Sforzato della Valtellina 'Ronco del Picchio' Fay 2021

Fay's Sforzato della Valtellina "Ronco del Picchio" is a wine made using the technique of grape drying, which yields an intense and rich red wine with a harmonious and velvety character. Made from the Chiavennasca grape variety, a local clone of Nebbiolo from the Langhe, it is a wine that expresses all the noble elegance of the variety, enriched by particularly mature and evolved aromas, which give an intense and satisfying depth of flavour. It is an important wine, which at the table calls for pairings with braised and stewed red meats or game.

"Ronco del Picchio" is a Sforzato della Valtellina made by one of the area's most highly rated wineries. Sandro Fay cultivates 15 hectares of vines in the Valgella and Sassella subzones and produces a range of labels that are highly regarded for their ability to interpret the character of each individual parcel. To make Sforzato, grapes are used from the San Gervasio vineyard, which is located in the commune of Teglio, at an altitude of about 750 meters above sea level, on soils characterized by the presence of sand and silt. The cool, sunny climate makes it possible to obtain very healthy and rich grapes, particularly suitable for drying. Harvesting takes place in the first half of October, and the best bunches are laid out in small crates and left to dry until mid-December. The dehydrated grapes are sent to fermentation in steel tanks, with maceration on the skins for at least three weeks. The wine matures for 12 months in French oak barriques and tonneaux and completes its ageing with several months in the bottle before release.

Sandro Fay's Sforzato della Valtellina wine "Ronco del Picchio" is a powerful and concentrated red made to give voice to a territory deeply tied to its ancient traditions. To the eye, it has a garnet red colour, dark and intense. The olfactory picture is very rich, with aromas of currant, blueberry, blackberry, morello cherry, berry jam, dried plum, hints of liquorice root, underbrush, spicy nuances and blond tobacco. The palate is structured and dense in aromas, with a broad and deep expressive palette supported by a dense and evolved tannic texture. The sip is warm and enveloping, with ripe, rich fruit that flows into a harmonious finish with great flavour persistence.