Marco Ferrari’s Valtellina Superiore Sassella 2023 is a Nebbiolo—locally called Chiavanesca—from the Sassella sub-zone of Valtellina in Lombardy, bottled under the Valtellina Superiore DOCG. Ferrari is a young, small-scale producer, having founded his estate in 2019 after starting with a first hectare in 2018 and then expanding holdings in Sassella and Inferno over the following years. The Sassella fruit is described as coming from prime, south-facing hillside sites, with old vines averaging more than 80 years, a detail that helps frame the wine’s concentration and structure.

In the cellar, Ferrari follows a traditional, low-intervention approach: native-yeast fermentations, whole clusters when stems are ripe, and a long maceration of about three weeks with regular punch-downs. The wine then ages on lees in neutral demi-muids for roughly a year and a half before being bottled without fining or filtration. Some estate practices, including timing work to lunar phases and using minimal sulfur, underline the hands-on, small-estate character of the project. A listed alcohol level is 13.5%.

Critically, the wine has already landed an excellent review. Antonio Galloni awarded 95 points in *Vinous*, calling the 2023 “undeniably attractive, even in the early going.” Galloni’s note points to a wine that’s both aromatic and firmly built, led by “vibrant red-toned fruit, spice, blood orange, new leather, crushed flowers and mint.” He also signals that it is still on the early side, writing that it “is going to need a few years to soften,” and that the flavors “open, but with great reluctance.” The overall assessment is emphatic: Galloni describes “a wine of poise and depth” with “serious intensity and tons of personality.”

Taken together, the 2023 reads as a classic, structured Sassella: perfume and mineral-leaning freshness over a serious core, made with old vines and patient élevage, and likely best with some time in bottle.