence of this variety, widespread in the Trentino region. The wine spends more than 8 months on the skins inside Tinajas (amphorae) allowing the delicate character of Pinot Grigio to reveal.

Grape: Pinot Grigio
Vineyard location: Campo Rotaliano, Mezzolombardo
Hectares: 2 hectares
Terroir: Alluvial and gravel soil
Fermentation and fining: 8 months on the skins in tinajas (amphorae) in acacia casks
Annual production: 10.000 bottles

The Winery: ( From Wine Searcher) Foradori is a wine estate in the Dolomites region of northern Italy, particularly known for its red wines from the Teroldego variety. The estate dates back to 1901, and has been owned by the Foradori family since 1939. Elisabetta Foradori has made the wine since 1984. There are 28 hectares (69 acres) of vineyards in multiple small plots around the Campo Rotaliano plain, 75 percent of which are planted with Teroldego The rest are planted to Manzoni Bianco, with small amounts of Nosiola and Pinot Grigio. Foridori’s vineyards have been farmed biodynamically since 2002 and were certified by Demeter in 2009.

All of Foridori’s wines are released as IGT Vigneti delle Dolomiti. The range is led by two Teroldego cuvées, Foridori and Granato. Foradori is sourced from around 10ha (25 acres) of vineyards on sandier soils, and is aged in oak and cement tanks for 12 months. Granato, which means pomegranate, comes from 4ha (10 acres) of old pergola vineyards on more stony soils, and is aged in wood for 15 months. The estate also makes four other Teroldego wines which are aged on their skins in amphorae, and varietal wines from Manzoni Bianco, Nosiola and Pinot Grigio.

Foradori’s winemaking follows a philosophy of minimal intervention, which includes the use of indigenous yeasts, no temperature control and bottling without filtration. Production reaches around 160,000 bottles per year, over half of which is the Foradori cuvee.

Read more at: https://www.agricolaforadori.com/en/wines/

2015 Arpepe, Valtellina Superiore Sassella Stella Retica

The Wine: WE: Woodland berry, camphor, wild rose and wet stone aromas shape the nose. The chiseled palate delivers red cherry, cranberry, Alpine herb and star anise set against taut, ultrafine tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Drink 2022–2030.

(From Wine Searcher) Valtellina Superiore Sassella wines are made under Valtellina Superiore DOCG rules, specifically from grapes grown around the hamlets of Sassella and Triasso, just west of the town of Sondrio. Like a “standard” Valtellina wine, they are red wines made from at least 90 percent Chiavennasca (the local name for Nebbiolo). Sassella is one of five viticultural sub-zones specifically identified as producing Valtellina wines of particularly high quality. The other four are Grumello, Inferno, Maroggia and Valgella. Sassella is the largest of these, with around 150 hectares (370 acres) of vines.

Located at the foot of a large, steeply sloping bulge in the northern valley wall, the village’s vineyards benefit from excellent drainage and a sunny southerly aspect. The valley floor here is narrow, but the vineyards lie raised up on steeply sloping, tiny, terraced plots well into the fresh mountain air and generally oriented towards the sunshine. For more information about Valtellina wines and the terroir of the region, see Wine Searcher Valtellina page.

The Winery:  “We are a family of winegrowers and, for over 150 years, we have been passionately devoted to the cultivation of Nebbiolo. This is a rare grape variety that, over the centuries, has adapted to the Valtellina, a land like no other, where everything is still done by hand. For 5 generations we have always waited for “the time it takes” “the right waiting time” and it is this that sets the pace of our work. Time and humility are what make our wine the purest, sincerest expression of this land and of the people who cultivate it with such dedication. This was the lesson we were taught by our father Arturo, without letting ourselves be influenced by passing fashions and conventional tastes. We are convinced that the outstanding qualities of Nebbiolo from the Alps means it is more than worthy of its place of honour on the international market of fine wines. Without this worldwide acknowledgement, this age-old activity would simply not be economically sustainable for it rejects any idea of modern mass-production”.

 Valtellina is a valley of glacial origin, furrowed by the river Adda, which runs for a full 120 kilometres from east to west, from the Stelvio Pass to Lake Como. Embraced in between the Alpi Retiche and Orobie, it runs parallel to chain of the Alps and enjoys a unique microclimate. From dawn to sunset, the sun warms the terraced vineyard, which is set like a precious stone on the Rhaetian slope, fully exposed to the south and soothed by the cool breeze from the north. Dry-stone walls hold back poor soils composed of flaked granite, where, since time immemorial, the root of the Nebbiolo from the Alps vine has found all the nutrients it needs to create a genetic variability that is unsurpassed. The spectacle of the terraced vineyards of the Valtellina is the heritage of mountain folk who have tended them for centuries, and it is a priceless treasure that deserves to be protected as a cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Read more at: https://www.arpepe.com/

2017 Nino Negri, Sforzato Di Valtellina

The Wine: (From Vino.com) Sforzato di Valtellina Sfursat Carlo Negri is a wine from the Nino Negri winery produced in the best vintages and in limited quantities that is born on the Valtellina hills, at the foot of the Rhaetian Alps, on the right bank of the Adda river.

It is produced entirely with Nebbiolo grapes, whose selection and harvesting begins in the second half of September and continues until the end of the month. After being left to dry naturally in boxes, the grapes ferment in steel at a controlled temperature with maceration on the skins for 16 days. After a short stop in the same containers, the wine is transferred into French oak barrels for 24 months.

It is characterized by an intense garnet color. It captures the nose with an ethereal and complex bouquet, with hints of cloves, cinnamon and pepper, with hints of plum in jam. In the mouth it is dry, warm and austere, with a pleasantly persistent taste on notes of toasted hazelnuts and licorice.

Perfect to taste in combination with roasted meats and game, it is excellent together with aged cheeses.

The Winery: (From https://www.frederickwildman.com/producers/nino-negri/) Established in 1897, Nino Negri is the premier estate producing wine in the Valtellina DOCG in Italy’s Lombardy region. The estate specialty is Sfursat (“strained” or “forced”); a wine made from grapes harvested by trained pickers and dried for 100 days in the cool, dry, alpine air. This winemaking style combines the opulence of Amarone with the elegant complexity of Barolo. The success of Nino Negri is due largely to the efforts of winemaker Casimiro Maule who has worked at the estate since 1971, his entire professional life. In 2007, Casimiro was named “Winemaker of the Year” by Gambero Rosso, the magazine authority in Italian wine.

The star and primary varietal here is Chiavennasca, the local name for Nebbiolo. The variety has been cultivated in the area for over 1,000 years and all Valtellina DOCG wines must contain at least 90% Chiavennasca. Nino Negri controls almost 400 acres of the finest Chiavennasca vineyards in the Valtellina Superiore subzones. The estate directly owns 75 acres of exceptional vineyards, including the 27-acre Fracia vineyard, an exclusive cru planted since 1995 to special clonal selections. The vine stocks that are cultivated horizontally from west to east, an innovated planting scheme for this region.

The winery is located in the city of Chiuro in the 15th Century Quadrio Castle. The “castle” sits above an array of underground cellars which house thousands of barrels. All Nino Negri wines age for at least two years before they are released to ensure optimum maturity at time of bottling.

Read more at: https://www.gruppoitalianovini.it/index.cfm/en/

CV Members Rating

The tasting took place before knowing the price of the wines and the participants evaluated them between Very Good and Excellent with the following results:

1. Jermman Vintage Tunina Venecia Giulia IGT Chardonnay  blend:  Excelent ($63)
2. Furadori Fuoripista Trentino, Pinot  Grigio, IGP: Very Good ($58)
3. Arpepe, Valtellina Superiore DOGC, Sassela, Nebbiolo:  Excellent ($49)
4. Nino Negri Sforzato  Di  Valtellina DOCG, Nebbiolo :  Excellent ($47)

The wines were considered a very good example of the region’s wine products, diversity and typicality and representative of high-quality standards.

Technical Notes 

This is the Power Point Presentation for this tasting prepared by Ricardo Santiago with plenty of technical information on the wines and the regions of origin.

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