Maison Vigneronne Frères Grosjean is located in Ollignan and spans 10 hectares, entirely dedicated to organic farming. Founded in the late 1960s through the entrepreneurial spirit of Dauphin, it is today managed by his 5 sons, among whom is Vincent the winemaker.
The grape varieties, all cultivated using the Guyot system, are Petit Rouge, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Petite Arvine, Cornalin, Prëmetta, Vuillermin, and Fumin, from which the Vallee D'Aoste DOC 2011 is produced – the wine whose tasting notes we present here.
An indigenous variety of the Aosta Valley, Fumin has a relatively recent history; its first documented identification dates back to 1838 by ampelographer Lorenzo Gatta, who located it in the middle and upper valley, where it had a strong presence, particularly on north-facing slopes.
The name derives from the smoky aroma that characterizes the wine produced from it. Its clusters are medium-sized with small, thick-skinned grapes of an opaque blue color. Originally used to add color and acidity to less structured wines, today it is also vinified as a single-varietal wine.
The resulting wines are deeply colored and vibrant, with very distinctive and never ordinary aromas, and excellent aging potential.
On the eye it presents as very interesting – a very intense purple with strongly pronounced violet reflections, through which light struggles to pass, yet despite this it is very brilliant and absolutely clear.
With the glass still, it reveals a nose of small macerated red fruits such as blackberries and raspberries, along with toasted notes of coffee and soot, typical of this grape variety. These latter notes become even more evident once the wine is oxygenated.
On the palate it is refined, with a strong but very elegant tannin, mirroring what was found on the nose. The taste is very elegant and persistent, and the toasted finish of coffee, cocoa, and bitter almond is very pleasant.
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