‘5 Stelle’ Sfursat di Valtellina DOCG 2016

Nino Negri


Produced only in the best years, Nino Negri’s flagship wine 5 Stelle Sfursat di Valtellina is made from the regions finest selections of Chiavennasca (Nebbiolo).

Terroir: Sfursat “5 Stelle” is sourced from estate vineyards in the higher elevations of the Inferno, Grumello and Valgella sub-zones sitting on southeast exposures at elevations over 1200 feet. Vines are densely planted and tended using the archetto variation of the Guyot system, which further limits yields.

Vinification: Nino Negri limits harvest to only 25% of the total crop thus ensuring that only the highest quality fruit makes its way to the winery. Upon arrival the sorted bunches are placed into wooden crates where they will sit until the new year when they are naturally dry. The juice is macerated and fermented in stainless steel prior to aging over a period of 18-24 months in Allier oak. 33,000 bottles produced.

Additional Information

With a garnet-brick color; the wine shows complex aromas of cloves, cinnamon and pepper with plum jam, raisins and tar notes. On the palate, the wine has a dry, warm, full-bodied character, austere from its prominent acidity yet harmonious, with an elegant finish, and roasted hazelnut and licorice traces.

Technical Details

  • Appellation: Sfrusat della Valtellina DOCG
  • Winemaker: Danilo Drocco
  • Sustainability: Sustainable Practices
  • Soil: Sand, Gravel
  • Alcohol: 16%
  • Avg Production: 30,000 bottles
  • Pack Size: 6/750ml
  • Varietals: 100% Chiavennasca (Nebbiolo)

Recent Press

  • The Wine Advocate Author: Monica Larner
    Date: Friday, February 26, 2021
    "The Nino Negri 2016 Sforzato di Valtellina Sfursat 5 Stelle is this estate's top wine (with 25,000 bottles produced). Only made in the best vintages from a special selection of Nebbiolo grapes, the wine sees air-dried fruit in the celebrated Sforzato tradition. The first vintage of this wine was 1983. The bouquet presents dried fruit and cherry confit aromas that come from the appassimento process, some oak spice and toast from the aging and linear mineral tones that reflect the granite soils of these mountains. This is a round and thickly concentrated wine with a rich phenolic profile to help it age over the next decade or so."
    Grade: 94+ points
  • Score: 95 Points

    Wine Enthusiast Author: Kerin O'Keefe
    Date: Saturday, August 1, 2020
    "Aromas of exotic spice, coconut, pine resin and baked plum shape the nose. It's full bodied, delivering steeped prune, raspberry jam, French oak, tobacco and the warmth of evident alcohol set against a backbone of close-grained tannins. Give it time to fully integrate. Drink 2023–2036."
    Grade: Cellar Selection
  • Score: 90 Points

    Vinous Author: Antonio Galloni
    Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2020
    "The 2016 Sfursat 5 Stelle is a powerful, dense wine. Dark cherry, chocolate, espresso and licorice open up first, followed by huge tannins. The 2016 possesses quite a bit of richness, but the tannins are equally formidable. Readers will have to be patient with the 2016, as it is nowhere near ready to drink. For my taste, the 2016 really pushes the limits of concentration."
  • Score: 94 Points

    Wine Spectator Author: Alison Napjus
    Date: Thursday, April 30, 2020
    "A skein of spice unwinds through this rich, full-bodied red, which displays a mouthwatering range of raspberry coulis and fig cake flavors, a streak of graphite-laced mineral and accents of Earl Grey tea and rose hip, defined by sculpted tannins. A lovely, harmonious wine, marrying subtle power and focus to elegance. Drink now through 2031. 2,000 cases made, 100 cases imported."

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