Sandro Fay, Il Glicine Valtellina Superiore Sassella 2021 (750ml)

100% Nebbiolo

Tasting notes: Fay’s Sassella, called “Il Glicine” (“the wisteria”), is a beautifully polished wine that is aged in 500-liter French oak barrels, 20% of which are new. Although the grape (Nebbiolo) is the same, there’s no comparing this wine to anything from Barolo or Barbaresco, and there’s no need to—other than to say they are equally great. In the glass, it’s a translucent garnet-red, with aromas that make you feel like you’re picking berries in the woods: raspberry, black cherry, and cranberry scents are followed by an earthy wave of tobacco leaf, rose petals, fennel, sage, tar, leather, and black tea. It’s kind of a Gevrey-Chambertin/Barbaresco love child, unmistakably Nebbiolo in its mineral savor but floral, finessed, and more gently tannic than most Barolo/Barbaresco. Decant this very approachable ’19 about 30 minutes before serving in large Burgundy stems at 60 degrees (the cooler temperature will accentuate the aromatics and the fruit component).

VINEYARD

Our vineyards extend over 15 hectares and traditionally, our wine estate is strongly linked to the Valgella sub-zone, where most of our production is concentrated.

VINIFICATION

The vineyard called Il Glicine extends over 1 hectare in the Sassella sub-zone at 350 metres, in the commune of Sondrio. Glicine is the Italian word for wisteria; and this colorful plant clings to the rocky crags that dominate the entire plot.