The Valle d’Aosta is located in Italy’s extreme northwest corner, bordering France to the west and Switzerland to north. It’s a sparsely populated tiny mountainous region, and when we visited there last December it was blanketed in snow, seemingly an unlikely place to find fine wine. As we made our way from Piedmont, travelling by car on the A-5, we entered the region during cool but dry conditions. As we rose in elevation toward our destination, the steep and terraced vineyards of the Valle d’Aosta showed more and more snow. By the time we reached Aymavilles, home to the Charrère family and their famous Les Crêtes winery, we needed chains for our tires. We were relieved to find Elenora Charrère waiting inside, with a glass of her Petite Arvine in hand to greet us. Petite Arvine was perfect in the snow then and it is perfect now.
Elenora Charrère pours us her family’s lineup of wines at Les Crêtes winery in Aymavilles
Petite Arvine is native to the area and it is popular in the Swiss wine-growing region of Valais. It is citrusy and fairly high in acidity. I had in mind Chef Paul Kulik’s simply sautéed white fish when I choose the Les Crêtes Petite Arvine Vigne Champorette 2006 for this summer’s by-the-glass offerings. He just reminded me that Copper River wild salmon season is upon us, and this wine will accent salmon the same way a squeeze of lemon can. The same is true for the bone dry, 100% Sauvignon Blanc Orlando Abrigio Langhe Bianco d’Alambè 2007. The Abrigio estate is now run by the young Giovanni Abrigio, along with his wife Virna Borgogno (yes, that Borgogno), and we’re anticipating a visit from Giovanni in the fall. We’re planning a special evening at the restaurant centered around his stellar Barbarescos, and with some luck, Alba white truffles. Stay tuned for details.
As long as we’re throwing names around, let’s be sure to mention that we’ll also be pouring Egon Müller’s Scharzhofberger Estate Riesling 2007 this summer. I’ve already said how great I think the 2007 German Rieslings are. I’ll say it again: 2007 is the best Riesling vintage I’ve ever sold, they’re better than the 2001s, and I can’t wait for you to try this 2007. The Saar used to produce pretty sharp stuff—it still does—but Egon Müller has long been the Saar’s quality leader for a reason. Scharzhofberg might be one of Europe’s greatest vineyards, and all the wines produced at this estate, from every year, from every prädikat, are worth sampling.
Although the zippy Scharzhofberger will be undoubtedly useful once squash blossoms and sharp summer greens arrive from Shadowbrook Farms in Raymond, Nebraska, I thought we’d need a more textural white wine for the various heirloom and fava beans that we’ll see later this summer. Luckily, an allocation of Perrot-Minnot, the cult-status Burgundy producer, came our way, and with it an absolutely delicious Aligoté. Yes, it’s true that Aligoté is the wine of Kir and is seen as Burgundy’s “other” white grape, inferior to the more prestigious Chardonnay grape, but after you taste the Perrot-Minot, Bourgogne Aligoté 2006, you won’t be asking for a splash of crème de cassis. And summer would not be summer without rosé, so we’ve chosen the Bodegas Muga, Rioja Rosado 2007, made mostly from the Garnacha grape. It’s light, dry, and refreshing.
Our theme of dry and refreshing continues with our red wine selections like the Cavalchina Bardolino 2007. Bardolino is made mostly from the Corvina grape grown on the shores of Lake Garda near Verona, Italy. It’s lighter than other Corvina wines and will make for an interesting pairing where we might normally use Pinot Noir—just don’t miss the Pinot Noir. The Morey-Coffinet Bourgogne Rouge 2006 is from a small, family-run domaine in Chassagne-Montrachet, and we want you to try this Pinot Noir with naturally raised lamb from Bluff Valley Farms in Rulo, Nebraska. Of course, the Château Bernadotte Bordeaux 2004 is a great wine for lamb, too. The Bernadotte property is owned by Pichon Lalande (yes, that Pichon Lalande) and is made by their team. And please try the Isole e Olena Chianti Classico 2006 this summer. This is one of my favorite Chianti producers, and Sangiovese just seems to work in warm weather. And saving the best for last, we have the Château des Tours Côtes-du-Rhône 2005, owned and made by Emmanuel Reynaud and family. It is unlike any other Côtes-du-Rhône you’ve tasted, unless you’ve been lucky enough to taste Château Rayas, Emmanuel’s “other” wine.
