Valtellina Superiore Grumello, Vigna Gess, Dirupi - 2019

Fascinated by the history and the terrifying slopes of the local vineyard, friends Davide Fasolini and Pierpaolo Di Franco fell in love with the Valtellina vineyard in the early 2000s. Aware of its fragility and the decline that threatened it, they decided to invest in the cause by creating their own estate. So, after studying oenology in Milan, they rented a few hectares of vineyards and set off. They settled in Ponte in Valtellina, near the town of Sondrio, in 2003. 2004 was their first vintage. Nearly fifteen years later, they can claim to be stylistic "revolutionaries" with an approach that has since blossomed and inspired many others. First of all, the two friends carry out a precise division that considers and treats each parcel (there are 18 of them!) as a separate entity. The vines are grown on historic terraces facing south, at altitudes varying from 400 to 600 metres. More than the exposure and the soils, they believe that they sign the personality of each wine: the aromatic and spontaneous Rosso di Valtellina Olé is produced on the "lowest" terroirs (425-450 m); the flagship of the estate, the Valtellina Superiore, is produced on vines ranging from the lowest to the almost highest (400-550 m): It is an elegant but profound wine, perfectly representative of its DOCG; the sublime Riserva Dossi Salati is produced only in great vintages, on parcels ranging from 530 to...