AR.PE.PE.

VINTAGE 2023

James Suckling – 90
A very floral wine with aromas of geraniums, fresh violets, red fruit and spices. Light-bodied with silky tannins, refreshing acidity and a chalky finish. Drink now.

Vinous – 90
The 2023 Rosso di Valtellina is a terrific introduction to this range. Aromatic, pliant and supple, the 2023 is inviting right out of the gate. Crushed red berry fruit, white pepper, chalk and flowers all grace this silky, mid-weight offering from Ar.Pe.Pe.

VINTAGE 2022

James Suckling – 91
Sweet violets and red and dark fruit on the nose. Layered and complex profile. Very juicy with a light to medium body and dry, extracted tannins in the finish, yet fierce and still rugged. Quite a personality. Drink or hold.

VINTAGE 2021

Wine Advocate – 92
Opening to a light ruby color, the Ar.Pe.Pe. 2021 Rosso di Valtellina has notes of mountain pine, heritage rose with black slate and chalkboard that all converge with elegance. With time, it also offers blossoming fruit, dried cranberry and rose hip tea. This is a terrifc entry-level proposition, and I highly recommend you find a bottle (of 45,870 produced).

VINTAGE 2019

Wine Advocate – 95
I just love this wine, thanks to its sheer brightness and energy. The Ar. Pe. Pe. 2019 Valtellina Superiore Grumello Rocca de Piro reveals impeccable balance and a very silky quality, with nuanced delivery of cherry cola, white licorice root and blue mountain flower. The wine evokes a warmer sense as well with mountain meadow and sunshine on slate rock. All of these elements work in harmony and transfer to the palate with soft intensity. Production is 12,850 bottles.

VINTAGE 2018

Vinous – 91
Dense and layered, this opens nicely with air in the glass, revealing flavors of dried raspberry, eucalyptus, leather and black tea enmeshed with a core of firm tannins. Showing fine balance and good energy overall, this should shine even brighter after short-term cellaring. Best from 2026 through 2036. 1,050 cases made.

VINTAGE 2017

Wine Enthusiast – 93
Pressed rose, wild berry, smoke and dried Alpine herb aromas emerge from the glass. The graceful palate offers red cherry, cranberry and star anise alongside a salty mineral note while deft tannins provide lithe support. Fans of concentrated, muscular wines may find it too ethereal but lovers of finesse will be smitten. Drink through 2026.

Wine Spectator – 90
A lively red, with light, crisp tannins and pretty creamed strawberry, wild sage and orange peel flavors underscored by tarry mineral and spice accents. Juicy. Drink now through 2026. 1,800 cases made, 375 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2022

Vinous – 90
The 2022 Valtellina Superiore Grumello Rocca de Piro is another very pretty mid-level wine from Ar.Pe.Pe Dark red/purplish fruit lavender, rose petal, mint, sage and licorice bring out the darker side of Chiavennasca. Polished tannins frame the finish effortlessly. I would prefer to drink this sooner rather than later.

VINTAGE 2019

James Suckling – 92
Aromas of fresh roses, violets, wild red currants, blueberries, licorice and black pepper. Light- to medium-bodied with refreshing acidity and light, extracted tannins. Quite silky and polished in the finish. Drink now.

Wine Advocate – 95
I just love this wine, thanks to its sheer brightness and energy. The Ar.Pe.Pe. 2019 Valtellina Superiore Grumello Rocca de Piro reveals impeccable balance and a very silky quality, with nuanced delivery of cherry cola, white licorice root and blue mountain flower. The wine evokes a warmer sense as well with mountain meadow and sunshine on slate rock. All of these elements work in harmony and transfer to the palate with soft intensity. Production is 12,850 bottles.

VINTAGE 2017

Wine Enthusiast – 91
Aromas of wild berries and crushed Alpine mint form the nose. Lithe and polished, the elegant, rather austere palate offers crushed strawberry, spiced cranberry and black tea alongside taut, refined tannins.

Wine Spectator – 95
A fresh, focused red, with a subtle yet persistently fragrant thread of tobacco and spices winding through dried cherry and strawberry, tea rose, stone and smoke notes. Reveals supple tannins that firm the creamy, lasting finish. Tightly meshed yet still expressive, this should show well with short-term cellaring. Best from 2024 through 2034. 1,900 cases made, 170 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2022

Vinous – 92
The 2022 Valtellina Superiore Sassella Riserva Stella Retica is an absolute delight. Aromatic and vibrant, with terrific presence, the 2022 is all class. Dark red/purplish fruit, blood orange, pomegranate and orange peel are all sculpted in the glass. This is such an elegant and polished wine.

VINTAGE 2019

James Suckling – 92
Restrained geraniums, red currants and red pepper on the nose. The attack is quite soft, with a medium body, velvety tannins and tight, crisp acidity. Lacks a bit of complexity at the moment, but good substance for aging and forthright Valtellina character. Drink or hold.

VINTAGE 2017

Wine Enthusiast – 94
Fragrant and loaded with finesse, this lovely red opens with heady aromas of woodland berry, wild rose and camphor. Lithe and delicious, the elegant palate offers juicy red cherry, crushed strawberry, baking spice and a tangy mineral note suggesting granite. It’s well balanced, with polished tannins and fresh acidity. Drink through 2032.

Wine Spectator – 92
A bright and minerally red, with a well-spiced overtone of anise, white pepper and graphite, this features taut, integrated tannins and flavors of wild cherry and strawberry, cured tobacco and slate that linger on the creamy finish. Drink now through 2028. 3,200 cases made, 1,125 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2022

Vinous – 92
The 2022 Valtellina Superiore Inferno Fiamme Antiche is bright and nicely sculpted. Orange peel, mint and white pepper give this vibrant Valtellina Superiore tons of sizzle. High-toned aromatics, deep mineral inflections and a long, sustained finish round out this mid-weight, drop-dead gorgeous Inferno.

VINTAGE 2019

James Suckling – 93
Layered and vibrant dark fruit profile with blueberries, strawberries, sweet violets and some peppery notes. Sucrosity on the palate with a medium body, silky tannins and a savory finish showing black olive flavor. Drink or hold.

VINTAGE 2017

Wine Enthusiast – 90
Subtle aromas recalling new leather, sun-warmed flint and dried Alpine herb mingle together in the glass along with a whiff of forest floor. Firm and linear, the elegantly structured palate offers dried cherry, star anise and a mineral note of wet stone alongside taut, refined tannins. — Kerin O’Keefe

Wine Spectator – 94
A graceful, mineral-driven red, with seamless integration of the firm, fine-grained tannins and concentrated flavors of ripe raspberry, star anise, Earl Grey and red licorice. Light on its feet, this red boasts complexity and depth. Drink now through 2030. 500 cases made, 150 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2018

James Suckling – 96
Intense and perfumed nose of rosemary, cherry pits, flowers, balsamic, dried oranges, rhubarb, Parma violets and cinnamon enhanced by stony minerality. On the palate it’s smooth, silky and medium-bodied, with velvety tannins, crisp acidity and balsamic flavors. Tight knit and precise, it’s a bit austere in the finish yet forthright. Drink or hold.

Vinous – 94
The 2018 Valtellin Superiore Sassella Riserva Rocce Rosse in bright, lifted and translucent in the glass. It offers striking intensity and yet remains light on its feet. Crushed red berry fruit, white flowers, mint, chalk and tangerine peel build with time in the glass, filling out the layers effortlessly. There is a feeling of translucency here that is utterly beguiling. Readers will find a wine of real stature and pedigree.

VINTAGE 2016

James Suckling – 96
Very flowery on the nose, with fresh violets, roses, red currants, bright fruitiness, licorice and stony minerality. The attack is soft, with a medium body, brilliant crisp acidity and tight yet ripe tannins soaked in fruit. Not an easy wine, more elegant than powerful. It needs time to develop more complexity. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.

Vinous – 93
The 2016 Valtellina Superiore Sassella Riserva Rocce Rosse is peaking today. Sweet red cherry fruit, kirsch, mint, dried leather, tobacco, spice and worn-in leather caress the palate. Silky and open-knit, with lovely complexity, the 2016 has a lot to offer. It’s a fine choice for drinking now and over the next few years, maybe more.

Wine Advocate – 96
The Ar.Pe.Pe. 2016 Valtellina Superiore Riserva Sassella Rocce Rosse is initially understated with timid primary fruit, blood orange and apricot. There is a pretty spiciness as well, with dried cinnamon stick, nutmeg and tanned leather. The wine needs time, and if you come back to the glass after a little pause, it sings with greater intensity and balance. This is a release of 25,302 bottles that sees 97 days on the skins and 34 months of wood and cement aging.

Wine Spectator – 92
A bright red driven by a tang of salinity and lively acidity aligned with taut, integrated tannins and aromas and flavors of crushed cherry and strawberry, tea rose and crushed pine, revealing an umami hint of dried porcini mushroom. Drink now through 2034. 2,100 cases made, 225 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2013

Vinous – 93
The 2013 Valtellina Superiore Sassella Riserva Rocce Rosse is laced with the essence of sweet dried cherry, mint, pipe tobacco, cedar and dried herbs. Classy, understated and beguiling, the Riserva Rocce Rosse is very pretty in the glass, gaining volume with air, but remaining on the understated side of things.

Wine Enthusiast – 98
Made in high-altitude mountain vineyards, this classy, fragrant Nebbiolo combines structure, depth, elegance and personality. It features enticing scents of pressed rose, Alpine herb, new leather, camphor and wild red berry while the lithe, delicous palate delivers raspberry compote, cinammon, tobacco and star anise alongside firm but extremely refined tannins. Bright acidity keeps it impeccably balanced and energized while a flinty mineral note lingers on the close. Just gorgeous. Drink through 2043.

Wine Spectator – 93
Rich aromas and flavors of steeped mulberry and raspberry fruit, tea rose and fragrant, stemmy herb are set in this elegant, medium- to full-bodied red. It’s framed by bright acidity and chalky tannins that firm the spiced finish. Best from 2023 through 2030. 1,000 cases made, 325 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2018 

Vinous – 90
The 2018 Valtellina Superiore Sassella Riserva Nuova Regina is a very pretty, delicate wine. Sweet dried cherry, tobacco, cedar and dried herbs all show the gentle patina of age. I find the 2018 just a bit light on the mid-palate. That leads me to think it is best enjoyed over the near term.

VINTAGE 2016

James Suckling – 95
Intense floral nose of red and dark fruit, with a slightly peppery, almost meaty character. There is a lot of stony minerality. Tight-knit structure with fruit and acidity that are crisp and zesty, ripe tannins, a velvety texture and a medium body. Good cherry fruit finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.

Wine Spectator – 92
Shows a zesty, fragrant layer of milled pepper and chopped rosemary accenting flavors of cherry, raspberry and leather. This red’s detailed flavor range is integrated with bright acidity and firm, fine-grained tannins. Best from 2025 through 2030. 500 cases made, 75 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2013

Vinous – 93
The 2013 Valtellina Superiore Sassella Riserva Nuova Regina is quite delicate in its first impression. Red fruit, mint, orange peel, rose petals and cinnamon linger on the nose. Ethereal, weightless and classy to the core, the Nuova Regina is not a huge wine, but silky aromatics extend the mid-palate and finish nicely.

Wine Advocate – 95
A release of about 6,000 bottles, the Ar. Pe. Pe. 2013 Valtellina Superiore Riserva Sassella Nuova Regina draws its fruit from terraced vineyards delineated by rocky drywalls. The vines are at least 50 years old and planted in friable metamorphic rock or gneiss shaped by glaciers. This wine is made in a highly traditional manner with extended skin maceration in oak casks, and all the harvest work is done by hand. This is a true beauty with enormous finesse and a deep well of aromatic nuances that center around wild berries, blue flowers and iron ore. The wine is carefully aged with fine and silky tannins. It tastes great, so if you have a bottle you can drink it now or wait longer if that is your pleasure.

Wine Enthusiast – 96
Loaded with finesse and energy and still youthfully austere, this linear, structured red offers tart cranberry, blood orange and star anise sensations. A vein of salty mineral provides the backdrop while fine-grained tannins provide elegant structure and support. Racy acidity keeps it balanced. Give it time to fully develop and blossom into even more of a beauty. Drink 2025–2035. — Kerin O’Keefe

Wine Spectator – 92
A spiced red, with ground anise, white pepper and sandalwood winding through the creamy range of wild strawberry, dried fig and iron notes. It’s medium- to full-bodied, with chewy tannins wrapped in the silky texture and lightly mouthwatering acidity. Drink now through 2028. 500 cases made, 175 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2018

Vinous – 90
The 2018 Valtellina Superiore Sassella Riserva Ultimi Raggi is powerful and intense in its fruit expression, but also mature. Candied fruit, spice, tobacco, leather and dried herbs waft from the glass. Overall the 2018 comes across as a bit advanced, with precarious balance that suggests it is best enjoyed over the next few years.

VINTAGE 2016

James Suckling – 95
Aromas of graphite, game, earth, red cherries and dark berries. Dense palate with dusty yet ripe tannins, refreshing acidity and a medium to full body. A lot of good substance that still needs time to integrate and gain complexity. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.

Wine Spectator – 92
A lively, graceful red, well-spiced and aromatic, with a skein of incense and potpourri notes winding through cherry and berry fruit flavors. Reveals a savory push of loamy earth, mineral and brambly herbs on the plush finish. Drink now through 2031. 500 cases made, 75 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2013

Vinous – 93+
The 2013 Valtellina Superiore Sassella Riserva Ultimi Raggi is a bit austere. Red purplish fruit, dried herbs, orange peel, spices, rose petals and cinnamon are layered in this exotic, beguiling Valtellina Superiore. Readers will find a wine of terrific energy, with bright acids that run through a tight finish. It’s hard to say for a wine that is nearly ten years old, but the 2013 might still need time!

Wine Spectator – 92
A minerally red, with smoke and stone notes lacing the juicy sun-dried cherry and strawberry fruit. It’s well-balanced and expressive, a fresh and accessible version with fine-grained tannins providing light, taut definition. Accents of tea rose, red licorice and ground white pepper linger on the finish. Drink now through 2028. 500 cases made, 175 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2018

Vinous – 93
The 2018 Valtellina Superiore Grumello Riserva Buon Consiglio is gorgeous. Crushed red berry fruit, cedar, sweet pipe tobacco and pomegranate are all very nicely lifted. Soft contours and mid-weight structure give the 2018 tons of sensuality and overall appeal. Its balance is spot on.

VINTAGE 2016

James Suckling – 93
Game, smoke, earth, strawberries and bright licorice root depth. The attack is soft and elegant, with silky tannins and refreshing acidity. A chewy, vivid finish. Drink or hold.

Vinous – 94
Deceptive in its medium-bodied feel, the 2016 Valtellina Superiore Grumello Riserva Buon Consiglio is beguiling. Sweet floral overtones are immediately alluring. Red cherry fruit, orange peel, mint and sage soar into the pliant, silky finish. This is a very complete wine. There’s so much to admire.

Wine Advocate – 91
The Ar. Pe. Pe. 2016 Valtellina Superiore Grumello Riserva Buon Consiglio shows an overripe component with desiccated fruit, potpourri, flinty stone and tart plum with some bitterness. The mouthfeel is a bit flatter overall, with greenhouse herb and leafy vegetable. It is smooth and accessible in terms of mouthfeel and is ready to drink now. Winemaking is extreme, with a very extended 102 days of maceration in wood, followed by 34 months of aging in a combination of chestnut barrel, oak and stainless steel. This is a 12,711-bottle release.

Wine Spectator – 93
Dense and tightly meshed, with taut, chalky tannins and a racy streak of minerality married to flavors of dried black cherry, medicinal herbs, orange peel and milled pepper. Reveals savory hints of tobacco and smoke that push through and linger on the persistent finish. Let this open in the glass or decant for full enjoyment. Drink now through 2031. 1,050 cases made, 150 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2013

Vinous – 93
The 2013 Valtellina Superiore Grumello Riserva Buon Consiglio is elegant and wonderfully nuanced right out of the glass. Blood orange, spice, menthol, sweet red cherry, game and rose petal are some of the many notes that grace this exquisite, layered Riserva. The 2013 will drink well right out of the gate.

Wine Advocate – 95+
One of two late-release wines from Ar. Pe. Pe., the 2013 Valtellina Superiore Grumello Riserva Buon Consiglio is a beautifully light and delicate expression of Nebbiolo with a lean, ruby-tinged appearance. The wine ages to silkiness and extreme suppleness, and I cannot help but notice the unique aromas of toasted hazelnut, mountain flower and balsam herb that rise so delicately from the bouquet. These results are exquisite and ultra delicate, giving the wine a lithe or ethereal personality. What a beauty. Only 6,000 bottles were released.

Wine Enthusiast – 93
Camphor, wild rose and botanical herbs mingle with a whiff of wet granite. On the elegantly structured, still youthfully austere palate, tight, refined tannins lithely support sour cherry, orange zest and star anise. It’s vibrant and balanced, with bright acidity. Drink 2023–2033.

Wine Spectator – 94
A perfumed red, exuding aromas and flavors of crushed raspberry and pureed strawberry, exotic spice and graphite, dried marjoram and thyme. It’s finely knit, with silky tannins and mouthwatering, citrus peel acidity. A graceful version with a lasting, mineral-laced finish. Drink now through 2028. 500 cases made, 175 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2018

Vinous – 93
The 2018 Valtellina Superiore Grumello Riserva Sant’Antonio is another super-expressive wine in this range from Ar.Pe.Pe. Macerated cherry, cedar, pipe tobacco, incense and dried herbs fill out the layers. Open-knit and expansive in feel, the Sant’Antonio is not the most complete wine in the range, but it more than makes up for that with its sheer charm. I would prefer to drink it over the next few years.

VINTAGE 2016

James Suckling – 92
Subtle nose of fresh blueberries, black pepper, geraniums and flowers. Quite lifted. Light-bodied with refreshing acidity, tight tannins and a polished yet simple finish. Drink now.

Vinous – 91
The 2016 Valtellina Superiore Grumello Riserva Sant’Antonio is now fully mature. Dried cherry, cedar, pipe tobacco, mint, dried herbs and brown spice are all consistent with a wine that is peaking today. The 2016 has enough energy to drink well for another handful years, but I would not push my luck too far beyond that.

Wine Spectator – 94
Dense and layered, this opens nicely with air in the glass, revealing flavors of dried raspberry, eucalyptus, leather and black tea enmeshed with a core of firm tannins. Showing fine balance and good energy overall, this should shine even brighter after short-term cellaring. Best from 2026 through 2036. 1,050 cases made.

VINTAGE 2013

Vinous – 95
The 2013 Valtellina Superiore Grumello Riserva Sant’Antonio is a bold, pungent wine. Dark red and purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol and licorice race across the palate. A deep, vertical Riserva, the 2013 is very young today, but it is so impressive. Time in the glass brings out the wine’s striking inner perfume, sweetness and sheer pedigree.

Wine Enthusiast – 94
All about finesse and depth, this opens with enticing scents recalling underbrush, dried rose petal, camphor and perfumed berry. Structured and linear, the elegant palate features dried cherry, spiced cranberry and star anise set against a saline mineral note. Taut, refined tannins and bright acidity keep it vibrant. Already enjoyable, it also offers very good aging potential. Drink through 2033.

Wine Spectator – 94
A compact, medium- to full-bodied red with sculpted tannins providing a dense frame and tightly meshed to a tar-tinged streak of minerality. The flavors of plumped strawberry, fig cake, caraway seed and dried lavender slowly unfurl on the fresh palate, and this should open up beautifully with some short-term cellaring that allows those flavors to shine. Best from 2024 through 2033. 500 cases made, 175 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2018

Vinous – 94
The 2018 Valtellina Superiore Inferno Riserva Sesto Canto is poised, elegant and exceptionally polished. Brisk acids and beams of supporting tannin give this deceptively mid-weight Riserva tons of energy. The 2018 remains vibrant and super-expressive, perhaps a bit linear, but immensely enjoyable just the same.

VINTAGE 2016

James Suckling – 92
Lifted red currant, camphor and rose aromas. Light-bodied with crisp acidity and dusty yet light and crunchy tannins. The structure defies integration, but the finish is polished with pristine fruit character. Drink or hold.

Vinous – 95
The 2016 Valtellina Superiore Inferno Riserva Sesto Canto is powerful, deep and explosive. Red Nebbiolo fruit, blood orange, mint and white pepper all soar from the glass. The 2016 offers a beguiling mix of fruit and structure, all supported by vertical energy and tons of drive. It’s one of the highlights in this range from Ar.Pe.Pe.

Wine Spectator – 94
There are lovely accents of eucalyptus and lavender to the rich fruit and spice character in this silky red, which delivers a generous beam of mulled cherry flavors. Finely balanced and long on the palate. A beauty. Drink now through 2036. 1,050 cases made, 75 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2013

Vinous – 92
The 2013 Valtellina Superiore Inferno Riserva Sesto Canto is one of the more weightless airy Riservas in this range. Dried fruit worn in leather spice, tobacco and cedar lend quite a bit of aromatic complexity. This relatively slender Riserva is probably best enjoyed over the next handful of years.

Wine Enthusiast – 96
Made in high-altitude mountain vineyards, this classy, fragrant Nebbiolo combines structure, depth, elegance and personality. It features enticing scents of pressed rose, Alpine herb, new leather, camphor and wild red red berry while the lithe, delicous palate delivers raspberry compote, cinammon, tobacco and star anise alongside firm but extremely refined tannins. Bright acidity keeps it impeccably balanced and energized while a flinty mineral note lingers on the close. Just gorgeous. Drink through 2043.

Wine Spectator – 93
There’s a lovely juiciness to the crushed black raspberry and strawberry fruit on display in this elegant, medium- to full-bodied red, yet sleek tannins are well-integrated and provide fine definition. Fragrant notes of tea leaf, pomegranate and hot stone chime on the silky finish. Drink now through 2033. 500 cases made, 175 cases imported.