Ar. Pe. Pe., Valtellina Superiore Riserva Sassella 'Rocce Rosse', 1996

Objects of cult adoration. Ar.Pe.Pe. makes Nebbiolo — here called Chiavennasca — from some of the steepest, most dramatic terraced vineyards in Italy: south-facing terraced slopes above the Valtellina valley, with the Rocce Rosse parcel taking its name from the red granite that defines the site, hand-farmed because nothing else is possible on such terrain. The Sassella cru is the estate's most celebrated site, and Rocce Rosse is their flagship Riserva — vinified the traditional way: long maceration, large old Slavonian oak casks, years of patience before release. A 1996 has crossed into library territory, and what's waiting in the bottle is a Nebbiolo of exceptional complexity and evolution. This is a wine for connoisseurs who understand that Alpine Nebbiolo occupies a category all its own — more vertical, more mineral, more austere than anything from the Langhe. Drink now with reverence, or hold another decade.