Aosta Valley Gems featuring Grosjean, Ermes Pavese, and Nadir Cuneaz!
Aosta Valley Gems featuring Grosjean, Ermes Pavese, and Nadir Cuneaz!
Vallee D'Aoste Producer Spotlight!
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.
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 varieites 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.
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
All wines will ready for pickup / shipment / delivery this Tuesday 4/8/25
Grosjean 2023 Petite Arvine Vigne Rovettaz Valle d'Aoste
100% Petite Arvine, whole cluster pressed and aged in combination of 70% stainless steel/30% oak for 8 months on the lees. While on the lees the wine sees two battonages a week adding complexity. On the nose, ripe meyer lemon,...
$34.99
Ermes Pavese 2023 Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle
Hand-harvested destemmed grapes are pressed and fermented in temperature controlled vats. The wine spends 9 months in large steel tanks then is bottled. The plots range in altitude of 900-1200m and due to this elevation long ago phylloxera failed to...
$37.99
Grosjean 2023 Vallee d'Aoste Pinot Noir
Although native to the Côte d’Or, Pinot Noir has been cultivated in the Val d’Aoste since both regions were under the Burgundian Dukes in the Middle Ages. While 70% of Grosjean’s vines are French clones, 30% are the rare Wadenzwil...
$30.99
Nadir Cuneaz 2021 "Les Gosses" Valle d'Aoste Rosso
This wine contains three local varieties: 60% Vien de Nus, 25% Petit Rouge, and 15% of the rare Vuillermin (father of the Fumin Grape) The fruit is destemmed and fermented in stainless steel tanks where it ages for one year...
$29.99
Grosjean 2023 Gamay Vallee d'Aoste
From Burgundy to the Alps the vivacious Gamay grape continues to delight palates. Planted at vineyards between 700-800 meters in elevation the star of Beaujolais takes on a more delicate identity here. The grapes are destemmed and macerared for 5-6...
$25.99
Grosjean 2022 Fumin Vigne Merletta Valle d'Aoste
The Merletta bottling from Grosjean is a stateside-exclusive that is sourced from a dedicated vineyard and aged in tonneaux to round out some of the tannin. Fumin is the Valle d'Aoste most structured and long-lived wine and to me drinks...
$39.99
Grosjean 2023 Torrette Vallee d'Aoste
Ruby red with light magenta highlights, the Grosjean Torrette is made of 80% Petit Rouge with the remaining amount being made up of varying amounts of Vien de Nus, Fumin, and Cornalin. A thirst quenching blend unique to Aosta Valley,...
$26.99
