Tuesday Night Double Blind $50+ (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Browner core with larger orange rim; soy, aged, a bit tired on the nose, smoky, weedy, some ripeness, sun dried tomato, herbs, thinner and aging out, leather, long time in a barrel?; ok, Nebbiolo- Alto Piemonte?
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Another stellar bottle of this great Sassella riserva. Incredibly consistent in quality and flavors. Nose is luscoius with its tarry background with floral and dark berry notes. The palate is chewy and dense, with incredible levels of dark berry flavor. It still has a brightness and underlying acidity that makes it very alive. Still a good hit of tannins at the end, which carries on.
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Still a great bottle, but this one suggests it is time to drink. Lots of power and complexity as indicated in my previous notes, but this one has more bricking and is not as thunderous as before.
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Even more special. Tar and floral on the nose, dark berry underbrush. A palate that is chewy and dense, but still has a brightness and underlying acidity that works with the darker parts.
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Even a bit better than before. This wine keeps on giving. My previous notes are still right on, and this is even a bit deeper overall in flavors. Still no sign of reaching or exceeding a peak.
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Superb, what short&confused, others have said. Just wow, purity of fruit, edgy with perfect acid and mineral tension, elusive floral and rosemary herbal like hints, earth, but that 'tart wild berry' is amazing. Yes sip after sip, sings away.
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Balanced ripeness of fruit with everything in the right place. I appreciate the style of ArPePe, and this is another fine offering. This bottle seems to be in a nice drinking window, 14 years after vintage year.
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The nose here is better than the palate - cool red fruit. Very light-bodied, with a hole in the mid-palate. Decent acidity and persistence through the finish, but not enough palate presence.
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Fresh and dried cherry, herbs and earth. Medium bodied, balanced acidity. Drinks more like an elegant Barbaresco to my taste--less of the high-toned, minerality Valtelline character, more firm tannins, darker color, and higher fruit intensity. Interesting. This bottle seemed about at peak since the fruit character is maturing, while the tannins are still grippy--but it will vary by bottle, certainly.
Purchased at the cellar door in 2012. Decanted about 1 hour before consuming.
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Drinking well now...popped and poured...massive bouquet of crushed violets, truffles and wet earth. Balanced on the palate with lively fruit and well-integrated tannins that were silky smooth. Exactly what you hope for when aging a well-made Nebbiolo based wine!
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I love these mountain Nebbiolo wines. 50+ year old vines. This is a “riserva” bottling of Ar.Pe.Pe.’s single vineyard “Rocco Rosse”. Elevage: stainless steel, 2 years in oak wood barrels (50 Hl), at least 6 months in bottle. Chewy and long with tart red wild berry fruits, forest floor and wild flowers. There is an ethereal dimension to this stuff that brings me to pinot. But it is not pinot!
Den har haft gavn af de seneste års lagring. Frugtsyren er der stadig i lidt større mænge, end vi foretrækker. Men den er langt bedre integreret end for 4-6 år siden - især 1-2 timer efter dekantering, hvor den fine, modne frugt trådte mere frem. Der er masser af struktur, så formentlig vil yderligere lagring gavne den.
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From memory. Stood upright overnight. Bottle opened for 9 hours and then decanted for 1 hour then back into clean bottle to bring to a tasting then drank over the next 4 h. Surprising that there was virtually no fine sediment as in barolo/barbaresco. Beautiful floral, herbs, underbrush, earth, and red fruit aromas. Palate followed with a refined high toned silky elegance. Texture was ephemeral almost delicate but with concentrated flavors. Long beautiful finish. Wine of the night for me and many others in a very strong line-up including 2002 Montrose, 1998 Heitz Martha's Vineyard, 2013 Mugnier Clos de le Marechale, 2002 Guigal Chateau d'Ampuis Cote Rotie, 2015 Weinbach St. Catherine Riesling, and 2014 Bessin Valmur Chablis.
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Soft and silky for nebbiolo. 2.5 hrs decant. Quite well rounded, a bt of sour cherry and velvet making it very approachable. Still a full body and very satisfying.
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Couple hours of decant time allowed this to open up and express roses and tar on the wonderful nose, with a palate that is quite balanced and filled with underbrush and cherry along with more tar. Fine grained tannins and lively acidity that keeps a slight bitter bite at bay, this is a wonderful bottle of wine.
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This had a touch of VA on the noise which detracted from it somewhat, but the palate is quite lovely and elegant; Bright cherries, earth and florals on the medium weight palate, with some slight tannic bite at the end that suggests further development ahead
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Another delicious bottle of this rich juice. Tar and floral on the nose with a dark berry underbrush quality. The palate is chewy and dense, but still has a brightness and underlying acidity.
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The essence of food friendly wine. Don't expect a blockbuster from this. Vibrant structure and aromatics of wild fruit, forest floor and light truffle. So drinkable but not an easy or simple wine. This really stands out for its lighter, red berry style compared to many Langhe nebbiolo examples. With time I ended up wishing there was a touch more depth, but don't run with that comment too much and let it detract from the awesome wine that this is. Drink or hold for 10+ years if stored well. This had a lot left in the tank.
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Perfectly balanced and beautiful- the most graceful Nebbiolo I've ever tasted. It has all the aromatic complexity of Barolo but a much lighter impact on the palate. I have no idea how this will age but it's really fantastic now.
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Sempre un eccellente nebbiolo, fine ed elegante. 11 anni sulle spalle e non sentirli, vino ancora perfetto e vitalissimo, quasi giovane, si avverte qualche gradevole terziarizzazione per nulla invadente, ma il vino è perfettamente integro. L'ho acquistato nel 2013 a 16 euro, un rapporto Q/p eccellente, ora vedo che costa intorno ai 26/30 euro, prezzo piuttosto importante. L'inflazione nel mondo del buon vino ha risvolti raccapriccianti.
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Tawny and showing some age, still a decent wine with good acid and structure. The flavor is slightly fruity, more a developed red than distinct, with a nice finish
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Bought this to pair with the lobster in red sauce pasta dish at Maialino which is a bit mineral and seafood and acidic and overall very tasty. This went perfectly. Almost a dustiness in general to it, but a high level of acidity that worked really well with the sauce. A wine that was meant to go with food and so more muted in its approach. Very light-bodied (didn't realize nebbiolo could be like this). In a nice drinking window now. Opened and decanted and poured and drank over prob 1.5 hours. Wasn't really evolving in the glass, but was good from first sip to last.
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wonderful chiavennasca (nebbiolo from Lombardia) austere at the beginning, which hardly opens up but when it does (it takes 2hrs at least), wonderful scents are shown, more and more complex at the palate sip after sip. Ar.Pe. Pe confirms to be a reference winemaker in Valtellina, interpreting the terroir and the grapes in its classical way, disclosing the real nature of chiavennasca grape and its marvellous potential.
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I liked this a lot. Nice acidity + medium-lighter body plus a great array of flavors made this go pretty fast. On the elegant fruit side of the nebbiolo spectrum - reminded me of Vietti's Perbacco.
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Second Sunday Group: Valtellina (Neil's): Opens with a subtle plastic/Band-Aid note, followed by red fruit and licorice. Firm tannins and high acid. Flavors of cherry, currants and rose water, but there's also a subtle ripeness to the wine that kept me from liking this as much as others did.
My #4, Domino's #4 Group #1, 29 pts (tie broken by # of first place votes)
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This was just gorgeous. Fully accessible with some secondary notes on the palate. Classic notes of tar and roses without the painful tannins that would be found further south. Great food wine.
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My first experience with Ar.Pe.Pe. Had been anticipating trying one of their Nebbiolos for some time. It is definitely an elegant style of Nebbiolo, and it really improved after opening it for the day that we had it. Sadly it was overshadowed by some stronger wines at the meal in which we served it, but showed nicely nonetheless. Would be curious to try some of their 'higher-end' cuvées. People generally appreciated it around the table, but were not that enthralled.
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Directly from the bottle, for the first evening, I wasn't a fan of the wine: it tasted relatively thin, a wrangly mess of tough tannins and sour acidity - the basic Rosso seemed preferable. I poured 1/2 of the bottle into a clean 375 and refrigerated it for several days. This batch, the second day after uncorking it anew, was very much improved, showing enough fruit to carry the structural elements with considerable class. Now the wine's relatively thin texture and lean body (13% abv) were assets, elegantly framing to a substantial, concentrated, and delicious wine. This is the first wine that's helped me make sense of Nebbiolo-Burgundy comparisons.
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Nice color - not really bricking yet. Surprisingly, this showed best about an hour after decant. Classic nebbiolo that was light and feminine in body but had a nice amount of tar and masculine components. In a really nice place right now, not sure it needs any more time. Just a touch of drying tannin.
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Medium+ body, tar, menthol and licorice. Fresh, enjoyable, and good lenght. A bit simpler than Grumello Rocca De Piro 2006 I had some time ago but yet very charming.
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K&L Spring Italian Tasting (K&L Hollywood): This seemed rather reserved and showed some browning around the edges. Still seems rather young though. I wish I could say more about the nose, but I just didn't get a lot. Great sour cherry on the palate and a soft tannic finish. Again, had this after that Prapo Barolo, and it likely suffered by comparison.
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I served this in my wine course. Much darker and lower pitched nose than the Clerico spanna. Some mocha in the nose along with the usual black cherry. Relatively light mouth feel, but still excellent concentration. A touch of something vegetal in the mouth - could call it green tea to be more complimentary, but borderline as to whether this is exotic or distracting. Then loads of well balanced acidity in the finish that really make this wine a pleasure to drink.
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Return to San Antonio II (Barbaro): This is nebbiolo? Awesome, flavorful, with plenty of soft red fruits. Tannins are there but not biting. Fresh and inviting. A wine to seek out for sure. 93
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Menthol on the nose. On the palate, cherry and red berry with light spice on the medium finish, with good acidity and a silky-smooth texture. Very good, but only average value for the money.
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Questo Stella Retica non delude. Naso davvero ricco di suggestioni, di bella complessità, prima floreale e fresco poi un'evoluzione di erbe aromatiche, equilibrate speziature e prime sfumature terziari davvero intriganti. La bocca è molto fresca e bevibile, sapida, fine ed elegante. Ottimo, prezzo eccellente (16 euro).
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Decanted and poured, this wine shows expressive and detailed aromatics that show a wonderful combination of floral, cherry and spice notes. The color is a medium, translucent ruby. The medium bodied palate unfortunately detracts from the overall of impression and the excellent aromatics. The wine shows very good overall balance with a somewhat short finish with drying tannins. If some of the elements on the palate could show better integration and the finish lengthened, this wine could give a more compelling showing.
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My wine of the evening at a recent Piedmont tasting (by a whisker & yes I know, this wine is not from Piedmont), this wine was big fresh rich flavorful and balanced on the edge of a knife with great acidity and fruit notes of big cherries, raspberries, blackberries and cranberries. Roses on the nose and nice finish. Not a heavy deep thinking wine but rather more quick witted and smart.
However, notwithstanding my comments above, I agree with other reviewers that at around $50 its probably not particularly good value for wine dollar spent, (but this is still a wonderful wine, just fabulous).
AR.PE.PE is one of the class act producers from the region so you have that going for you when you buy, but once you get into Valtellinas there are other (albeit difficult to find sometimes) smaller producers that are making top tier stuff around a third to half the price of this.
Conclusion: this is a wonderful bottle of wine and if you can afford it and want to know what good Valtellinas are like I highly recommend this. But be careful - once you start down the path of high altitude Nebbiolo you many never come back.....
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Light translucent ruby in the glass (very reminiscent of an Etna Rosso in color). Nice, cool nose with crystalized cherry fruit - very "precise" nose.
Red fruits & acidity on the palate; light-bodied and elegant. Likable enough, but when I start to make pricing comparisons and put this wine side-by-side with a Produttori Riserva, you do have a legitimate question about the "value" of this wine.
The giant bonus in food pairing possibilities which stems from the increase in lightness is completely disproportionate. Dear lord I love Valtellina. Last time I tasted this wine was in a dark hotel room under a thunderstorm on Lake Como and the bottle was obviously heat damaged but still delicious. This is even brighter acid loveliness and just a precious thing of beauty.
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Ruby red in the glass, nebbiolo nose with flowers, not quite as structured as a Barolo, drying tannins, lovely acidity, transparent and unadorned (in a good way), tar and red fruit, long finish, definitely a producer to try
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Power, this is your name: Sassella Riserva by AR PE PE. Tremendous version of nebbiolo that is unlike Barolos, Barbarescos, Carema, Ghemme, ete. etc. Tar and floral on the nose with a dark berry underbrush quality. A palate that is chewy and dense, in a way, that indicates its sfursat method of rich wine-making, but still has a brightness and underlying acidity that works with the darker parts of the experience. Glad I bought a bunch.
Rinnovo la mia dichiarazione d’amore per questi grandi vignaioli della Valtellina. Anche questa Stella Retica Ris. 2006 è vino eccellente, di sorprendente naturalezza e bevibilità. Già dal colore di un bel mattone intenso, dichiara la sua raffinata classicità. Il naso è un continuum in evoluzione per tutto il tempo della degustazione. Parte floreale e fresco con fiori di campo, violette, susine acerbe; poi, man mano, si apre in profumi di erbe aromatiche, maggiorana e in sentori più evoluti, complessi e speziati, con liquirizia e tamarindo in evidenza, sfumature di carne al sangue, prugne secche, ortica, vernice. La bocca è salata, saporita, fresca, di grande finezza e di una bevibilità inarrestabile. Meraviglioso Nebbiolo di Montagna, non lontanissimo dal magnifico Rocce Rosse Riserva. Prezzo onestissimo (16 euro!!!!). In giro per l’universo, per bere qualcosa di simile, si spendono cifre decisamente differenti. W Arturo Pelizzatti Perego!
So impressed! I love Nebbiolo (duh). I'm almost positive this would have fooled me blind. Also my first ever AR PE PE. Great notes from a few others below; completely agree on the Burgundian comparisons. PnP from 750ml at Scarpetta (NY). Gorgeous ruby color, remarkably stunning purity in the glass. Soft on the palate and long in the finish. Very enjoyable. If I could this for $45 retail, I would buy every available bottle.
Another Saturday at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): Beautiful nose that just screamed Italy. Had some tar, but more floral elegance. Just gorgeous stuff. The palate was raw and reddish but had a lot of power. I had this blind so I thought the varietal was something less powerful and more approachable than Nebbiolo so think of my surprise when i saw it was Nebbiolo from 2006! This was my first Ar.Pe.Pe. wine, and was incredibly impressed.
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Visit to Ar Pé Pé: Soooo good. Less tar and rotten mint than yesterday but not far off! Soooo good. More rocks in Sassella vs other vineyards. Almost gran reserva in this vintage, but not enough tannins. 9, 9.5/10. Bright acid; tar and goudron arise w air. Harvest 15 November for the ultimi raggi final.
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Very impressive Italian Nebbiolo nose of tar and what I'll label slightly rotting mint leaves, delicious wine with a lovely weightless power that we devoured far too quickly than is proper for a wine of this caliber. Consumed under a ferocious thunderstorm on Lake Como.
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The aromatics are blue-print nebbiolo, but the balance and mouthfeel... clearly burgundian! Appearance is pale garnet, glowing brick rim. What a lovely nose! Developing old-school aromas such as red currants, raspberry, balsamico, leather, tar, dried porcini, undergrowth and earthy minerals. It enters the mouth like a morning breeze through a veil of silk. Tannins are lighter and softer than a piemonte nebbiolo, acidity more exposed yet so fine and ripe, alcohol not an issue (13%) and the body of course quite slender. The interplay of flavours, the balance and mouthfeel are all about elegance and subtle delicacy. It would be a mistake to rate it lower than a powerful barolo just because it's a lighter wine. This is a treat for lovers of finesse. 205 dkk @ Terroiristen.
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Dejlig hele vejen rundt, bortset fra at frugtsyren var lige lovlig fremtrædende. Den var blødere næste dag, så måske kan den med fordel ligge et par år.
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Aged 2 years in botti (mostly chestnut), then 2 years in bottle before release. A tre bicchieri winner--atypical for ArPePe to receive the recognition, doubly so for a non-Sfursat cuvee. Floral, raspberry, balsamic, medium body with firm, ripe tannin. Elegant and youthful, still showing very nice firm but not oppressive structure.
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10/11/2023 - bravo.solares Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lovely mature Nebbiolo. Powdery tannins, tons of cherries, some tertiary notes. A touch short of acidity.
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1/14/2023 - mwieth Likes this wine:
Nu er den perfekt. Syrebalancen er kommet på plads, og frugten er moden og samtidig helt uden tegn på træthed. Desværre var det sidste flaske.
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1/3/2023 - Rezy13 wrote:
Tuesday Night Double Blind $50+ (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Browner core with larger orange rim; soy, aged, a bit tired on the nose, smoky, weedy, some ripeness, sun dried tomato, herbs, thinner and aging out, leather, long time in a barrel?; ok, Nebbiolo- Alto Piemonte?
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12/2/2022 - JWG wrote: 95 Points
Another stellar bottle of this great Sassella riserva. Incredibly consistent in quality and flavors. Nose is luscoius with its tarry background with floral and dark berry notes. The palate is chewy and dense, with incredible levels of dark berry flavor. It still has a brightness and underlying acidity that makes it very alive. Still a good hit of tannins at the end, which carries on.
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10/14/2022 - JWG wrote: 94 Points
Still a great bottle, but this one suggests it is time to drink. Lots of power and complexity as indicated in my previous notes, but this one has more bricking and is not as thunderous as before.
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7/12/2022 - Bakerbd Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cherry pits, tart red berries, autumnal, softened but not fully-resolved tannin, long and elegant
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4/5/2022 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
More structured than the Grumello. Lacks the aromatics of the Grumello.
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3/23/2022 - JWG wrote: 96 Points
Even more special. Tar and floral on the nose, dark berry underbrush. A palate that is chewy and dense, but still has a brightness and underlying acidity that works with the darker parts.
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6/3/2021 - JWG wrote: 95 Points
Even a bit better than before. This wine keeps on giving. My previous notes are still right on, and this is even a bit deeper overall in flavors. Still no sign of reaching or exceeding a peak.
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4/3/2021 - wayfarer Likes this wine: 93 Points
Superb, what short&confused, others have said. Just wow, purity of fruit, edgy with perfect acid and mineral tension, elusive floral and rosemary herbal like hints, earth, but that 'tart wild berry' is amazing. Yes sip after sip, sings away.
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10/15/2020 - winemaker Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful wine. Elegant and refined. Resins, sappy, long finish. Glad I have more.
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9/28/2020 - winemaker Likes this wine: 93 Points
Same as last note. Delicious with mushroom risotto.
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9/19/2020 - Chaz Bham wrote: 90 Points
Balanced ripeness of fruit with everything in the right place. I appreciate the style of ArPePe, and this is another fine offering. This bottle seems to be in a nice drinking window, 14 years after vintage year.
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2/24/2020 - Bob H wrote:
The nose here is better than the palate - cool red fruit. Very light-bodied, with a hole in the mid-palate. Decent acidity and persistence through the finish, but not enough palate presence.
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2/16/2020 - Cabfrancophile Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fresh and dried cherry, herbs and earth. Medium bodied, balanced acidity. Drinks more like an elegant Barbaresco to my taste--less of the high-toned, minerality Valtelline character, more firm tannins, darker color, and higher fruit intensity. Interesting. This bottle seemed about at peak since the fruit character is maturing, while the tannins are still grippy--but it will vary by bottle, certainly.
Purchased at the cellar door in 2012. Decanted about 1 hour before consuming.
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9/7/2019 - caesar77 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking well now...popped and poured...massive bouquet of crushed violets, truffles and wet earth. Balanced on the palate with lively fruit and well-integrated tannins that were silky smooth. Exactly what you hope for when aging a well-made Nebbiolo based wine!
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9/2/2019 - bags wrote:
lovely. aggressive decant around 90 early; amazingly, no sediment.
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7/10/2019 - Bob H wrote:
Fair - fine on the nose, but really not much of a follow-through on the palate.
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6/15/2019 - dasvino Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice expression of Nebbiolo. Ready to go after an hour decant.
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5/9/2019 - short and confused wrote: 93 Points
I love these mountain Nebbiolo wines. 50+ year old vines. This is a “riserva” bottling of Ar.Pe.Pe.’s single vineyard “Rocco Rosse”. Elevage: stainless steel, 2 years in oak wood barrels (50 Hl), at least 6 months in bottle. Chewy and long with tart red wild berry fruits, forest floor and wild flowers. There is an ethereal dimension to this stuff that brings me to pinot. But it is not pinot!
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4/26/2019 - SteveG wrote: 92 Points
This bottle at Speck, back to form and roundly enjoyed.
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3/10/2019 - winemaker Likes this wine: 94 Points
Quite elegant expression of Nebbiolo. Savory, resiny, minerally. Very long finish. Opened 2 hours before consuming.
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9/2/2018 - SteveG wrote: 90 Points
From memory, not decanted, delicious but not especially involving, maybe more air would help.
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3/11/2018 - mwieth Likes this wine:
Den har haft gavn af de seneste års lagring. Frugtsyren er der stadig i lidt større mænge, end vi foretrækker. Men den er langt bedre integreret end for 4-6 år siden - især 1-2 timer efter dekantering, hvor den fine, modne frugt trådte mere frem. Der er masser af struktur, så formentlig vil yderligere lagring gavne den.
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1/21/2018 - James Kim Likes this wine: 94 Points
From memory. Stood upright overnight. Bottle opened for 9 hours and then decanted for 1 hour then back into clean bottle to bring to a tasting then drank over the next 4 h. Surprising that there was virtually no fine sediment as in barolo/barbaresco. Beautiful floral, herbs, underbrush, earth, and red fruit aromas. Palate followed with a refined high toned silky elegance. Texture was ephemeral almost delicate but with concentrated flavors. Long beautiful finish. Wine of the night for me and many others in a very strong line-up including 2002 Montrose, 1998 Heitz Martha's Vineyard, 2013 Mugnier Clos de le Marechale, 2002 Guigal Chateau d'Ampuis Cote Rotie, 2015 Weinbach St. Catherine Riesling, and 2014 Bessin Valmur Chablis.
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12/29/2017 - dk563 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Soft and silky for nebbiolo. 2.5 hrs decant. Quite well rounded, a bt of sour cherry and velvet making it very approachable. Still a full body and very satisfying.
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12/14/2017 - quaffnov Likes this wine: 92 Points
Couple hours of decant time allowed this to open up and express roses and tar on the wonderful nose, with a palate that is quite balanced and filled with underbrush and cherry along with more tar. Fine grained tannins and lively acidity that keeps a slight bitter bite at bay, this is a wonderful bottle of wine.
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10/19/2017 - eluebchow wrote: 90 Points
This had a touch of VA on the noise which detracted from it somewhat, but the palate is quite lovely and elegant; Bright cherries, earth and florals on the medium weight palate, with some slight tannic bite at the end that suggests further development ahead
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6/3/2017 - JWG wrote: 94 Points
Another delicious bottle of this rich juice. Tar and floral on the nose with a dark berry underbrush quality. The palate is chewy and dense, but still has a brightness and underlying acidity.
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5/14/2017 - vine farmer wrote:
The essence of food friendly wine. Don't expect a blockbuster from this. Vibrant structure and aromatics of wild fruit, forest floor and light truffle. So drinkable but not an easy or simple wine. This really stands out for its lighter, red berry style compared to many Langhe nebbiolo examples. With time I ended up wishing there was a touch more depth, but don't run with that comment too much and let it detract from the awesome wine that this is. Drink or hold for 10+ years if stored well. This had a lot left in the tank.
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5/10/2017 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:
Perfectly balanced and beautiful- the most graceful Nebbiolo I've ever tasted. It has all the aromatic complexity of Barolo but a much lighter impact on the palate. I have no idea how this will age but it's really fantastic now.
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5/1/2017 - mauropallido wrote: 90 Points
Sempre un eccellente nebbiolo, fine ed elegante.
11 anni sulle spalle e non sentirli, vino ancora perfetto e vitalissimo, quasi giovane, si avverte qualche gradevole terziarizzazione per nulla invadente, ma il vino è perfettamente integro.
L'ho acquistato nel 2013 a 16 euro, un rapporto Q/p eccellente, ora vedo che costa intorno ai 26/30 euro, prezzo piuttosto importante. L'inflazione nel mondo del buon vino ha risvolti raccapriccianti.
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4/22/2017 - Woodbridge Brad wrote: 84 Points
Tawny and showing some age, still a decent wine with good acid and structure. The flavor is slightly fruity, more a developed red than distinct, with a nice finish
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3/31/2017 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Bought this to pair with the lobster in red sauce pasta dish at Maialino which is a bit mineral and seafood and acidic and overall very tasty. This went perfectly. Almost a dustiness in general to it, but a high level of acidity that worked really well with the sauce. A wine that was meant to go with food and so more muted in its approach. Very light-bodied (didn't realize nebbiolo could be like this). In a nice drinking window now. Opened and decanted and poured and drank over prob 1.5 hours. Wasn't really evolving in the glass, but was good from first sip to last.
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1/21/2017 - olracx62 Likes this wine: 92 Points
wonderful chiavennasca (nebbiolo from Lombardia) austere at the beginning, which hardly opens up but when it does (it takes 2hrs at least), wonderful scents are shown, more and more complex at the palate sip after sip. Ar.Pe. Pe confirms to be a reference winemaker in Valtellina, interpreting the terroir and the grapes in its classical way, disclosing the real nature of chiavennasca grape and its marvellous potential.
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12/26/2016 - gresch Likes this wine: 93 Points
I liked this a lot. Nice acidity + medium-lighter body plus a great array of flavors made this go pretty fast. On the elegant fruit side of the nebbiolo spectrum - reminded me of Vietti's Perbacco.
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10/22/2016 - fitzi wrote:
Very nice; a pleasure to drink now. Still youthful, I deem and would continue to integrate and refine with time in the cellar.
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6/12/2016 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
Second Sunday Group: Valtellina (Neil's): Opens with a subtle plastic/Band-Aid note, followed by red fruit and licorice. Firm tannins and high acid. Flavors of cherry, currants and rose water, but there's also a subtle ripeness to the wine that kept me from liking this as much as others did.
My #4, Domino's #4
Group #1, 29 pts (tie broken by # of first place votes)
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5/15/2016 - JOsgood wrote: 93 Points
This was just gorgeous. Fully accessible with some secondary notes on the palate. Classic notes of tar and roses without the painful tannins that would be found further south. Great food wine.
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12/28/2015 - Nojomoschwa Likes this wine: 90 Points
My first experience with Ar.Pe.Pe. Had been anticipating trying one of their Nebbiolos for some time. It is definitely an elegant style of Nebbiolo, and it really improved after opening it for the day that we had it. Sadly it was overshadowed by some stronger wines at the meal in which we served it, but showed nicely nonetheless. Would be curious to try some of their 'higher-end' cuvées. People generally appreciated it around the table, but were not that enthralled.
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11/23/2015 - fitzi wrote:
Directly from the bottle, for the first evening, I wasn't a fan of the wine: it tasted relatively thin, a wrangly mess of tough tannins and sour acidity - the basic Rosso seemed preferable. I poured 1/2 of the bottle into a clean 375 and refrigerated it for several days. This batch, the second day after uncorking it anew, was very much improved, showing enough fruit to carry the structural elements with considerable class. Now the wine's relatively thin texture and lean body (13% abv) were assets, elegantly framing to a substantial, concentrated, and delicious wine. This is the first wine that's helped me make sense of Nebbiolo-Burgundy comparisons.
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9/28/2015 - christyler Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice color - not really bricking yet. Surprisingly, this showed best about an hour after decant. Classic nebbiolo that was light and feminine in body but had a nice amount of tar and masculine components. In a really nice place right now, not sure it needs any more time. Just a touch of drying tannin.
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6/15/2015 - Gooka wrote: 91 Points
Medium+ body, tar, menthol and licorice. Fresh, enjoyable, and good lenght. A bit simpler than Grumello Rocca De Piro 2006 I had some time ago but yet very charming.
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4/11/2015 - Aravind Asok wrote:
K&L Spring Italian Tasting (K&L Hollywood): This seemed rather reserved and showed some browning around the edges. Still seems rather young though. I wish I could say more about the nose, but I just didn't get a lot. Great sour cherry on the palate and a soft tannic finish. Again, had this after that Prapo Barolo, and it likely suffered by comparison.
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4/11/2015 - cardsandwine Likes this wine:
Semi-translucent ruby hue, light-bodied but well balanced palate. Not a lot of complexity here at the moment. Should benefit from cellar time.
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3/28/2015 - SteveG wrote: 92 Points
From memory, at Il Brigante. New to my experience, but a lovely nebbiolo blend, balanced, fresh, and savory. Enjoyed with fettuccine Bolognese.
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2/22/2015 - juffer Likes this wine: 93 Points
I served this in my wine course. Much darker and lower pitched nose than the Clerico spanna. Some mocha in the nose along with the usual black cherry. Relatively light mouth feel, but still excellent concentration. A touch of something vegetal in the mouth - could call it green tea to be more complimentary, but borderline as to whether this is exotic or distracting. Then loads of well balanced acidity in the finish that really make this wine a pleasure to drink.
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2/21/2015 - dpc123 wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful balance of acid and tannins. Tannins should soften but this is in a good spot now.
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1/19/2015 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Return to San Antonio II (Barbaro): This is nebbiolo? Awesome, flavorful, with plenty of soft red fruits. Tannins are there but not biting. Fresh and inviting. A wine to seek out for sure. 93
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1/1/2015 - RichardP wrote: 90 Points
Menthol on the nose. On the palate, cherry and red berry with light spice on the medium finish, with good acidity and a silky-smooth texture. Very good, but only average value for the money.
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9/19/2014 - mauropallido wrote: 92 Points
Questo Stella Retica non delude.
Naso davvero ricco di suggestioni, di bella complessità, prima floreale e fresco poi un'evoluzione di erbe aromatiche, equilibrate speziature e prime sfumature terziari davvero intriganti.
La bocca è molto fresca e bevibile, sapida, fine ed elegante.
Ottimo, prezzo eccellente (16 euro).
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6/25/2014 - sehill Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted and poured, this wine shows expressive and detailed aromatics that show a wonderful combination of floral, cherry and spice notes. The color is a medium, translucent ruby. The medium bodied palate unfortunately detracts from the overall of impression and the excellent aromatics. The wine shows very good overall balance with a somewhat short finish with drying tannins. If some of the elements on the palate could show better integration and the finish lengthened, this wine could give a more compelling showing.
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6/7/2014 - UpfromtheCellar wrote: 92 Points
My wine of the evening at a recent Piedmont tasting (by a whisker & yes I know, this wine is not from Piedmont), this wine was big fresh rich flavorful and balanced on the edge of a knife with great acidity and fruit notes of big cherries, raspberries, blackberries and cranberries. Roses on the nose and nice finish. Not a heavy deep thinking wine but rather more quick witted and smart.
However, notwithstanding my comments above, I agree with other reviewers that at around $50 its probably not particularly good value for wine dollar spent, (but this is still a wonderful wine, just fabulous).
AR.PE.PE is one of the class act producers from the region so you have that going for you when you buy, but once you get into Valtellinas there are other (albeit difficult to find sometimes) smaller producers that are making top tier stuff around a third to half the price of this.
Conclusion: this is a wonderful bottle of wine and if you can afford it and want to know what good Valtellinas are like I highly recommend this. But be careful - once you start down the path of high altitude Nebbiolo you many never come back.....
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5/2/2014 - Bob H wrote:
Light translucent ruby in the glass (very reminiscent of an Etna Rosso in color). Nice, cool nose with crystalized cherry fruit - very "precise" nose.
Red fruits & acidity on the palate; light-bodied and elegant. Likable enough, but when I start to make pricing comparisons and put this wine side-by-side with a Produttori Riserva, you do have a legitimate question about the "value" of this wine.
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4/16/2014 - Gargantua Likes this wine: 92 Points
The giant bonus in food pairing possibilities which stems from the increase in lightness is completely disproportionate. Dear lord I love Valtellina. Last time I tasted this wine was in a dark hotel room under a thunderstorm on Lake Como and the bottle was obviously heat damaged but still delicious. This is even brighter acid loveliness and just a precious thing of beauty.
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2/16/2014 - Federsin Likes this wine:
Ruby red in the glass, nebbiolo nose with flowers, not quite as structured as a Barolo, drying tannins, lovely acidity, transparent and unadorned (in a good way), tar and red fruit, long finish, definitely a producer to try
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1/27/2014 - JWG wrote: 94 Points
Power, this is your name: Sassella Riserva by AR PE PE. Tremendous version of nebbiolo that is unlike Barolos, Barbarescos, Carema, Ghemme, ete. etc. Tar and floral on the nose with a dark berry underbrush quality. A palate that is chewy and dense, in a way, that indicates its sfursat method of rich wine-making, but still has a brightness and underlying acidity that works with the darker parts of the experience. Glad I bought a bunch.
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12/6/2013 - mauropallido Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rinnovo la mia dichiarazione d’amore per questi grandi vignaioli della Valtellina. Anche questa Stella Retica Ris. 2006 è vino eccellente, di sorprendente naturalezza e bevibilità.
Già dal colore di un bel mattone intenso, dichiara la sua raffinata classicità. Il naso è un continuum in evoluzione per tutto il tempo della degustazione. Parte floreale e fresco con fiori di campo, violette, susine acerbe; poi, man mano, si apre in profumi di erbe aromatiche, maggiorana e in sentori più evoluti, complessi e speziati, con liquirizia e tamarindo in evidenza, sfumature di carne al sangue, prugne secche, ortica, vernice. La bocca è salata, saporita, fresca, di grande finezza e di una bevibilità inarrestabile.
Meraviglioso Nebbiolo di Montagna, non lontanissimo dal magnifico Rocce Rosse Riserva.
Prezzo onestissimo (16 euro!!!!). In giro per l’universo, per bere qualcosa di simile, si spendono cifre decisamente differenti.
W Arturo Pelizzatti Perego!
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11/19/2013 - nortonnose Likes this wine: 93 Points
So impressed! I love Nebbiolo (duh). I'm almost positive this would have fooled me blind. Also my first ever AR PE PE. Great notes from a few others below; completely agree on the Burgundian comparisons. PnP from 750ml at Scarpetta (NY). Gorgeous ruby color, remarkably stunning purity in the glass. Soft on the palate and long in the finish. Very enjoyable. If I could this for $45 retail, I would buy every available bottle.
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10/19/2013 - tooch wrote: 92 Points
Another Saturday at Domaine (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): Beautiful nose that just screamed Italy. Had some tar, but more floral elegance. Just gorgeous stuff. The palate was raw and reddish but had a lot of power. I had this blind so I thought the varietal was something less powerful and more approachable than Nebbiolo so think of my surprise when i saw it was Nebbiolo from 2006! This was my first Ar.Pe.Pe. wine, and was incredibly impressed.
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9/9/2013 - Gargantua wrote:
Visit to Ar Pé Pé: Soooo good. Less tar and rotten mint than yesterday but not far off! Soooo good. More rocks in Sassella vs other vineyards. Almost gran reserva in this vintage, but not enough tannins. 9, 9.5/10. Bright acid; tar and goudron arise w air. Harvest 15 November for the ultimi raggi final.
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9/8/2013 - Gargantua wrote:
Very impressive Italian Nebbiolo nose of tar and what I'll label slightly rotting mint leaves, delicious wine with a lovely weightless power that we devoured far too quickly than is proper for a wine of this caliber. Consumed under a ferocious thunderstorm on Lake Como.
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4/20/2013 - Finare Vinare wrote: 92 Points
The aromatics are blue-print nebbiolo, but the balance and mouthfeel... clearly burgundian! Appearance is pale garnet, glowing brick rim. What a lovely nose! Developing old-school aromas such as red currants, raspberry, balsamico, leather, tar, dried porcini, undergrowth and earthy minerals. It enters the mouth like a morning breeze through a veil of silk. Tannins are lighter and softer than a piemonte nebbiolo, acidity more exposed yet so fine and ripe, alcohol not an issue (13%) and the body of course quite slender. The interplay of flavours, the balance and mouthfeel are all about elegance and subtle delicacy. It would be a mistake to rate it lower than a powerful barolo just because it's a lighter wine. This is a treat for lovers of finesse. 205 dkk @ Terroiristen.
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3/17/2013 - davestenton wrote:
The Real Wine Fair 2013 (Tobacco Dock, Wapping): Very silky and burgundian. Bit of grip to the finish. Lovely freshness too. Very good. 16.5/20.
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8/6/2012 - mwieth wrote:
Dejlig hele vejen rundt, bortset fra at frugtsyren var lige lovlig fremtrædende. Den var blødere næste dag, så måske kan den med fordel ligge et par år.
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3/21/2012 - Cabfrancophile wrote:
Aged 2 years in botti (mostly chestnut), then 2 years in bottle before release. A tre bicchieri winner--atypical for ArPePe to receive the recognition, doubly so for a non-Sfursat cuvee. Floral, raspberry, balsamic, medium body with firm, ripe tannin. Elegant and youthful, still showing very nice firm but not oppressive structure.
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