2013 Alfio Mozzi, Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG

Alfio Mozzi is a relative newcomer on the Valtellina wine scene, likely emboldened to take the plunge by the international recognition the wines of this remote region have received lately. We’ve offered his pitch-perfect Nebbiolos (aka Chiavennasca) before, but today we have something truly special: Sforzato. Sourced from the same “Sassella” vineyard—a grand cru site in the Valtellina hierarchy—as his other bottlings, this is a rare and particular wine that is made by drying the grapes in special “huts” that exist right in the vineyards. Think Barolo meets Amarone, add a decade of aging, and then throw in the Alpine peculiarities of Valtellina and you’ll have a decent idea of what kind of magic exists in this bottle. But the only way to truly understand it is to try it for yourself. You’ll have to hurry though, we have the last 60 bottles of this vintage anywhere on the planet! Centered on the city of Sondrio, in the northernmost reaches of Italy’s Lombardy region, Valtellina is a deep