WTN: "Alpine" Wines

March 4, 2011 – Alpine Wine Tasting, Vintages, Belmont, MA

Vintages is another local retailer whom I frequent. Their definite area of expertise is Italy - especially Piedmont, but they also have a very nice selection of artisanal wines from other countries, particualrly France. This was a particualrly interesting tasting because I have recently enjoyed several wines from mountainous regions, including Jura and the Valle d'Aosta.

2009 Ermes Pavese Valle d'Aosta DOC Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle
100% Prié Blanc. Light to medium-bodied, bone dry, well balanced, with good underlying acidity; displays notes of minerals, shells, melons, and pears. Very good. $25.

2008 Domaine du Montbourgeau Vin Blanc l'Étoile
I understand that this wine is now 100% Chardonnay. Nose has something of an oxidized apple juice character to it. Medium-bodied, with good underlying acidity; mineral, lightly nutty, with apple and papaya flavors. Very good. $25.

2007 Domaine Jacques Puffeney Arbois Poulsard
Not the “M”. Funky/animal nose. Light in weight, focused, well balanced, with red berry, mineral, and ginger notes. Very nice. $25.

2007 Triacca Valtellina Superiore DOCG Sassella Paradiso
Paradiso is the name of the site within Sassella that this wine hails from. Smoky/stony nose. Light in weight, elegant, smooth, well balanced, with berry, mineral, cinnamon, and black pepper notes. Very good. $28.

2004 Luigi Ferrando Carema DOC Etichetta Nera
The Etichetta Nera (black label) is Ferrando’s reserve bottling of Carema. This is medium-bodied, still quite tight, with grainy tannins and good underlying acidity. Shows notes of red berries, mountain air, ancho chiles, and garrigue. Excellent, but needs time. $60.

[David M. Bueker]

Love the Carema, though I usually only spring for the white label.

Thanks for the notes.

I came across a Poulsard pink sparkler from Rolet (Jura) last night. That is a first for me here in AB-land!

For the Alpine taste, I strongly recommend anyone visiting Switzerland to try their wines. The overall level of wine-making is high and there are some attractive local grape varieties combining fine quality with original flavours such as Petite Arvine, Amigne (white) and Cornalin and Humagne (red). There are some individualist wines with strong local accents from more international varieties, e.g. Fendant from Chasselas and Dôle from Pinot Noir and Gamay, as well as some attractive whites from a grape known as Païen or Heida locally which is none other than the Jura's Savagnin and Germany's Traminer. Lastly, but with IMO less local accent, there are good examples of Syrah, Pinot Noir and Merlot.

I am a fan of Valtellina and would love to get to know Carema.