2015 Puligny-Montrachet “Les Chalumaux”Comtesse de Chérisey
France | Burgundy
$120
Producers
Staring 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% |
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta | Valle d'Aosta
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta | Valle d’Aosta
Italy’s smallest region by surface area and by annual production, Valle d’Aosta is also one of its most strikingly beautiful. In the heart of the Alps bordering France and Switzerland, this is a stark landscape dominated by jagged, snow-capped peaks, where tiny terraced vineyard parcels cling to steep, rocky slopes of sand and alluvial deposits. Winemaking here dates back to Roman times, and today a growing number of small-scale producers persist with the heroic kind of viticulture required to brave this extreme terrain.
In the shadow of the Mont Blanc, the Valle d’Aosta runs west to east, providing excellent southern exposure to the vineyards on its northern slopes. In spite of the altitude—these are some of Europe’s highest vineyards—the hot, dry summers provide conditions in which a number of indigenous varieties, along with others of French or Swiss origin, truly thrive. Petite Arvine, Prié Blanc, Petit Rouge, Fumin, and Cornalin are just a few of the grapes responsible for the region’s whites and reds, which range from bright juicy, aromatic, and mineral-driven to powerful and rustic in character.
Château Feuillet represents our first Valle d’Aosta import. With its singular wines from an absolutely breathtaking environment, it is certainly a region to get excited about.
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta | Valle d’Aosta
Château Feuillet Italy | Valle d’Aosta | Valle d'Aosta
Fattoria Moretto Italy | Emilia-Romagna | Emilia-Romagna
La Marca Italy | Le Marche | Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi
Vigneti Vecchio Italy | Sicily
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli | Grave
Riofavara Italy | Sicily | Sicilia Noto
Sesti Italy | Tuscany | Toscana IGT
Ferruccio Carlotto Italy | Alto Adige | Vigneti delle Dolomiti
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli | Delle Venezie
Grottafumata Italy | Sicily
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige | Alto Adige – Valle Isarco
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174
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