Near the Lake Como end of the valley, in the village of Buglio-in-Monte, Mattia Franzina manages his tiny winery. His family has been farming here for fifty years; these days they focus only on grapes and wine. Their new winery was finished in 2014. Their vine stock on the terraces above include some vines that are over a hundred years old, and among the Nebbiolo vines are mixed in some uniquely local grape varieties (Rossola, Pignola, Merlina anyone?) - the Valtellina appellations permit the use of a small proportion of these alongside Nebbiolo. Mattia`s Valtellina Rosso is charmingly soft, full of kirsch and dried rose petal notes; his Valtellina Superiore St Sixtus (named after a chapel on the peak above) is a more structured wine, full of aromas of rose petal, cassis, sandalwood and black tea. (NT 26/03/21)