ArPePe Valtellina Superiore Sassella "Stella Retica" 2017
We have 24 in stock (Inventory is live and accurate)
The Land
Tucked into the steep, sunlit terraces of the Valtellina, the Sassella zone is Nebbiolo’s alpine sanctuary. Here, the vines cling to sheer slopes of decomposed granite and schist, between 300 and 600 meters above sea level, catching the southern sun and the cooling breezes of the Rhaetian Alps. Stella Reticais drawn from a trio of ArPePe’s most prized crus: Rocce Rosse, Nuova Regina, and Ultimi Raggi—each named for the dramatic landscape they inhabit. These vineyards form the backbone of Sassella’s identity: poor, stony soils that drain fast and challenge the vines, yielding wines of tension, minerality, and soaring aromatics. This is Nebbiolo shaped by altitude, sunlight, and stone—where delicacy and depth find uncommon harmony.
The Wine
The 2017 Stella Retica captures the essence of high-altitude Nebbiolo with grace and precision. Fermented with native yeasts and aged slowly in large neutral oak casks for nearly five years, it’s a wine that reveals itself gradually. On the nose: crushed cherry, dried rose, Alpine herbs, and wet stone. The palate is laced with fine, talc-like tannins, brisk acidity, and an underlying salinity that stretches the wine into a long, lifted finish. At just over 13% alcohol, it wears its structure lightly, emphasizing transparency over weight. This is not Nebbiolo as power—it’s Nebbiolo as echo: subtle, articulate, and unmistakably of place.
The People
The Perego family at ArPePe has spent generations listening to the rhythm of the land. Founded in 1984 by Arturo Pelizzatti Perego and now guided by his children, ArPePe remains fiercely devoted to traditional methods and to the patient craftsmanship that Valtellina demands. Every vine is tended by hand on terraces so steep they defy mechanization. In the cellar, time is the key ingredient: slow fermentations, long élevage in old botti, and bottling only when the wine is ready—not before. Stella Retica is their most accessible Sassella bottling, but it is no less profound. It is a conversation between vineyards, a tribute to restraint, and a glimpse into one of Italy’s most quietly extraordinary terroirs.
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Nebbiolo, a prestigious grape from Italy's Piedmont region, is celebrated for its profound truffle and rose aromas, complex flavors, and ability to age gracefully thanks to strong acidity and tannins, producing the renowned Barolo and Barbaresco wines.
Nebbiolo
"Unknown" farming method indicates that the specific vineyard practices used to produce the wine have not yet been clearly identified or verified. Due to limited publicly available information, complexity of research, or lack of transparency from certain wineries, it can sometimes be challenging to accurately categorize each vineyard's farming practices. Our team is actively working to research and update our records to provide the most accurate information on every wine we offer. We understand the importance of transparency and sustainability and strive to categorize and communicate farming methods as quickly and comprehensively as possible.
