Name: Rainoldi Valtellina Superiore Inferno Riserva DOCG 2018 750ml
Brand: Rainoldi
SKU: 978503
Price: 55 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 91.5 (4 reviews)

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Winery Rainoldi

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Varietal Nebbiolo

The Nebbiolo grape varietal is widely understood to be the fruit responsible for Italy's finest aged wines. However, its popularity and reliability as a grape which gives out outstanding flavors and aromas has led it to be planted in many countries around the world, with much success. These purple grapes are distinguishable by the fact that they take on a milky dust as they begin to reach maturity, leading many to claim that this is the reason for their unusual name, which means 'fog' in Italian. Nebbiolo grapes produce wines which have a wide range of beautiful and fascinating flavors, the most common of which are rich, dark and complex, such as violet, truffle, tobacco and prunes. They are generally aged for many years to balance out their characteristics, as their natural tannin levels tend to be very high.

Country Italy

There are few countries in the world with a viticultural history as long or as illustrious as that claimed by Italy. Grapes were first being grown and cultivated on Italian soil several thousand years ago by the Greeks and the Pheonicians, who named Italy 'Oenotria' – the land of wines – so impressed were they with the climate and the suitability of the soil for wine production. Of course, it was the rise of the Roman Empire which had the most lasting influence on wine production in Italy, and their influence can still be felt today, as much of the riches of the empire came about through their enthusiasm for producing wines and exporting it to neighbouring countries. Since those times, a vast amount of Italian land has remained primarily for vine cultivation, and thousands of wineries can be found throughout the entire length and breadth of this beautiful country, drenched in Mediterranean sunshine and benefiting from the excellent fertile soils found there. Italy remains very much a 'land of wines', and one could not imagine this country, its landscape and culture, without it.

Region Lombardy

The beautiful north westerly wine region of Lombardy in Italy is home to many of the country's most characterful and well respected wines, most of which are grown on the shores of the stunning Lake Garda. The lake itself plays a vitally important part of the region's viticulture, as the climate around the river is cooler than in surrounding areas, thus tempering the heat of the vineyards and allowing the vines which grow there to ripen more slowly. For centuries, Lombardy wines have been considered amongst the finest in Italy, and today, the wine industry of the region is doing very well indeed. With wineries in Lombardy utilizing a successful blend of traditional and modern techniques, they are continually producing wines which express the excellence of the terroir the vines are grown on, and which contain fascinating and unique flavors and aromas.

Appellation Valtellina

Valtellina is a historic wine region in Italy's alpine Lombardy, stretching along the Adda River valley near the Swiss border. What makes it truly distinctive is its extreme terroir: vineyards cling to impossibly steep, south-facing slopes at elevations reaching 2300 feet, requiring heroic viticulture where much work must be done by hand. The region is renowned for its elegant Nebbiolo-based wines, though here the grape is called Chiavennasca. Unlike Piedmont's powerful Barrolos, Valtellina's Nebbiolos express a more delicate, alpine character with bright acidity, lighter body, and notes of wild herbs alongside classic rose and tar aromatics. The continental climate—with warm days and cool nights—preserves remarkable freshness. Five subzones produce Valtellina Superiore DOCG, with Sassella and Inferno being most celebrated. The region also crafts Sforzato, a compelling passito-style wine made from dried grapes. These terraced vineyards represent centuries of winemaking tradition in one of Europe's most challenging—and breathtaking—wine landscapes.

VM 93pts

Vinous Media

Rainold's 2018 Valtellina Superiore Inferno Riserva is packed with macerated cherry, licorice, sweet spice, leather, orange zest and vanillin. There's a bit of oak sweetness here, but it works quite well. This racy, inviting Inferno Riserva is pretty alluring. Drink it over the next decade or so.

JS 92pts

James Suckling

Intense nose of pencil shavings, blood oranges and flowers. Woven tannins, toasty flavors, refreshing acidity and a silky, weighted texture on a medium body. Drink or hold.

WS 91pts

Wine Spectator

Features fragrant tar and tea rose notes on the nose, which continue on the palate to underscore flavors of crushed cherry, dried fig, tobacco and a hint of dark chocolate. Firm, with gutsy tannins that are well-meshed overall but emerge on the fresh, savory finish. Best from 2025 through 2033. 1,150 cases made, 250 cases imported.

WE 90pts

Wine Enthusiast

Wild-rose aromas pour out of the bottle the moment you open it. As the wine develops, notes of red currants and sour cherries emerge followed by notes of bay leaf and thyme. The wine shifts gears on the palate with a focus on more savory notes hinting at medicinal herbs, oolong tea, dried lemon rind and then tart wild berries give the wine a lift on the finish with a zap of electric acidity.

Winery Notes

Intense ruby red color. On the nose, notes of small red fruits, spices, tobacco, thyme. On the palate, it is rich, dense with a long, satisfying finish. A wine with great aging potential.