Nino Negri : Vigna Fracia Dual Elevation Set 2016

A unique tasting experience of the same vintage from Nino Negri

The estate

Founded in 1897 in Chiuro, in Lombardy, by Nino Negri, the House that bears his name has established itself as a benchmark for mountain Nebbiolo in the Valtellina valley. Today owned by Gruppo Italiano Vini (GIV), the Nino Negri brand perpetuates a savoir-faire rooted in a demanding Alpine terroir, combining steep terraces, dry-stone walls and hand-harvested grapes. The estate stands out for its ability to reveal, through crus such as Vigna Fracia, the finesse and minerality characteristic of Nebbiolo grown at high altitude.

The vineyard

The wine comes from Vigna Fracia, located in the Valgella production zone, within the Valtellina Superiore DOCG appellation. Owned by Nino Negri since 1897, this vineyard lies at the confluence of glacier-rich Alpine valleys, where cold breezes keep temperatures below average, in striking contrast with the wild Mediterranean vegetation of rosemary and lavender that grows there. The vines, with an average age of 25 years and trained in Guyot, are planted at between 380 and 500 metres above sea level, on south- and south-east-facing slopes of 55% to 65%. The soil, made up of blue schist formed during the creation of the Alps, breaks apart easily and has allowed deposits of sand, gravel and silt to accumulate on broad terraces.

The vintage

The winter of 2016 was snowy, followed by a favourable spring marked by steady vegetative growth and good budburst. Frequent summer storms, which continued until September, supported balanced vine development, resulting in a harvest with good yields.

An elegant gift box born of an innovative project

The Nino Negri 3000 project invites you to carry out a comparative tasting of two magnums of the same wine, Vigna Fracia 2016, from the same vintage and the same blend.

After five years of ageing together, the bottles were separated: some continued to evolve in the historic cellars of Chiuro at 300 metres above sea level, while the others were placed at 3,000 metres in the peaks of Bormio. This difference in altitude creates two key variables — atmospheric pressure (less oxygen at altitude) and temperature (lower, slowing oxidation reactions) — which give each bottle a distinct personality. A rare, educational tasting experience, illustrating the influence of the mountain as an oenological variable in its own right.

 The valley version reveals a classic maturity, deep and evolved, reflected in an intense ruby-red colour with garnet highlights. The nose opens with red fruits and dried rose, before giving way to Mediterranean spices and earthy notes of damp stone, mushroom and undergrowth. On the palate, the structure is elegant, supported by silky tannins, and the long, flavourful finish ends with a delicate hint of liquorice.

The altitude version retains a livelier freshness, tension and fruit, already evident in the bright, dark ruby colour, which testifies to a remarkable preservation of pigments. The nose is fresher and more precise, driven by crunchy wild berries, rose, violet and Mediterranean spices such as rosemary and lavender. On the palate, the tannins are dense and rich, the freshness omnipresent, and the long, flavourful finish stretches out with increased tension and aromatic persistence.