Wines of Valle d’Aosta: Fumin and Petite Arvine
- Ipek Leni Candan
- Aug 18, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 27, 2024
We continue our series on Valle d’Aosta wines with an overview of two grape varieties: Fumin and Petite Arvine. In a previous article, we looked at the Torrette sub-region, which is characterised by the Petit Rouge grape. This week, we visited two more winemakers in this region, Château Feuillet and Ottin, where Fumin and Petite Arvine absolutely shone.
Fumin
Fumin is a red grape variety indigenous to Valle d’Aosta. Its name comes from the French word fumée (smoke) and refers to the waxy bloom on the berries. A late-ripening variety, it is harvested in late October or early November. DNA analysis reveals that Fumin is a parent of the Vuillermin variety and a sibling of Petit Rouge.
First recordings of this variety date back to 1711, while it was later documented by Lorenzo Gatta around the first half of the 19th century. At that time, Fumin was described as being resistant to the cold and having excellent winemaking properties: tart, austere, deep in colour, undrinkable when young, and suitable for long-term ageing.
Historically, Fumin was used mainly for blending, but today, there is a trend towards producing single-varietal wines. However, it presents challenges in the vineyard due to the delicacy of its shoots and flowers, and its susceptibility to diseases such as downy mildew.
Petite Arvine
Petite Arvine is a semi-aromatic, late-ripening grape variety originally from Valais, Switzerland. Valais shares a lot of similarities with Valle d’Aosta, and Petite Arvine was first brought to Aosta around the mid-20th century by Canon Joseph Vaudan, a key figure in reviving Valdostan viticulture. The parentage of Petite Arvine is disputed, and some believe that it may have actually originated in Valle d’Aosta.
Named after its small berries, Petite Arvine offers refreshing acidity that balances its gentle aromatics. It is often vinified in steel as a single-varietal wine and can be dry, medium-dry or sweet. In the vineyard, Petite Arvine is somewhat demanding, needing sunny sites protected from wind to reach full ripeness. It is also susceptible to mildew and botrytis.
Other than Château Feuillet and Ottin’s Petite Arvine which we discuss below in detail, those looking for great Valdostan examples of this grape variety should look at Di Francesco – Gasperi and Le Grain.
Château Feuillet
Founded in 1997 by Maurizio Fiorano, Château Feuillet's origins lie in a winemaking tradition that was started by his grandfather Tinet in the 1960s to produce wine for family consumption and for friends.The winery takes its name from the nearby château that lends its name to the entire neighbourhood in Saint Pierre, in the heart of the Torrette production area. The vineyards are all located on the left bank of the Dora Baltea River, at an altitude ranging from 650 to 850 metres, with a south-facing aspect. Ninety percent of their vineyards are in Saint Pierre, with the remainder in Aymavilles.
A family-run winery that began producing its first wines, Torrette and Petite Arvine, in 2000 with just one hectare of vines, Château Feuillet has since expanded to nine hectares, producing around 70,000 bottles annually. Continuing to grow, they have recently planted 4,000 more vines. Of the 16 labels they produce, most are single-varietal wines.
During our visit to Château Feuillet, we were particularly struck by their Fumin, which stood out during a tasting at a Consorzio Vini Valle d’Aosta event. Impressed, we immediately contacted Château Feuillet to arrange a visit. We sampled wines from around 35 Valle d’Aosta producers during our time in Aosta, which included a lot of different interpretations of Fumin, but Château Feuillet’s Fumin was a clear standout. Aged for nine months in a mix of 50% new French oak barriques and 50% large barrels, this complex wine offered aromas of black pepper, blackberry and black plum, with well-integrated oak influence and silky tannins, despite being a very young wine (2023 vintage) that had just been bottled at the time of our visit. Fumin can sometimes be quite astringent with heavy extraction; this Fumin was elegant and restrained, suitable for drinking now or ageing for several years.
Another highlight from Château Feuillet was the 2023 Torrette Superieur. Made from 100% Petit Rouge, this wine is crafted from their best grapes in the best vineyards, where the conditions ensure optimal ripeness for harvest in October. Fermented in steel and matured in large oak barrels, the wine exhibited aromas of violet, plum and black pepper, balanced by high acidity, resulting in a refined and harmonious wine.
Also interesting was their 2023 Moscato Bianco. The grapes were grown at 800m altitude and harvested in October, and fermented to dryness in steel after macerating on their skins for two days. The wine's acidity perfectly balanced its intense aromatics and floral notes, making it an excellent choice for an aperitivo.
We were equally impressed with their 2023 Petite Arvine. Crafted similarly to the Moscato, this wine was less aromatic, offering vibrant green apple and grapefruit aromas with zinging acidity. It was one of the best examples of Petite Arvine we encountered in Valle d’Aosta.
Ottin
The Ottin winery was founded in the early nineties by Elio Ottin, a young farmer with a passion for wine and his land. This passion, inherited from generations of mountain winemakers in his family, has deep roots.
Ottin is a family-run business that produced its first wines in 2007. Starting with four hectares and 20,000 bottles a year, the estate has grown and Elio's son Nicolas has joined in its management. Today, they produce 50,000 bottles annually from 10 hectares of Guyot-trained vines, all south-facing at altitudes of 650-750 metres.
Ottin is an organic farm and they also grow apples and raise cattle. The farm’s energy is produced entirely from renewable sources. Electricity is generated by mountain stream water and solar panels, while the building's heating systems are powered by solar panels and biomass plants fuelled by wood chips from nearby woodland timber. In a truly sustainable system, they use manure from their own cattle as fertiliser and have adopted integrated pest control methods. They strongly believe that polyculture farming is essential for producing high-quality wines.
During our visit, we tasted six wines with winemaker Elio Ottin, most of which were outstanding quality. Elio's love and care for the wines he crafts was evident as he guided us through a tasting and gave us a tour of the winery.
A highlight was the 2021 Petite Arvine Nuances. It was fermented and matured for 12 months on its lees in large Slavonian oak barrels, which is unusual for this variety. Ten percent of the grapes were botrytised, adding hints of candied citrus peel and dried apricots that complemented aromas of pineapple, blossom, sweet spices and pencil shavings. This was an outstanding wine with complexity and a long finish.
Another standout was the 2021 Non Expedit Syrah. The name refers to the 'Non Expedit' decree, by which the Vatican banned Italian Catholics from participating in national political life in response to the 19th century suppression of religious orders and the confiscation of church property by the Kingdom of Italy. The land where this wine originated was part of the property expropriated from the church and bought by a local family at a cheap price, but at the high societal cost of excommunication.
This mountain Syrah, made with grapes grown on granitic soils and containing 30% whole bunches that underwent semi-carbonic maceration, was wild-fermented and matured in large French oak barrels for 12 months. It was the best interpretation of Syrah we’d tasted in Valle d’Aosta, with complex notes of violet, black pepper, plum and blackcurrant leaf.
The Fumin was also an outstanding example of this indigenous Valle d’Aosta variety. Harvested at the end of October and air-dried for two weeks using the appassimento method, it was fermented with wild yeasts, underwent post-fermentation maceration for a month, and matured in large oak barrels for 12 months. This elegant, restrained wine exhibited aromas of blackberry, ripe black plum and violet with subtle oak influence and ripe tannins, making it suitable for drinking now or ageing for several years.
Finally, the 2020 L’Emerico Pinot Noir was particularly captivating. Named after the winemaker’s father Emerico, who was the first Ottin to make Pinot Noir, this wine was made with grapes from their best vineyard. Wild-fermented and matured for 20 months in French barriques, followed by 36 months of bottle ageing, it was one of the best examples of Pinot Noir we had encountered in Valle d’Aosta. It offered a great mouthfeel and pronounced aromas of violet, geranium and rose, complementing notes of strawberry, plum and vanilla.
