This Week's Must-Try Wines from Vinous

Welcome to this week's Must-Try Wines from Vinous! Each week we compile a list of wines from the Vinous database that you need to add to your wine wish list. With all the various regions, producers, and grapes, no week will be the same! All of the wines listed in this feature are available for purchase on Banquet . This week's must-try wines are from Eric Guido’s article, A Valle d’Aosta Interlude . Enjoy an excerpt from this article and reviews below! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Italian by definition, yet more influenced by French and Swiss neighbors, Valle d’Aosta is quite unique relative to other regions in Italy. It’s precisely that diversity that makes Valle d’Aosta both fun and intriguing to explore. THE ROMANCE OF VALLE D’AOSTA I was initially attracted to Valle d’Aosta by Fumin, an indigenous variety marked by a dark, purplish red color, wild alpine aromas and a mixture of zesty acids and stern tannins. I had never tasted a wine that communicated its place in such a way, as my imagination was teleported to this rugged, mountainous landscape with each tilt of the glass. Fumin led to Petite Arvine, a Swiss import to the region, and one that excels quite well with its zippy acidity and sweet-and-sour citrus profiles. I was in love with the idea of this romantic location and the varieties that were pulling me closer to it with each new taste. However, as I learned more, what amazed me most was how unique Valle d’Aosta really was from the rest of Italy, both in feel and in culture. Flying into Northwestern Italy from the United States will often provide a telling and extremely picturesque view of the narrow valley, which is surrounded by the snow-cap Alps. The border with Switzerland is to the North, then France to the west. The valley runs southeast from the Mont Blanc and Morgex et de la Salle subregions, with elevations up to 1,300 meters, down to the border of Piedmont and the Donnas subregion, where you’ll find Nebbiolo, referred to here as Picotendro. Valle d’Aosta is enclosed by rugged mountainous terrain across this span, roughly 56 miles of steep hillside vineyards reaching up from the Dora Baltea River. The extreme light and warmth of a short part of the season allows fruit to ripen in these rocky, sandy Glacial Moraine soils, along with the refreshing mountain air of the evening that balances it all out. --Eric Guido, A Valle d’Aosta Interlude, June 2022 1. 2018 Caves de Donnas Donnas 2. 2020 Ermes Pavese Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle 3. 2020 Grosjean Torrette 4. 2019 Les Crêtes Fumin 5. 2020 Les Crêtes Pinot Nero