Boffalora Valtellina Superiore Riserva La Sasa 2021
We have 6 in stock (Inventory is live and accurate)
The Land
Most people picture Nebbiolo on the rolling hills of the Langhe. In Valtellina it is a mountain grape, grown in Lombardy a ridge away from Switzerland. The Adda runs east to west here, so the vineyards climb the south-facing Rhaetian side of the valley on terraces held up by dry-stone walls. Boffalora works the Balzarro area of Castione Andevenno, the village where the Sassella subzone begins, with plots running from about 350 to 700 meters. Soils are thin: sand, gravel, and pebbles over gneiss, often only a few centimeters deep, which drives roots down into the rock. The estate's name comes from a vineyard place name tied to the valley's winds. Thin soil, altitude, and constant air movement are why Nebbiolo from Valtellina leans toward perfume and tension rather than weight.
The Wine
Boffalora Valtellina Superiore Riserva La Sàsa 2021 is 100% Chiavennasca, the local name for Nebbiolo. La Sàsa carries the broader Valtellina Superiore Riserva DOCG designation rather than a subzone name, and the Riserva category requires at least 36 months of aging before release, so this 2021 is only now reaching the shelf. Giuseppe Guglielmo destems and vinifies simply, with minimal intervention, and the estate's reds age in wood on the fully underground lower floor of its old stone farmhouse cellar. Expect sour cherry and dried rose, orange peel, alpine herbs, and crushed stone, with firm, fine-grained tannin and mountain acidity carrying a long, savory finish. Decant it, or give it several more years.
The People
Giuseppe Guglielmo was a mechanic and beekeeper, not a winemaker, when he and his wife took on the vineyards her father had tended. They founded the estate in 2002 and sold their grapes to other producers for several years; the first wines under the Boffalora label came from the 2009 vintage. Since then they have planted former woodland and bought plots climbing toward 700 meters. Everything is worked by hand on steep terraces, including the oldest parcel, Canovi, planted rittochino with rows running straight down the slope, while newer vines follow the contour. The vineyards are dry-farmed, and beehives sit above the vines; Guglielmo credits the bees with drying out grapes split by wasps and hornets, which keeps rot in check. This is small-grower Valtellina at its most personal, built one terrace at a time.
Food Pairing
Start with the dish Valtellina is known for: pizzoccheri, buckwheat noodles layered with potatoes, savoy cabbage, Valtellina Casera, and sage-browned butter. The wine's acidity cuts the butter and cheese while the tannin stands up to the earthy buckwheat. Venison or beef stew braised with juniper and red wine, served over soft polenta, matches the wine's alpine herb and dark cherry side. A wild mushroom risotto finished with aged Parmigiano lets the dried rose and stony notes come forward. Or keep it simple: thin-sliced bresaola with arugula, lemon, and shaved Grana. This is the bottle for the first truly cold night of the year, when dinner takes three hours and nobody minds.
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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.
