Small stains on the front label and on the DOCG label Size:3 l Type:Red Country:Italy Region:Lombardia Denomination:Valtellina Superiore DOCG Grapes:Chiavennasca Aging:39 months in 50h barrels, then 30 months in bottle Alcohol content:13.5% Service temperature:16/18°C One of the most recent labels among Arpepe’s Reserves and a symbol of its parcel production, Grumello Sant’Antonio best reflects the typical terroir of the specific Valtellina territory, giving us an experience whose name is linked to the church of the same name located in the municipality of Montagna that overlooks and protects the vineyards of Risc di Sassina, one of the most important areas of the Grumello subzone. Cultivated between 450 and 500 meters above sea level, the Nebbiolo vineyards, with southern exposure, require a very high level of care, well above national averages by insisting on very steep slopes that force all major operations to be maneuvered. Unlike Arpepe’s other extraordinary wines, Grumello Sant’Antonio is harvested at perfect phenolic ripeness around the beginning of November: the grapes are picked and transferred to the winery for crushing followed by a long 68-day maceration on the skins in 50-hectoliter wooden vats before racking and long aging of 39 months in wood plus an additional 30 months in bottle. The 2013 vintage was of great quality, although delayed about the timing of grape harvest. Qualitatively superior to the previous vintage, which was flogged by extreme weather events, the grapes of the 2013 vintage presented themselves for harvest on November 3 in perfect phytosanitary condition although the still mild temperatures of the period between late October and early November did not guarantee the desired temperature ranges between day and night such as to further enrich the aromatic content of the berries. On tasting, the Grumello Sant Antonio has a transparent ruby color with clear garnet hues and an olfactory bouquet that ranges from jammy wild berries to notes of violets and dried red flowers, then hints of sweet spices and animal accents. A great harmony emerges in the mouth thanks to a winning balance of acidity and tannin with the alcoholic and glyceric structure, a well-present body and a muscular closure thanks to a highly pleasant tannic return. Elegant, structured and complex, Grumello Sant’Antonio is an experiential wine that best represents the true soul of Valtellina.The rare Jeroboam format, produced in only 30 examples for the 2013 vintage, the second in the history of this label after the inaugural 2009.