A conversation with Simone Nera who will present the latest wine from the historic Casa Vinicola Nera of Chiuro at Vinitaly.
Published on 04/14/2024If not infernal, viticulture up there in Valtellina is certainly heroic where an extremely demanding territory limits to the maximum, if not completely prevents, the use of mechanical means, forcing almost entirely manual work and where for every hectare of land up to to 1500 hours of work. The historic Casa Vinicola Pietro Nera of Chiuro (SO) is no exception, today led by the brothers Stefano, Simone and Angela Nera, who on the eve of this new and highly anticipated edition of Vinitaly in Verona presents their latest creation, that Paradiso which is a Valtellina Superiore D.O.C.G Riserva 2019, wine that is produced in 5 thousand bottles.
«This is not an absolute novelty because Paradiso is a historic wine – explains Simone Nera – already produced in the past until 1981 by Enologica Valtellinese, which was a cooperative that closed its doors in 1983. Subsequently we, after purchasing this portion of the vineyard which is part of the Inferno sub-area, we vinified it as Inferno, and then began, starting from the 2019 harvest, to vinify it as Paradiso Riserva, which therefore must age 36 months before being marketed».
Why differentiate it, with a certainly suggestive and evocative name, from a great Valtellina classic like Inferno, which however appeals to the consumer in a very different way?
«Because our Paradiso is a wine that almost represents a contrast to the classic Inferno, which is a more immediate, vertical wine, a little more aggressive given the characteristics of the territory. This micro-zone of Paradise, however, remains close to a promontory, where the small Calvario church is located in the municipality of Tresivio (SO) and is shielded from the ascending currents, is a little more concave and gets the sun from midday onwards. So, the opposite of Hell, Paradise gives rise to a Valtellina D.O.C.G. softer, rounder, captivating, in short more heavenly».
What role will “Paradiso” have in the panorama of Nera wines?
«Paradiso will play a trailblazing role. As a reserve, it reflects all the canons of our production philosophy - which places the symbiotic relationship between the wine and its territory at the center - and which consists in favoring maturation in large oak barrels, which gives rise to maturation with more oxidation. slow, less aggressive, preferred by us as we believe that this practice best preserves the DNA of our Chiavennasca, the Nebbiolo of the Alps. Paradiso will be the forerunner for the new line of reserves, I am thinking of our "Signorie", which is a “Valgella Riserva” which is already on the market but which we have revised in terms of maturation and which we will present in a new guise. And the same will happen for Hell and Sassella».
