Valtellina rosso

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The vineyard is situated on the south-facing slope of the Rhaetian side, at elevations ranging from 300 metres up to a maximum of 700 metres, with the sole exception of two alluvial fans.
• The valley is sheltered to the north and east by the Rhaetian Alps, whose peaks all exceed 3,000 metres with some summits surpassing 4,000 metres, while to the south the Orobian Alps enclose it in a sort of amphitheatre.
• The vineyard soils are predominantly sandy (approximately 70%) and silty (approximately 18%), with no limestone and only rare clay content of less than 10%, the parent material being decomposed granitic rock.
• The soils are by nature shallow, with a workable layer ranging from 40 to 120 cm; they are highly permeable with very low water retention, resulting in a marked susceptibility to drought.
• The area receives an annual average of 850 mm of rainfall, generally well distributed throughout the year, decreasing on the planted Rhaetian slope as elevation rises up the valley, with sunshine hours exceeding 1,900 per year.

• Viticulture in Valtellina is tied to the period of the Lega Grigia, when for nearly three centuries, from 1550 to 1797, the territory was governed by the Graubünden and an export trade developed toward the courts of central and northern Europe.
• The territory is characterised by a system of terraces supported by dry-stone walls built and maintained over time by the winegrowers, with an estimated total linear extent of more than 2,500 km.

• The wine presents a ruby-red colour, sometimes with garnet reflections, a delicate, persistent, and characteristic nose, and a dry, lightly tannic palate. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Italy

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-A1323
• Official trade body site — Consorzio di Tutela dei Vini di Valtellina