Sfursat DOCG

Nino Negri, a winemaker^? of some repute, founded the company in 1897. It was his son Carluccio who put the name on the map, exporting the wines as far afield as the the UK and USA. Valtellina has four ‘crus’ (Sassella, Inferno, Grumello and Fracia), and Negri owns vines in all of them. The grape Chiavennasca is a strain of Nebbiolo, and because of the steep vineyards and southerly exposures, the wines are deep and complex^?, yet always enticingly elegant, even for a region^? so high up in the Alps.

100% Chiavennasca (the local name for Nebbiolo)

The best positioned vineyards in the three sub-zones of DOCG^? Valtellina Superiore^?: Grumello, from the Latin "grumus", hill; Inferno, so called because of its steep slopes and very high summer temperature; Fracia, a "cru^?" exclusive to the House of Negri in Valgella (from the Latin "Vallicula"). These are south facing vineyards, trained by the "archetto" variation of the Guyot^? system, with a density of 3700 vines per hectare^?, and a very small production. They grow on loose soil of sand and silt of indigenous as well as alluvial and morainic origin from which have been constructed terraces supported by small dry^?-stone walls at an average altitude of 400 metres. The geographic location is on the slopes of the Retiche Alps, between Sondrio and Teglio, along the right bank^? of the river Adda.

The best bunches, perfectly healthy and ripe, are picked by hand into small boxes of 6 kg each, then allowed to dry^? naturally for about three months; during January and February the dried grapes are pressed (1,8 kg of grapes produces a 750cl bottle of wine) and vinified by the traditional red wine method with a long 12 days maceration^?.

After resting in stainless steel, part of the wine was placed in 225 litres barrels and part in 20 and 50 hl French oak^?? barrels for 20 months.

Dark garnet red colour, with orange^? tints; strong, complex^? bouquet^? with an elegant spiciness (cloves, cinnamon^?, pepper) backed by suggestions of fruit (plum^?) and dried flowers (violets, wild roses) and hints of toasted hazelnuts^? and raisins^?; warm, powerful^?, savoury flavour, firm^? but velvety, with a fine, lingering aftertaste^? of liquorice and fruit preserves.

15% alcohol^? volume; total acidity^? 7,00 g/l; pH^? 3,61; residual^? sugar^? 4,00 g/l; extract^? 32,00 g/l

Red meats, game, strong cheeses (bitto: an ancient cheese, still artisanally made from the milk^? of cows that graze on hay and herbs in the mountain pastures of the Valtellina).

Serving temperature: 18°C

6/8 years in bottles stored horizontally in cool, dark conditions.

Please don't hesitate to contact us for this or any other of your wine requirements.