Extremely pale garnet in the glass. Intense nose of cinnamon, strawberry jelly, butter and graceful violets. A light body with silky, mid-weight tannins and refreshing acidity. More elegant than powerful. Drink now.
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Driving North from Milan, one could easily be captivated enough to stop in one of the picturesque towns along Lago di Como and not venture any farther. Those who decide to continue on would come to understand, however, that the beauty of the region only increases and becomes more remarkable the closer one gets to the Swiss border where the Alps rise to staggering heights. Tiny mountain villages dot the landscape, a veritable land of fairy-tale settings. It’s easy to feel like you’ve passed into Switzerland without knowing it when, in fact, you’ve ended up in Valtellina, the northernmost part of Lombardy that forms part of the border between Italy and Switzerland.
Valtellina is Italy’s only valley to run east to west and was carved by the glaciers that moved down the granite mountain slopes during the last ice age to the valley floor where the Adda river now runs east into Lago di Como and eventually into the Po river. It is unarguably one of the most dramatic landscapes in Italy and home to some of the most extreme vineyards in the world. In 2018 UNESCO declared this region of tiny vineyards perched upon impossibly steep slopes and built into ancient terraces called muretti a World Heritage Site. Some of the terraces date back to the middle ages and, if placed end to end, would stretch a distance of 1,500 miles long.
It’s easy to fall in love with this land and the landscape and there have, no doubt, been many people who’ve visited and then spent their days and nights dreaming up ways to take over a small plot of land to make wine from the local Nebbiolo grape, called Chiavennasca, which produces alpine red wines with personality, elegance and finesse.
One such person is Cristina Scarpellini who turned the dream into reality when she agreed to rent an acre of vineyards from a viticolore client in Valtellina in 2008. At the time, Cristina was an international business lawyer and the one acre of vines was only a hobby endeavor. It didn’t take long for Cristina to understand the potential of this hobby and she transitioned out of law and moved to make it her full-time reality. Tenuta Scerscé was born out of this dream and today produces the traditional wines of the region: Rosso di Valtellina DOC, Valtellina Superiore DOCG, Valtellina Superiore DOCG Riserva and Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG – all from Chiavennasca.
It’s taken some years, but Cristina has dedicated her time and her vision to building a new winery, which is located in the eastern side of the Valtellina zone in Tirano. In naming her winery, Cristina payed homage to the farming culture of the region, emphasizing the importance of the land. The sciarscél is a traditional two-pronged pitchfork used for small jobs on the ground around the shoot and roots of the vine.
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LOCATIONWINERY: Tirano, Valtellina VINEYARD: Tirano, Sassella, Inferno and Teglio (Valgella) VIEW IN GOOGLE MAPS REGION DETAILS |
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92
JULY 2024
Tenuta Scerscé "Essenza" Valtellina Superiore DOCG 2021
![]() Extremely pale garnet in the glass. Intense nose of cinnamon, strawberry jelly, butter and graceful violets. A light body with silky, mid-weight tannins and refreshing acidity. More elegant than powerful. Drink now. 91
JULY 2022
Tenuta Scerscé "Nettare" Rosso di Valtellina DOC 2019
![]() Wet leaves, cranberries, dried red cherries and savory, earthy notes on the nose. A linear nebbiolo with some white pepper and grilled herbs on the palate. Firm tannins, but not austere. Drink now. 91
APRIL 2023
Tenuta Scerscé "Infinito" Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG 2019
![]() Aromas of cherries and plums, bark and mushrooms. Full body with firm tannins. It has a grainy texture on the palate and an intense, drying finish. Nebbiolo. Drink or hold. 92
JULY 2022
Tenuta Scerscé "Incanto" Valtellina Superiore Sassella DOCG 2019
![]() Savory, earthy wet leaves, cranberries and iron on the nose. A very svelte, nimble nebbiolo with elegant berries and a linear palate. Silky and supple tannins for a nebbiolo. Dry and subtle. Drink now. 92
DECEMBER 2022
Tenuta Scerscé "Incanto" Valtellina Superiore Sassella DOCG 2019
![]() Packaged with a green label, the Tenuta Scerscé 2019 Valtellina Superiore Sassella Nebbiolo Incanto shows fine-tuned aromas of forest berry, blue flower, wild rose and candied orange peel. This is a pure and elegant wine with a firm and silky texture. It would pair nicely with an oven-roasted chicken and potatoes. 92
APRIL 2023
Tenuta Scerscé "Flammante" Valtellina Superiore Inferno DOCG 2020
![]() Creme de cassis, berries, mushrooms and some herbs on the nose. Medium-bodied with firm tannins. Balanced and flavorful with bright acidity and a focused finish with excellent length. Nebbiolo. Drink or hold. 94
JULY 2024
Tenuta Scerscé "Cristina Scarpellini" Valtellina Superiore Valgella DOCG Riserva 2020
![]() A complex and detailed wine with toast, fresh violets, strawberries, red currants and dried cherries. Medium-bodied with velvety tannins that are fiercely dusty in the finish, crisp acidity and a lively aftertaste. Forthright wine with an almost rugged finish. Drinkable now, but best from 2025. 91
DECEMBER 2022
Tenuta Scerscé "Infinito" Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG 2018
![]() Made with air-dried grapes, the Tenuta Scerscé 2018 Sforzato di Valtellina Nebbiolo Infinito opens to a medium-dark color and moderate fruit weight that feels velvety, rich and open-knit. The sforzato, or appassimento, process brings on extra heft and intensity for sure, but the Nebbiolo grape never loses its inner grace and poise. Aromas of dried rose, wild cherry, plum and sweet earth rise from the bouquet. A pretty layer of cured tobacco gives the wine a more fleshed-out feel on the close. |