Les Crêtes Valle d’Aosta Pinot Noir 2005
The best kind of wine shop is one where regardless of the scope of their selection you know that any bottle you choose is going to be a quality wine, and maybe even a great one. Hopefully you have one of these near you, since it makes all the difference when buying wine, especially if you’re exploring a new wine interest. Even better is when you have a friend whose judgment about wines (or spirits or beer, etc.) you entirely trust, such that if they recommend a bottle or give you one as a gift you know that it’s going to be good.
I’m lucky enough to have access to both, although I place much more stock in the latter. And so this weekend I was the lucky recipient of a bottle of wine from a friend of mine, the owner of Amherst Coffee. It was a Pinot Noir from the Valle d’Aosta region of Italy, a region whose wines I have never tried before. Given that I really enjoy a good Pinot Noir and that I’ve been having a great time exploring the wines of Italy lately, I was pretty excited about this bottle. Add to that the fact that it came from a friend who is one of my most trusted sources on wine and brown liquors, and I figured this bottle couldn’t miss.
The Valle d’Aosta is a niche within the world of Italian wine. The annual output of the entire region amounts to only 713,000 gallons, ranking it 20th among all of Italy’s wine-producing regions, and there are only 1300 acres of vineyards, also ranked 20th. It is located in northern Italy, nestled alongside the Alps on the borders of both France and Switzerland. As a result, while a handful of native grape varieties are grown with success, the spectrum of grapes grown also includes varieties common to both France (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah in particular) and Switzerland (most notably Petit Arvine).
With such small production and no single estate really standing out in Valle d’Aosta, the two most notable producers are probably Maison Anselmet and Les Crêtes. These were the only two producers to receive a 3-glass award this year from Gambero Rosso, an increasingly common award for each of them to achieve. Most remarkably, this was the 9th consecutive year that Les Crêtes earned this award for their Valle d’Aosta Chardonnay Cuvee Frisszonniere Les Crêtes Cuvee Bois 2005, a Burgundian-style oak-aged white wine.
But this just happens to be the wine that Les Crêtes is earning the most notoriety for. Their winemaker, Costantino Charrère, has a reputation for consistently crafting solid-to-great wines from grapes grown on the family’s 62 acres of vineyards in the region. As is typical for vineyards in the Valle d’Aosta, their vineyards are situated at very elevations, all being 1970 to 3280 feet above see level. This means that the wines are exposed to wide variations in day and night temperatures, allowing them to ripen slowly, with harvesting normally beginning in late Autumn. The result are wines that, when the grapes are handled and vinified well by the producer, offer the opportunity to experience a terroir unique to all of Italy.
Their Pinot Noir is a case study in this regard. The wine is made from 100% estate-grown Pinot Noir and is aged entirely in stainless steel, no barrels come into contact with the wine at all. It is incredibly rare to find a Pinot Noir that is not aged in oak, a tool most producers turn to in order to “flesh out” the wine, adding structure and density by virtue of aging in (new or used) oak barrels. While this can add a (sometimes unwelcome) dimension to the wine, it is a treacherous road for winemakers to go down, due to nature of the Pinot Noir grape, which is light-skinned, relatively low in tannins, and that leans towards producing wines that can exhibit both distinctly light, fresh fruit flavors while still capturing a notable complexity. It is this combination that has mader Pinot Noir the holy grail for so many growers, as they strive to capture the essence of the grape as expressed by the standard-bearers in Burgundy.
The version of Pinot Noir produced by Les Crêtes, by virtue of being aged only in stainless steel, has captured the very best aspects of Pinot Noir (fresh, young fruit balanced by a lively acidity) in a finesse-focused style that I am most fond of. Wines that strive for finesse in lieu of power and presence can be remarkably beguiling, and easily represent my ideal type of wines. With that being said, I was quickly and wholly smitten with this wine.
The color is a lightly hued ruby with glints of purplish-garnet. The nose is fresh, lively, and utterly enticing, with ripe cherries filling the glass accompanied by a slight citrus note. The palate is bright with acidity, hints of plums, cherries, and a hint of anise. The tannins are almost non-existent, making the wine very light and delicately textured. The finish has a soft acidity, with cherries carrying through a medium-long finish.
This wine is simply wonderful, and one I that I fully intend to grab a couple of bottles of if I can find it somewhere locally. What is more, I am really, really excited to try more of the wines from Les Crêtes. My friend also recommended their Torrette, a blend of 70% Petit Rouge alongside 30% Mayolet, Tinturier, and Cornalin (all 4 of these are varieties native to Valle d’Aosta). But Les Crêtes produces a number of wines, and I’d gladly give any one of them a shot given the chance.
I also think it would undoubtedly be interesting to try some of the other wines from Valle d’Aosta, with the caveat that, as I mentioned before, there are only a small number of notable producers, and that it can be quite difficult to find their wines in shops. It is only very rarely that I have ever seen one myself.
So here’s to wines and wineries that are unafraid of finesse! And here’s to having trustworthy sources to turn to for new wines!
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