Valle d’Aosta:
Micro Productions, Mega Quality

BY IAN D'AGATA | JANUARY 21, 2020There
is good and bad news about Valle d’Aosta and its wines. The good news is that,
as I have said and written before, when it comes to Italian wine, the Valle
d’Aosta is Lilliputian in size and quantities made, but veritably Brobdingnagian
in terms of quality. The region is a treasure trove of cool-climate, high-acid,
food-friendly wines made mostly from rare local grape varieties that boast a
plethora of unique aroma and taste profiles. And as if that weren’t enough, Valle
d’Aosta also features a number of very good Italian wines made with
international varieties; the whites, especially, rank with the country’s best. For
example, no region in Italy makes better Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio (called
Pinot Gris in Valle d’Aosta in honor of the region’s French roots); certainly,
Italy’s most interesting Chardonnay wines are not the generally bland, dilute
versions churned out in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, or the over-oaked bombs of Alto
Adige. And don’t miss the many other standout whites made in the region with
Gewürztraminer, Pinot Grigio, Müller-Thurgau, Petite Arvine and Moscato Bianco,
all of which also rank with the best made in Italy and the world. In fact, the
Valle d’Aosta produces some of the country’s most delicious Pinot Noirs too,
easy-drinking charmers aged in stainless steel (as elsewhere in Italy, local
oaked versions of Pinot Noir rely too much on spicy vanillin nuances to
impress, offering very little in the way of fruit).<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1579625538129-Cover_The+scenic+view+from+Les+Granges_cover.jpg"> The scenic view from Les Granges 

Before
you start getting too excited, though, here’s the bad news. Unfortunately, as Valle
d’Aosta is a small region (at 3,261 km2, it is Italy’s smallest; the
next smallest region, Molise, is 4,461 km2) with limited vineyard
land, its wine production is small too; consequently, most of the better wines are
quickly scooped up locally. But don’t let scarcity discourage you from trying
to get a taste of what are by far Italy’s most interesting and fun wines, and
quite unlike those made anywhere else. 

Valle
d’Aosta is also one of Italy’s most beautiful places and great restaurants and
trattorias abound – and that’s saying something, given that the country is not
exactly short of either of those things. However, if you can’t visit the region
and its wine estates on a vacation or work trip, make a point of searching out
the best wines at home, as many are exported as well. &nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1579625383304-La+Crotte+di+Vegneron+and+vineyards_copy.jpg"> La Crotte di Vegneron and its vineyards 

Viticulture and Winemaking

Wine
in the Valle d’Aosta is produced in an area that runs roughly east–west, surrounded
by a ring of mountains that are well over 4,000 meters high in places. The
region’s wine production zone is divided into high, central and lower valleys
(the Alta, Media and Bassa Valle, respectively), all of which (but especially
the Media Valle) are very dry, generally recording less than 500 millimeters of
rain per year. The area is also windy, and while temperatures tend to be high
during the day (at times topping 30 degrees Celsius in the summer), they drop
precipitously at night; consequently, huge diurnal temperature shifts are the
norm. The soil and subsoil are mostly moraine in origin (the topsoil does not
run especially deep), rich in minerals but poor in organic matter, and mostly
made up of fine sand, while the rest is small to medium-sized gravel. Overall,
very little clay is present, so water retention is a challenge (compounding the
problem of low rainfall). It follows that the region’s wines are characterized
by freshness, resulting from relatively low total acidity values heightened by high
salinity.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1579625414913-Lo+Triolet+is+arguably+Italy%27s+best+address+for+serious+Pinot+Grigio_copy.jpg"> Lo Triolet is arguably Italy's best address for serious Pinot Grigio 

Of
course, with encroaching climate change assuring the production of fresh, zingy
wines, Valle d’Aosta’s viticulture has evolved over the last two decades. For
the most part, it has had to climb steadily upward. So while 20 years ago
producers would tell you that, for example, Moscato Bianco could not be planted
more than 600 meters above sea level because it would never ripen fully, today
they say the variety can and should be planted above 600 meters only. In fact, the
amendment of production guidelines so as to allow growing Moscato Bianco above
1,000 meters is in the works. For the same reason, Müller-Thurgau is also
planted at higher altitudes than ever before. (It is encouraging to see this
historic grape of the region finally making a comeback after years of decline,
and over the last three years plantings have been increasing.) By contrast, at
400–650 meters above sea level, everyone is now planting the likes of Petit
Rouge, Syrah, and Fumin, all of which were once found only at much lower
altitudes. <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1579625461614-The+bucolic+Valle+d%27Aosta+countryside_copy.jpg"> The bucolic Valle d'Aosta countryside 

The
Valle d’Aosta boasts some of Italy’s most interesting grape varieties,
cultivars that essentially grow only there. The two best red grapes are
undoubtedly Mayolet and Vuillermin (Cornalin is a close third), though everyone
in the region prefers to speak, somewhat understandably, of Fumin and Petit
Rouge, which are both much easier to grow, if not to make wine from. Mayolet’s
extremely compact bunches make it a rot magnet, and Vuillermin’s low
productivity is not exactly an endearing quality to farmers either (and there
you have an explanation of why the hectarage devoted to these grapes is small);
but the fact remains that it is these two red cultivars that really offer something
completely different and speak of the Valle d’Aosta to the world. By contrast,
Cornalin is relatively easy to grow and its popularity has boomed of late, prompting
many producers to jump on the bandwagon. It doesn’t hurt Valle d’Aosta that these
three cultivars yield completely different, easily recognizable wines: Mayolet
gives light-bodied aromatic wines, Vuillermin produces full-bodied aromatic
wines, and Cornalin gives medium- to full-bodied wines that are non-aromatic.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1579625479875-The+entry+to+Feudo+di+San+Maurizio_copy.jpg"> The entry to Feudo di San Maurizio 

Much
as with the region’s white grapes, Valle d’Aosta producers are remarkably adept
at making wine from international red grapes (though not every international
grape has proved a smashing success). Gamay and Pinot Noir are by far the grapes
best adapted to the region, and the lovely wines made with both are proof of
this. It’s also good that many in the region choose not to oak their Pinot Noir
wines, which means that unlike other regions of Italy where over-oaked, drying
Pinot Noirs are the norm, Valle d’Aosta’s versions are usually fun and cheerful
to drink. By contrast, Syrah has performed well only in a few parts of the
region and the truth is that most wines made with it need to rely on air-dried
grapes, partly or in whole, to be interesting. Merlot, which should never have
been planted in the Valley at all for myriad reasons (a lack of soil clay is
only the start), is now being quite correctly phased out. I trust you will
agree that in a panorama of world wines all made essentially with the same 15
grapes or so, and oftentimes a nondescript panorama at that, it is good for
wine lovers to know that the Valle d’Aosta offers something not just different
but also suitable for a diversity of palates. For a full description of the
region’s grapes and wine denominations, please see my previous Vinous article
on the Valle d’Aosta: <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/mountain-magic-the-wines-of-valle-d-aosta-jun-2018">Mountain Magic: The
Wines of the Valle d’Aosta</a>.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1579625500127-A+lineup+of+bottles+at+Di+Barr%C3%B2+including+the+rare+Mayolet_copy.jpg"> A lineup of bottles at Di Barrò including the rare Mayolet 

The Vintages

The
2018 vintage was a much better one than the extremely difficult 2017, when crippling
late-season frost episodes destroyed much of the region’s viticulture, cutting production
volumes at some wine estates by as much as 90%. By contrast, in 2018 only the
Bassa Valle recorded production volumes that were lower than usual, with
roughly 30–40% less wine made, mostly as a result of heavy springtime rain. For
example, more water fell in the Bassa Valle in May 2018 than in all of 2017,
leading to heavy disease pressure. By contrast, the season was dry and warm in
the rest of the region. Producers in the Media Valle reported practically no
rainfall in October, and just one period of rain from the end of September to the
end of November. For the most part, the 2018 Valle d’Aosta white wines are perfumed
and fresh, and will make for excellent early drinking. The 2018 reds are mostly
fresh and juicy, but less structured than in recent vintages such as 2016 and
2017. They too will provide early appeal and enjoyable drinking over the short
term.

The wines in this report were tasted
during winery visits in July and September 2019 in the Valle d’Aosta and in my
office in Rome.<hr>You Might Also Enjoy<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/grosjean-petite-arvine-2016-1997-dec-2019">Grosjean Petite Arvine: 1997-2016</a>, Ian D'Agata, December 2019 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.vinous.com/articles/les-cretes-fumin-1994-2015-sep-2018#">Les Crêtes Fumin: 1994 - 2015</a>, Ian D'Agata, September 2018<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/mountain-magic-the-wines-of-valle-d-aosta-jun-2018">Mountain Magic: The Wines of Valle d’Aosta</a>, Ian D'Agata, June 2018

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