Nino Negri Le Tense Sassella Valtellina Superiore 2018

VM 90 pts

The 2018 Valtellina Superiore Le Tense Sassella is a very pretty, understated red. Sweet cherry, cedar, pipe tobacco, mint, dried herbs, incense and leather give this translucent super-ripe Superiore tons of character.

This wine is made by 95% Chiavennasca (Nebbiolo) and a 5% of Pignola. The cultuivation soils are located at 350-500 meters above the sea level and there is used the Guyot method on sandy-lime soils almost dry. The profit is 80 quintals per hectare and the grapes are picked at the end of October, beginning of November. There are 10 days of maceration of the peels in the musts and it follows the fermentation at 26-28°C. The maturation takes place for 2 months and there is a further resting period in Slavonia oak barrels for 18 months. There is a long bottle refinement. It has a ruby red color almost garnet. The smell is intense and elegant with strawberry, resin and goudron aromas with some withered roses and violet aromas. The taste is dry, austere, harmonic with a dry prune and a toasted almond hints very persistent.