Sassella Riserva Ultimi Raggi Valtellina Superiore, 2018

Nebbiolo from Alpine terraces near the Swiss border, picked in November just before the snow. Riper and rounder than most mountain reds, still fresh and salty.

Nebbiolo from steep granite terraces in Valtellina, the Alpine valley on Italy's border with Switzerland. The grapes hang until mid-November, just before the snow, which adds ripeness without making the wine sweet. Wild raspberry, sour cherry, dried orange peel and a little tobacco and pepper, with fresh acidity and a salty finish. Pale in the glass, fuller in the mouth.