Italy is divided into 20 regions (region, which means the state of the United States or the province of Canada), each of which has a strong connection to winemaking and has its own unique grape varieties and wines. Among them, the Valle d'Aosta region, located in the northwest, is the smallest regional wine region in Italy, with a grape growing area of less than 500 hectares, and the wine produced is not very productive, but it is unique. Because of its proximity to France and the French-speaking part of Switzerland, most of the place names and grape varieties here use French names.
Map of the Valletta Aosta appellation (© 2022 Federdoc Authorized By Wine World)
geographical location
Valletta Aosta means "Aosta Valley", and the entire region is located in the heart of the Alps near Mont Blanc, which is ideal for growing grapes because the mountains block the cold air and water vapor to the north. Valle d'Aosta DOC (Valle d'Aosta / Vallee d'Aoste DOC) is the only legal appellation in the region (Denominazione di Origine Controllata, or DCO) that covers the central region of the region and contains 31 sub-legal names that refer mainly to specific sub-appellations or specific grape varieties and winemaking types.
Image source: www.docvalledaosta.it
climate
Due to the protection of the Alps, this appellation has a typical Alpine climate: rainfall is small, concentrated in spring and late autumn, with few clouds and low humidity. Another feature of the climate here is the warm breeze almost every day, especially in the spring and summer. Therefore, there is almost no fungal mold during the growth of grapes, which can effectively limit the use of pesticides, so that grapes can grow healthily in a less polluted environment.
On the other hand, the Dora Baltea River, which runs from west to east throughout the appellation, also makes the terroir unique. Depending on the average elevation of the area through which the river flows, we can divide the entire production into the Lower Valley (400 m above sea level), the Middle Valley (600 m above sea level) and the Upper Valley Zone (1,000 m above sea level). The average annual rainfall in the Middle Valley is 400 to 500 mm, while the average annual rainfall in the Upper and Lower Valleys is 1,000 to 1,200 mm; The Upper Valley region has a higher altitude and a much lower average temperature due to its closer proximity to Mont Blanc.
Click on the image to see a large hd image (Image source: www.docvalledaosta.it)
soil
The soil here comes from glacial sediments, which are usually 50 to 150 cm deep; There is also a small amount of low-depth soil (25 to 50 cm) that is compacted or rock-covered. These soils are rich in organic matter and nutrients, in part because of the use of organic fertilizers and the cultivation of previous crops.
Image source: www.docvalledaosta.it
Structurally, the soil in the area is mainly composed of a large number of animal remains fossils, sandy soil (more than 50%) and a small amount of clay, most of which belongs to the sand brought by alluvial or glacial sedimentation on the slope. In addition, the high silt content provides the vineyard with excellent water storage capacity.
Viticulture
Viticulture in the Aosta Valley is often considered "Heroic", with many vineyards often reaching or even over 1,000 metres above sea level, such steep slopes that require a great deal of effort on the part of winegrowers to manage the vineyards. On the positive side, such a high altitude also blocks the attack of Phylloxera, so many ungrafted old vine vines can still be found here. The grapes are usually planted on terraces to help cope with very steep slopes, and most vines are managed using the Pergola method or canopy system.
Image source: www.docvalledaosta.it
Grape varieties
The Valletta Aosta region grows a wide variety of grape varieties, ranging from many exotic varieties from France, Switzerland and Piemonte, Italy, to many native varieties of origin here. Among them, exotic grape varieties include Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir (known locally as Pinot Nero), Gamay, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer. It is worth mentioning that over time, some foreign varieties have developed biotypes that are particularly adapted to the local soil climatic conditions, one example of which is the local biotype of the Nebbioro grape: Picotendro. Most of the indigenous grape varieties planted here are only planted in their birthplace, the Aosta Valley.
Native white grape varieties:
Image source: www.docvalledaosta.it
Prie Blanc (or Prie)
This is a white grape variety that originated in the Valletta Aosta appellation and is grown in some of the highest vineyards in Europe, and its name "Prie" means "prayer" in French, indicating its history of the wines it used often used to make religious Masses in the past. It is also the oldest recorded grape variety in the Valletta Aosta appellation, giving birth to many other indigenous varieties.
Vineyards in the Mogkes-Sarezi appellation (Image: www.docvalledaosta.it)
It has extraordinary cold resistance and is the only grape variety grown in the Upper Valley region. Classics made from WhiteBrier are dry,stationary whites, locally known as Blanc de Morgex et de Salle (one of the names of the secondary appellations under valletta Aosta DOC), usually with delicate floral aromas and crisp acidity, and are one of Italy's fine light body whites. In addition, there are some winemakers who use it to make sparkling and sweet wines.
Native red grape varieties:
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Petit Rouge
The name of this breed means "small and red". It is related to most other red grape varieties in the Valletta Aosta appellation and is the most widely grown premium indigenous red grape variety in the Aosta Valley, appreciated for its extraordinary hardiness and drought resistance.
Torrete Sub-Region (Image: www.docvalledaosta.it)
Small carmine is mainly grown in the Middle Valley region and is used to make both single-variety red wines and blended with indigenous red grape varieties such as Fumin, which are usually dry red wines with a predominantly fruity taste and medium body. The Torrette sub-region from the Mid-Valley region can use small carmine to produce delicate and deep wines.
Fumei
This is the second most widely grown red grape variety in the Aosta Valley, mainly in the Mid Valley region, it is hardy, productive, late ripening and well adapted to the local cold climate. In the past, Fumei was mainly used to add color and body to blends, and in the past 20 years, more and more winemakers have used it to make single-variety red wines, and use oak barrels and stainless steel tanks for a long time to age, the wine has a wonderful color, tight acidity, solid tannin structure, and good aging ability.