Barbacan: Söl Valtellina Superiore DOCG Valgella 2021

The Barbacàn winery is run by Luca and Matteo Sega, who, together with their father Angelo, cultivate six hectares of terraced vineyards exclusively by hand. The guys move almost artistically through their organically certified, historic vineyards. Because here in the far west of Valtellina, one is more likely to speak of steep slopes than the steep slopes we know.

The dominant grape variety in Valtellina and consequently at Barbacàn is Chiavennasca, also known as Nebbiolo, to which they are fully devoted. Up here, the red wines are a bit more elegant than in the best-known regions of Piedmont, but at the same time impress with enormous depth and aging potential. The three have also committed themselves to the re-cultivation of old indigenous varieties like Rossola and Brugnola. The labels reproduce the rock carvings left by the ancient Neolithic peoples. "We are farmers in the Alps, trying to preserve the diversity of our old native vines, the cultural identity, and traditional practices." On hellishly steep steps of the dry stone walls that connect the even steeper vineyards, the grapes are carried in baskets to the winery. Sweat-inducing manual labor in the vineyard and pure low intervention! 

The region: Valtellina

In the far north of Italy, on the border with Switzerland, lies the DOC Valtellina in Lombardy. The mountain valley runs along the Adda River, from Tirano in the east to Lake Como in the west. The terraced vineyards are located at altitudes up to 800 meters in the Rhaetian Alps. Between Tirano and Buglio in Monte is the Valtellina Superiore DOCG, with its crus Sassella, Grumello, Inferno, Valgella, and Maroggia, which are strung along the valley like a string of pearls. Despite the alpine location, a temperate climate prevails here, protected by the mountains to the south and north and favored by the exposed southern exposure with up to 1900 hours of sunshine per year. The dry stone walls of the terrace systems (total length 2,500 km) additionally store the heat of the day. On just under 100 hectares, mostly Nebbiolo grows here, which is called Chiavennasca here and, thanks to the special topography, produces expressive, tannic but fragrant wines. The name of the Chiavennasca grape goes back to the word "Ciüvinasca" from the local dialect, which means "better suited for winemaking." Luca, Matteo, and Angelo jokingly call themselves Ciüvinasca when they work together.