Sleek and minerally, delivering lots of stone and smoke accents, as well as sculpted tannins finely meshed with the ripe red currant and cherry fruit, dried lavender and herbed olive flavors. Mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2029. 600 cases made, 75 cases imported.??–AN??Region: Italy / Sforzato di Valtellina Select to Add

The beautiful Sandro Fay 2016 Sforzato di Valtellina Ronco del Picchio is a pure expression of Nebbiolo that goes by the name Chiavennasca in these parts. The grape is believed to have traveled to this special alpine site in the far north of Italy through the Chiavenna Valley that lends its name to the variety. Sandro Fay's terraced vineyards are depicted on the wine's front label, and you can see the protective wall of mountains behind them. This wine offers the power (with a 15.5% alcoholic content) and the velvety texture of air-dried fruit with cherry and redcurrant confit. Those dried fruit aromas (or the "Sforzato" part of the wine) lead to crushed rock, mountain herb, crushed stone and dried blue flower. The trick here is the altitude (this vineyard is located at an impressive 750 meters above se level) that maintains the acidity in the grapes needed to contrast the concentrated sugars of the appassimento process. Some 7,800 bottles were released.

The 2014 Sforzato di Valtellina Ronco del Picchio is made with air-dried Chiavennasca (or Nebbiolo) grapes. The fruit is left to dry after the harvest until December 22. It is then fermented in stainless steel and aged in tonneaux for two years. This wine definitely shows more intensity, and its aromas of dried currant and pressed cherry remind you of that unique appassimento (or air-drying) process. However, the wine remains extremely elegant and fine with integrated tannins and a touch of delicate residual sugar on the close. The finish is characterized by mineral notes of crushed slate. Some 7,117 750-milliliter bottles, 255 magnums and 35 jeroboams were produced.

The 2009 Sforzato di Valtellina Ronco del Picchio is a pure and beautiful wine that showcases the very best of Valtellina winemaking. Dried cherry and blackberry aromas segue to plum, dark fruit, spice and light tobacco. This is a wine of intensity and power, but it delivers that punch in the proverbial silken glove. A well made wine like this will continue to evolve over the next ten years. So far, its aging process has proven to be slow and extremely steady. Fruit for this wine is sourced from an amazing, south-facing vineyard at 700 meters above sea level.