Thursday, October 20, 2011

Les Cretes Torrette (2009) Val d' Aosta



A beautiful lite Italian red from Les Cretes, the largest privately held vineyard and winery operation in the sparsely populated Aosta Valley. Located close to Mont Blanc and surrounded on three sides by the Italian, French, and Swiss Alps, the winery produces about 250,000 bottle a year. Known mostly for their Chardonnays, Les Cretes' Torrette is a dry, red made from 70% Petit Rouge (an indigenous varietal) and 30% of other regional varietals such as Mayolet, Tinurier, and Comalin. Fragrant nose of cherry-berry. Fermented and aged in stainless for eight months. Well-balanced acidity. Clean and smooth on the finish. A nice grape.