2017 Les Cretes Fumin 750ML
2017 Les Cretes Fumin 750ML Deep ruby, on the nose fruity with hints of leather and spice. Concentrated on the palate, juicy, soft and fruity with smooth tannins, hints of vanilla, graphite, stewed prunes, juniper and licorice. Steel, 9 months in French oak barrels. Wine suitable for long aging. Pair this 2017 with salami, soups, medium and long aged cheese (“toma”, fontina), fondue, red meat, game.
Les Cretes
Les Crêtes is one of the only privately owned and operated wineries in the Valle d’Aosta, an alpine valley enclosed on three sides by the Italian, French, and Swiss Alps. In 1955 the Charrères planted their first two hectares of grapes, focusing on making quality wines out of the indigenous vinifera varieties grown in the Aosta Valley. Sixth generation winemaker, Costantino Charrère, founded Les Crêtes in 1989 and, with his family, crafts some of Italy’s finest white wines.
The winery is comprised of 25 hectares of vineyards from six villages along the Dora Baltea River. Planted in the vineyards are both indigenous vinifera varieties (Petite Arvine, Petit Rouge, Fumin, Mayolet, Cornalin), as well as the more international vinifera varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Muscat) which are also well adapted to the region’s climate and soil conditions. The soils that have developed over the centuries on the glacial moraine hillsides around the town of Aymaville are composed of a mixture of sand and calcareous rocks. Les Crêtes vineyards are located at relatively high mountain elevations (600 to 1,000 m. /1,970 to 3,280 ft.), and due to the high elevation climatic conditions, the harvests at Les Crêtes often begin in late autumn.
The vineyard cultivation shows respect for the high-elevation, mountain terroir with careful selection and planting of native and international grapes as well as minimal technical intervention in the cellar.