Vallee D'Aoste Producer Spotlight!
4/2/2025
Hervé in the vineyard (Photo: Rosenthal Wine Merchant)
I'm going to Italy! So while I'm gone for the next couple of weeks I can't let you all go without some wine! Nestled under the Alps is the obscure winemaking region of the Aosta Valley, officially known as the Vallée D'Aoste. Throughout the entire valley there are various growers here that cultivate high altitude vines on the steep hillsides that go up to 70% inclination in some places! Besides these conditions, what really helps set the region apart is the numerous indigenous varietals being grown here such as Prie Blanc, Vien du Nus, Fumin, Cornalin, Petit Rouge, and Petit Arvine just to name a few. International grapes have long since made their entry into the region and make incredible wine but the distinctive local grapes really deserve more attention. The wines all have an incredible freshness and tautness that make them such a joy to enjoy. Today we offer wines from 3 exemplary producers Grosjean, Ermes Pavese, and Nadir Cuneaz.
Grosjean is a family winery now in its third generation, producing a range of wines from their mountain vineyards. No pesticides or herbicides are used in the vineyard, and the brothers who run the estate made things official with organic conversion in 2011. The steep south-facing slopes of the vineyard help to capture much needed sunlight to fully ripen their fruit in such a cool climate. They make a wide range of wines, but today we focus on Petite Arvine a lovely weighty white with the freshness of an alpine meadow. Gamay and Pinot take on wiry expressions here in the Vallee d'Aoste but don't miss out on the Torette blend and 100% Fumin! The last two making juicy and scintillating reds that deserve to be at your next picnic or BBQ.
[Welcome! A plate outside the winery (Photo: Rosenthal Wine Merchant)]
Nadir Cunéaz runs a tiny operation with only half a hectare of vines, near the town of Gressan. Nadir's vineyards have never been treated with pesticides or herbicides, and only see use of copper and sulfur. Sulfur use in the cellar is minimal and fermentation is with wild yeasts. The vines range in age from 50-100 years, and are planted to local varieties Petit rouge, Vien de nus, Fumin and Vuillermin, along with international varieties like Pinot noir, Moscato, and Gewurztraminer. The wine we chose to highlight, Les Gosses, is a blend of Vien de Nus (60%), Petit Rouge (25%), and Vuillermin (15%). Cunéaz creates this blend from the Bedeun vineyard and Creta Platta vineyards in Gressan where he makes a tiny amount of wine out of his home.
Wine doesn't sell itself! Ermes under his pergola trained vines (Photo: Rosenthal Wine Merchant)
Ermes Pavese is crafting electrifying wines from the autochthonous Prie Blanc grape out in the hamlet of La Ruine since 1999. With the guidance of his former employer Marziano Vevey, Ermes started his own line with 2 ha which slowly has increased to a total of 6 ha today. The wines themselves are so animated in every way from the artistic labels to the precision and clarity found in each bottling that leave the estate. Today we focus on their classic Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle, a delicious and refreshing alpine white that will appeal to lovers of laser-focused linear wines!
-Ranggy Tapia
