Valtellina Superiore Sassella 'Il Glicine' Fay 2018

Valtellina Superiore Sassella 'Il Glicine' by Fay winery is an elegant red wine of great structure produced in an area where viticulture is defined as heroic, given the impervious conditions in which it is practised. Valtellina, a mountainous region that branches off all around the city of Sondrio, is an area characterised by small plots of vines planted at extreme altitudes on man-made terraces, creating a very charming viticulture. "Il Glicine" is made from pure Nebbiolo grapes, also known locally as Chiavennasca, from one hectare of vineyard, planted with the traditional guyot training system, at an altitude of 470 metres, in the Sassella sub-zone. The vineyards, located East of the city of Sondrio, are on soils that deriving from flaky granite formations, characterised by predominantly sandy soils with a small percentage of silt, and have a southern exposure. The winery, with a total surface area of 15 hectares, was established in 1973 by Sandro Fay and is now run by the founder and his children Marco and Elena Fay.

Sassella Superiore "Glicine" is a red wine from Valtellina of great elegance, produced from grapes harvested exclusively by hand, generally around the second half of October, and then brought to the winery in crates to be crushed and destemmed and to start the fermentation process, which takes place in temperature-controlled steel tanks. Once the alcoholic fermentation is complete, the wine is transferred into small oak barrels with a capacity of 500 litres where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and remains to age for a period of about 12 months.

Sassella Valtellina Superiore "Il Glicine" has a garnet red colour with good transparency. The nose is characterised by intense and complex aromas of ripe red fruit, including cherry and raspberry, floral notes of violet, spicy and balsamic herb notes, turning towards tertiary hints of leather and tobacco. In the mouth it is structured, persistent and very well balanced. The tannins, well present but not aggressive, are balanced with the acidic notes that brings freshness to the sip. This is an expression of unique typicality and great character that should never be lacking in the cellar of an enthusiast or of those who want to approach and discover the beauty of the wines of this area.