Casa Vinicola Nera INFERNO RISERVA DOC Valtellina Superiore Lombardia

Red garnet in colour, ethereal bouquet, smooth and austere (12 x 75 cl)

Maturing, mid-red colour, ethereal complex perfume with hints of mountain flowers. Smooth palate, stylish with good tannins and subtle, spicy flavours on the finish (12 x 75 cl)

Valtellina’s steep, terraced vineyards along the Adda valley are some of the most dramatic in Italy. Nebbiolo is the main grape variety, although it is known locally as Chiavennasca. In good vintages, the delicate floral aromas produced by sub-Alpine Nebbiolo are backed up by good fruit concentration. Nera are amongst the area’s most serious producers with 48ha of prime vineyards. Winemaker Stefano Nera produces the elegant wines Sassella as well as Inferno and both have real complexity and intensity. This wine is a blend of Nebbiolo and a little of the local grape varieties Pignola, Brugnola e Rossola. Red ruby in colour with a vinous bouquet, dry, warm, consistent and fine, this wine has lots of character. (12 x 75 cl)

Made from selected grapes dried on mats, this mature, deep garnet red wine has a concentrated, rich aroma with hints of violet. The palate is very full, soft and velvety with a long, tarry finish (12 x 75 cl)

Casa Vinicola Nera SOREL delle Terrazze Retiche di Sondrio IGT Valtellina Lombardia from Italy, Lombardy, Valtellina by Casa Vinicola Nera (6 x 75 cl)

Inferno is the smallest of the 4 sub-zones of the DOCG Valtellina Superiore; 68 hectares of vineyards between Poggiridenti and Trevisio, along the slopes of the Retiche Alps, on the right bank of the river Adda, in the province of Sondrio. The name comes from the steep slopes which make it very difficult to work and from the high summer temperature caused by the reflection of the sun on the rocks. A blend of 90% Chiavennasca ; 10% Pignola and Pinto Nero is selected from vineyards in the sub-zone of Inferno, in the commune of Tresivio, at 350-500 metres altitude, the South facing slopes are on loose, sandy soil. The ripe grapes, harvested between the middle of October and early November, are vinified by the traditional red wine method, with 10 days maceration of the skins in the must; the fermentation takes place at 28-30°C. The new wine stays in stainless steel until March; then matures for 12 month in Slavonian oak vats. It spends at least three months in bottle. Vivid ruby colour, with orange tints and a heady bouquet of considerable finesse with hints of plums, mulberries, roses and dried violets, backed by pleasing suggestions of resin and spices. Dry, very savoury, rather tannic flavour with an elegant, lingering aftertaste of toasted hazelnuts. (6 x 75 cl)

Inferno is the smallest of the 4 sub-zones of the DOCG Valtellina Superiore; 68 hectares of vineyards between Poggiridenti and Trevisio, along the slopes of the Retiche Alps, on the right bank of the river Adda, in the province of Sondrio. The name comes from the steep slopes which make it very difficult to work and from the high summer temperature caused by the reflection of the sun on the rocks. A blend of 90% Chiavennasca ; 10% Pignola Valtellinese and Pinto Nero is selected from vineyards in the sub-zone of Inferno, in the commune of Tresivio, at 350-500 metres altitude, the South facing slopes are on loose, sandy soil. The ripe grapes, harvested between the middle of October and early November, are vinified by the traditional red wine method, with 10 days maceration of the skins in the must; the fermentation takes place at 28-30°C. The new wine stays in stainless steel until March; then matures for 12 month in Slavonian oak vats. It spends at least three months in bottle. Vivid ruby colour, with orange tints and a heady bouquet of considerable finesse with hints of plums, mulberries, roses and dried violets, backed by pleasing suggestions of resin and spices. Dry, very savoury, rather tannic flavour with an elegant, lingering aftertaste of toasted hazelnuts.

With the Riserva, the grapes are selected from vineyards located at an altitude of 300-400 metres. It is aged for 5 years in oak. The wine is ruby red turning to garnet with age. The taste is dry. Full-bodied, well-balanced, velvety, smooth and harmonious. A wine of incredible value. (12 x 75 cl)

Stands in the top rank of Italian wines. Garnet with orange reflections, its bouquet is rich and smooth with a remarkable depth of flavour. (12 x 75 cl)