Configuration: (12 x 750mL)

Winery: Mary Taylor in partnership with Luca Triacca

Appellation: Rosso di Valtellina DOC, Lombardy, Italy

Philosophy/Practices: Organic

Variety: 100% Nebbiolo

ABV: 12.5%

Why we love it: We’re big fans of Mary’s Core Collection of wines, which deliver true regional character and exceptional value. This wine marks an introduction to her Signature Collection: a whole new atmosphere of wines from some very exciting corners of the world. Crafted in very small quantities from remarkable regions, these wines highlight unique terroirs and artisanal winemaking, offering extraordinary quality and nuance.

For this Valtellina, Mary is partnering with he Triacca family, whose estate was established in 1897 (and was formerly a Dominican monastery). They have vineyards in three of the five sub-zones of Valtellina: Valgella, Tirano and Sasella.

A true alpine wine, Valtellina is one of the most exciting regions for Nebbiolo, known locally as Chiavennasca. The appellation sits in the larger Lombardy region, which lies on the Italian/Swiss border, along the eastern Alps. In Mary’s words: “There are five sub-zones that comprise all 2,100 hectares of the region, which are marked by steep terraces, held by millennia-old stone walls. The high altitude allows for a cooler climate Nebbiolo… [which makes] wines of perfume, delicate fruit and softer tannin than in Piedmont.”

This is also one of the rare instances of Mary’s wine being aged in oak – neutral, 500L Slovenian oak barrels to be specific – but it’s important to her to respect the ancient traditions of the hyper-localised regions for her Signature range.