Notify me
2018 Valle d’Aosta “Fumin”
Château FeuilletStaring at the label on this bottle of Fumin, you’d hardly be to blame for wondering if it came from France or Italy! “Château Feuillet”: French. “Denominazione di origine protetta”: Italian. “Mis en bouteille par le producteur”: French. “Maurizio Fiorano”: Italian. What’s going on here? Reflecting the linguistic overlap of the French-Swiss-Italian border, Château Feuillet is an Italian domaine with a French name. Nestled among the western Alps, fifty miles from where the three countries meet, this estate specializes in the region’s indigenous grape varieties: Fumin, Cornalin, Petite Arvine, etc. The primary grape in this bottling is Fumin, whose name derives from fumo, or “smoky.” Some think it’s called that because the wines bear a smoky taste. Ian D’Agata, in his Native Wine Grapes of Italy, instead proposes that the grapes look smoky when covered in a dusty, white coating called the “bloom.” In any case, the grape was almost completely removed in the 1960s due to the opinion of certain academics, who did not think it made noble enough wine. When you open this bottle, you might scream, “How could they?!” Luckily for us, a few producers saved the variety in Valle d’Aosta, and now we have supremely quaffable, distinct reds like this one. With 10% Syrah completing the blend, this rosso from Château Feuillet evokes dark fruit, has great acidity, and sports an irresistible texture, leaving you with a delicious, lingering finish.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 90% Fumin, 10% Syrah |
Appellation: | Valle d’Aosta |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Valle d’Aosta |
Producer: | Château Feuillet |
Winemaker: | Maurizio Fiorano |
Vineyard: | 10-12 years, 0.5 ha |
Soil: | Sandy, alluvial topsoil, granite bedrock subsoil |
Farming: | Sustainable |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
Château Feuillet’s 6-Bottle Sampler
Italy | Valle d’Aosta
Each wine is a tonic that captures the intoxicating purity and energizing vigor of the crisp Alpine air.
2021 Valle d’Aosta Traminer Aromatico
Italy | Valle d’Aosta
The nose is floral, but these are surely mountain wildflowers, and the palate is perfectly crisp and quenching.
2021 Valle d’Aosta Fumin
Italy | Valle d’Aosta
Fumin truly is, as Feuillet’s vigneron Maurizio Fiorano puts it, “an age-old pearl of local enology.”
2022 Valle d’Aosta Traminer Aromatico
Italy | Valle d’Aosta
This Traminer Aromatico pays lovely homage to its French cousin, Alsatian Gewurztraminer, but with a Valdostano interpretation.
2022 Valle d’Aosta Torrette
Italy | Valle d’Aosta
True to the region, it has exuberant, piquant fruit, both peppery and floral throughout.
2020 Valle d’Aosta Cornalin
Italy | Valle d’Aosta
This rare red variety has a straightforward freshness and light herbal spiciness.
2021 Valle d’Aosta Torrette
Italy | Valle d’Aosta
True to the region, it has exuberant, piquant fruit, both peppery and floral throughout.
2021 Valle d’Aosta Cornalin
Italy | Valle d’Aosta
This rare red variety has a straightforward freshness and light herbal spiciness.
About The Producer
Château Feuillet
More from Valle d’Aosta or Italy
2021 Valle d’Aosta Traminer Aromatico
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta
2021 Valle d’Aosta Fumin
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta
2022 Lacrima di Morro d’Alba
Colleleva Italy | Le Marche
2022 Valle d’Aosta Traminer Aromatico
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta
2022 Pigato “Vigneto Ca da Rena”
Punta Crena Italy | Liguria
2022 Valle d’Aosta Torrette
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta
2021 Veneto Frizzante “Primo Incontro”
Davide Vignato Italy | Veneto
Château Feuillet’s 6-Bottle Sampler
6-Bottle Sampler Italy | Valle d’Aosta
Sampler Includes:
2022 Valle d’Aosta Moscato Bianco $35
Raised in stainless steel, Moscato produces aromas that are fiercely locked into this bottling. Honeyed, yet bone-dry, it has a hint of chestnut and would be as charming for an apéritif as with a cheese or dessert course.
2022 Valle d’Aosta Traminer Aromatico $35
Expressive and pedigreed Feuillet’s Traminer might be the white Burgundy equivalent of the bunch. It spends some time on its lees, giving it a rounder mouthfeel. Pair it with fattier fish or slices of salty speck.
2022 Valle d’Aosta Petite Arvine $37
A grape of Swiss origin, Petite Arvine is a versatile white, persistent in length with a mouthwatering and crystalline minerality. It soaks up the sun but maintains a flinty edge.
2021 Valle d’Aosta Rosso Torrette Superieur $37
A bright and plummy wine with a velvety texture, made from the native Petit Rouge variety. Serve this beauty with bolder fare in need of a refreshing companion.
2022 Valle d’Aosta Rosso Cornalin $38
A spicy, smoky red with rustic undertones, Cornalin has pretty black fruit and is a great match for well-seasoned sausages and other charred meats.
2021 Valle d’Aosta Rosso Fumin $43
A robust and pleasantly tannic rosso, Fumin has a floral quality with a bit of a bite—similar to peppery Syrahs of the northern Rhône.
Normally $225.00
SPECIAL SAMPLER PRICE $169.00
(a 25% discount)
2020 Valle d’Aosta Cornalin
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta
2021 Valle d’Aosta Cornalin
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta
2021 Valle d’Aosta Torrette
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta
2017 Brunello di Montalcino
Ferretti Italy | Tuscany
2021 Valle d’Aosta Traminer Aromatico
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta
2021 Valle d’Aosta Fumin
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta
2022 Lacrima di Morro d’Alba
Colleleva Italy | Le Marche
2022 Valle d’Aosta Traminer Aromatico
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta
2022 Pigato “Vigneto Ca da Rena”
Punta Crena Italy | Liguria
2022 Valle d’Aosta Torrette
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta
2021 Veneto Frizzante “Primo Incontro”
Davide Vignato Italy | Veneto
Château Feuillet’s 6-Bottle Sampler
Each wine is a tonic that captures the intoxicating purity and energizing vigor of the crisp Alpine air.
2020 Valle d’Aosta Cornalin
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta
2021 Valle d’Aosta Cornalin
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta
2021 Valle d’Aosta Torrette
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta
2017 Brunello di Montalcino
Ferretti Italy | Tuscany
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
A good doctor prescribed the wine of Nuits-Saint-Georges to the Sun King, Louis XIV, when he suffered an unknown maladie. When the king’s health was restored the tasty remedy enjoyed a vogue at court. Lord, send me a doctor like that!
Inspiring Thirst, page 117