"Albareda" Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG 2018

We are in the presence of one of the noblest wines of Italy. The Sforzato di Valtellina represents the spearhead of the area. An important wine, made only from the best grapes, harvested when fully ripe and left to dry patiently for months in fruit cellars. The wait is until about January to give the bunches time to lose most of their water and concentrate the best aromas and flavors. Before moving on to winemaking, however, the bunches, which have already lost much of their weight, are carefully selected by hand. Any grapes that are not perfectly healthy or affected by mold must be removed. Only the perfect ones can finally be sent for processing. Delicately destemmed, they are crushed and sent to stainless steel tanks for the long maceration and alcoholic fermentation. It takes about 21 days for this to be completed. This is followed by malolactic fermentation and aging in oak for 20 months. But at that point the wine is not yet ready. Before it is finally put on the market, in fact, you have to wait almost another year in which it rests in the bottle in the safety of the winery. A long and difficult journey that pays off from the first sip. This Albareda, in fact, is a wine of incredible finesse, despite its high alcohol content and great concentration. The color is dark garnet red with orange reflections. On the nose it features notes of spices and red fruits in spirit, raisins and wilted roses. on the palate it is warm, full with pronounced sensations of jam.