Nino Negri Quadrio, Valtellina Superiore 2018 |
|
"The more I know, the more I realize
ο»ΏI know nothing." β Socrates
|
|
Italian wines are a very hot category. Whether it be recent interest in Moscato's from the Piemont, Prosecco from Verona, Super Tuscans from Tuscany (dah), Nero d'Avola's from Sicily, Montepulciano from Abruzzo, and the list goes on, as we have become very comfortable in Italian geography. But ask about the wines of Lombardy, and most consumers' eyes glaze over. Sure, that land mass separates Piemonte from the Verona in Northern Italy, but it is much more. So here are some fun facts. |
|
Lombardy is the land of mountains, lakes, and refined gastronomy, named after the Lombards, One suggestion for their name comes from the ancient German Barte "ax," or loosely "The tribe with the ax." The Lombards, a Germanic tribe that settled in North Italy in the 6th century, defeated the Romans and ruled Italy for the next 200 years. Lombardy is the most populous of the 20 Italian regions, with nearly 10 million inhabitants, a sixth of the Italian population (approximately as much as Sweden, Portugal, or the Czech Republic). If it were an independent country, Lombardy would be the most densely populated in Europe (420 inhabitants per kmΒ², slightly more than the Netherlands). They have here own language used by over a third of the population, and about 10% do not speak any other language. Famous people from Lombardy include philosopher Pliny, luthier Stradivari, Alessandro Volta inventor of the battery, Popes John XXII and Paul VI, fashion icons FerrΓ© and Prada. And that's the shortlist. |
|
Lombardy's largest city, Milan, is Italy's financial and fashion capital, two sectors that have contributed to making it the wealthiest Italian region in terms of GDP per capita and one of the richest in Europe. Lombardy is one of Italy's culinary hub, famous for its risotto, osso bucco, polenta, scaloppini Milanese, minestrone and Gorgonzola cheese. Wealth attracts good food, and Milan is no exception, boasting the highest number of Michelin stars in Italy and the 9th highest of any European city. And as everyone knows, good top-rated restaurants demand great local wine. As good as the wines from Lombardy are, most are consumed locally by affluent foodies, and few are exported. |
|
The most famous wine from Lombardy is a sparkling wine using the Champagne method is, Franciacorta. This sparkling wine is a favorite of Dena's, and if you are looking for recommendations, she is the one to ask. If you are looking for noteworthy red wines with aging potential, one must look at the wines from Valtellina. Situated in the far north of the Lombardy region, it forms part of the border between Italy and Switzerland. An area stretching 132 miles east-west, Valtellina is one of Italy's smallest and least known wine-producing regions. The valley was carved from the hard granite of the local mountains by the glaciers that descended from the Alps during the last ice age. Here is one of the most dramatic vineyard landscapes in the world, invoking comparisons to the terraced vineyard plots of Germany's Mosel and Portugal's Douro. Perched on these impossibly steep slopes, tiny terraces, many less than .65 acres in size, cling to the south-facing slopes of the mountainside at altitudes of 750 feet to 2,500 feet above sea level. The Italians call this heroic viticulture, although even a superhero might find winemaking here a challenge. |
|
Established in 1897, Nino Negri is the premier estate-producing wine in the Valtellina DOCG. The success of Nino Negri is due mainly 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. In 2018 after more than forty harvests, Casimiro Maule, chief winemaker and historical director of Nino, stepped down, turning the reigns over to Danilo Drocco, an experienced manager and winemaker with extensive knowledge of the Nebbiolo universe, and is the new head of the historical Valtellina Nino Negri winery. With a degree in Oenology from Turin University, he has worked in prestigious Italian and Piemontese wineries, covering key roles that helped him reach the top of the winemaking profession and building invaluable experience that he has brought to Nino Negri. |
|
The star and primary varietal here is Chiavennasca, the local name for Nebbiolo. The variety has been cultivated in the area for over 1,000 years, and all Valtellina DOCG wines must contain at least 90% Chiavennasca. Compared to the Nebbiolo in the Langhe, Chiavennasca has a larger, looser grape bunch. Its long association with Nebbiolo has led the local wine producers' association to describe Chiavennasca as Nebbiolo from the Alps. Indeed, although the evidence is circumstantial, the breadth of genetic diversity in Chiavennasca has led researchers at the Fondazioni Fojanini in Sondrio to suggest that Nebbiolo might well have originated in this alpine valley long before it found its home in Piedmont. |
|
Nino Negri controls almost 400 acres of the finest Chiavennasca vineyards in the Valtellina Superiore subzones. The estate directly owns 75 acres of exceptional vineyards. Due to the extremely steep hillsides, Nino Negri's estate is characterized by terracing, a system based on dry stone walls that support the terraced hillside vineyards built thousands of years ago to allow cultivation of the land. The sandy, silty base tends to be dry as it retains very little water and is highly absorbent. The shallow soil has an arable surface of between one to four feet, and it is common to see vines take root in the cracks between the rocks. The steep hillsides provide the perfect environment for Nebbiolo to thrive. The steep slopes allow optimum exposure to the mountain sun and protection from the cold winds, and the wide temperature ranges between day and night encourage the expressive uniqueness of the king of grape varieties, Nebbiolo, locally called the Chiavennasca. |
|
The winery is located in the city of Chiuro in the 15th Century Quadrio Castle. The "castle" sits above an array of underground cellars which house thousands of barrels. All Nino Negri wines age for at least two years before they are released to ensure optimum maturity at the time of bottling.
Nino Negri Quadrio is sourced from the finest estate vineyards within the Valtellina Superiore DOCG. These south-facing hillside vineyards sit at elevations above 1,100 feet and consist of soils of gravel, loose sand, and silt. Grapes are allowed to hang until ultra-ripe and are finally harvested in early to mid-October. The wine is traditionally vinified, seeing 10 days of maceration on the skins followed by a cold fermentation in stainless steel. The wine is matured for 18 months in large French and Slavonian oak vats before bottling.
|
|
The recently released 2018 vintage has yet to be reviewed. Nino Negri often gets very high ratings; this is the latest press release for the 2016 vintage.
The Nino Negri 2016 Valtellina Superiore Quadrio is a blend of 90% Nebbiolo and 10% Merlot and represents a selection of some of the estate's best fruit. The wine ages in large casks made from Slovenian oak in the cellars of the massive stone Castello Quadrio that clearly lends its name to this bottle. The wine is lithe and delicate with softly delivered tones of wild berry, rose hip, spice, and campfire ash. The wine slides over the palate with a silky, mid-weight texture and calls out for an outdoor seating of warm rosemary focaccia with speck and rucola. The Wine Advocate 91 pts
|
|
Nino Negri Quadrio, Valtellina Superiore 2018
We tried this wine twice. Why? Because we can. And both times we really liked this wine. The first time was with the Italian rep from the distributor along with a group of wines, and though Nino Negri has an Amarone style Nebbiolo that was good, this wine stood out because of its mass appeal. I brought the wine out again for the wine geeks a couple of days ago, and again it was very well received. It is a style of Nebbiolo that is not as intense as Barolo, more like the northern Piemont style of Nebbiolo, such as a Gattinari. Rich dark berry fruit, hints of leather and spice, and the 10% Merlot seem to add a silky body to the wine. An extremely long dark cherry finish. Did I mention we really liked this wine? This is a wine that deserves more attention than it gets from the Michelin star wealthy that hoard these wines in Northern Italy for themselves. I feel a revolution comingβpower to the educated wine drinkers!
|
|
|
*Sale price is on 6 or more bottles
Wine is packed in 6 bottle cases
|
|
Orders must be done by replying to this email. The reason is that I need to keep control of the inventory in one central spot. Emailing or calling your favorite wine geek at one of our four stores may not get your orders in on time to be counted or processed and creates a helter-skelter for us to get you the wine. For the same reason, ordering on our online Web Store is linked to our regular price, and this sale price is only offered on the email platform. It is also why it takes me some time to respond due to the deluge of orders that I sometimes get. We haven't reached the efficiency or volume of Amazon yet, and in this pandemic environment, simply operations sometimes prove difficult. Thank you in advance for your patience. |
|
Let me know your preferred store for pickup: Attleboro, Norwood, Sturbridge, or Swansea. If you don't state the store, I will assume you are picking up in Sturbridge.
Place your order now while you've got everything in front of you. Reply to this email along with your name and which store you want to pick it up.
I will confirm your order via email when it is ready for pickup. Please give us at least 48 hours to respond. Stay well, cheers!
βJohn Hannum, Fine & Rare Wine Specialist
|
|
Monday-Thursday
9AM to 9PM
|
|
Friday-Saturday
9AM to 10PM
|
|
|
We reserve the right to limit quantities. You must be at least 21 years of age to purchase/consume alcohol. Please drink responsibly. Not responsible for typographical errors. Rebate quantities are subject to limitation by the manufacturer. These alcoholic beverages may be subject to payment of Connecticut or Rhode Island Alcoholic Beverage Tax and Connecticut Use Tax, and may be subject to seizure as contraband. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
β
β
β
β
β
β