Established in 1897, Nino Negri is the premier estate producing wine in the Valtellina DOCG in Italy's Lombardy region. The estate specialty is Sfursat ("strained" or "forced"); a wine made from grapes harvested by trained pickers and dried for 100 days in the cool, dry, alpine air. This winemaking style combines the opulence of Amarone with the elegant complexity of Barolo. The success of Nino Negri is due largely to the efforts of winemaker Casimiro Maule who has worked at the estate since 1971, his entire professional life. In 2007, Casimiro was named "Winemaker of the Year" by Gambero Rosso, the magazine authority in Italian wine.
Terroir of the Valtellina: The Valtellina region, located at the base of the pre-Alps on Italy's border with Switzerland, is an extremely challenging terroir. A narrow, 25 mile-long amphitheater of terraced vineyards lines the north bank of the Adda River, forming a deep gorge amid mountainous terrain. This is Italy's largest terraced area of viticulture: an impressive 1,500 miles of dry walls that support the terraces are distributed over the 25-mile strip. Working this land is backbreaking work. Steep, nearly vertical vineyards from 2,400 to 3,000 feet elevation rule out the use of any mechanical equipment.
Wine Spectator 92 "A graceful red, with polished tannins and delicately knit layers of ripe black cherry and damson plum fruit, cured tobacco and accents of
Wine Spectator 93 "An elegant red, meshing supple tannins and mouthwatering acidity with layers of dried black cherry, grilled plum, smoke, salumi, pomegranate, and fragrant leather.
90% Nebbiolo, 10% Merlot "With a dark garnet-red color, the wine shows distinctive, fine aromas of small fruits, raspberry preserves, roses and violets, with an herbal
Wine Spectator 90, Top 100, #80 "Rich, with a base note of tarry smoke, remaining elegant and medium-bodied overall, showing mouthwatering acidity and fine integration. Dried
The Tasting Panel 95 "Dried grapes, hand-picked and aged in small barriques; dense, earthy, intense and rich with spice, oak and deep flavors of mature fruit."
Wine Enthusiast 95 Top 100 Cellar Selections Wines for 2017 - #45 “Full-bodied and velvety, this opens with alluring aromas of baking spice, mature plum, violet, Alpine
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