ROE

Roe is the second wine of the Retica estate — a Valtellina Nebbiolo aged for six months in French oak that represents the more accessible and more immediately enjoyable expression of the estate's Chiavennasca philosophy. Where Panau carries the weight of the legendary and the mythological, Roe takes birth in an environment where viticulture is still manual and old-fashioned winemaking is loved — the estate's description of their most essential commitment.

In Valtellina, where the inclinations reach 40% and the vineyards are lashed by the constant wind of the Óra from Lake Garda, viticulture is still manual, passion overcomes hard work, and there is no room nor desire for technology. The Roe wine emerges from this context with the same genuine character that the Retica estate's entire range possesses: a wine of honest territory, of the specific mineral and aromatic character that the ancient dry stone wall terraces of the Grumello and Inferno subzones impart to Chiavennasca vines of fifty years and more.

Ruby red with fresh aroma and intense floral notes — the aromatic profile of Chiavennasca in its most immediately accessible form, before the Slavonian oak treatment of Baloss or the extended development of Panau transforms it into something of greater structural ambition. The six months in French oak contribute precisely the gentle wood integration and the subtle spice complexity that make the difference between raw Nebbiolo and the warm, fruity wine that the Roe label promises.

A sincere expression of a wonderful territory: the Retica estate's characterisation of Roe mirrors the Brandolini Winery's own description of their similarly-named wine — a coincidence that reflects the fundamental truth about what Nebbiolo, honestly produced from great mountain terraces, delivers regardless of the producer.

Available through UniqueWines.