Institut Agricole Régional Aoste, “Vin des Chanoines”
Other, Italy 2018 (750mL)
Regular price$29.00
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Institut Agricole Régional Aoste, “Vin des Chanoines”
When I worked in restaurants, nothing made me happier than a customer saying, “I want to spend such-and-such, pick me out something cool.” Dealer’s choice! That’s the sommelier’s chance to shine, to go off the beaten path (especially if it’s another sommelier you’re serving). Which brings me to today’s wine—exactly the kind of ‘nothing-else-like-it’ bottle I’d zero in on.
Made from a blend of indigenous grapes grown on the Italian side of Mont Blanc and loaded with tangy fruit, mineral spice, and floral uplift, “Vin des Chanoines” is the kind of wine that reminds me why I do this: to take people places (and bring myself along for the ride). This wine’s place is the tiny Valle d’Aosta region in Italy’s northwestern-most corner, where a scattershot collection of vineyards climb to some of the highest altitudes in Europe, following the path of the Dora Baltea River. The Institut Agricole Régional Aoste, meanwhile, is one of many viticulture/enology schools in northern Italy that also makes and markets its own line of wines—good wines. It’s important not to forget that last part: “Vin des Chanoines” isn’t just a “cool,” obscure pick—it’s delicious. It makes a trip outside your comfort zone anxiety-free. Trust me on this one.
Made from a blend of indigenous grapes grown on the Italian side of Mont Blanc and loaded with tangy fruit, mineral spice, and floral uplift, “Vin des Chanoines” is the kind of wine that reminds me why I do this: to take people places (and bring myself along for the ride). This wine’s place is the tiny Valle d’Aosta region in Italy’s northwestern-most corner, where a scattershot collection of vineyards climb to some of the highest altitudes in Europe, following the path of the Dora Baltea River. The Institut Agricole Régional Aoste, meanwhile, is one of many viticulture/enology schools in northern Italy that also makes and markets its own line of wines—good wines. It’s important not to forget that last part: “Vin des Chanoines” isn’t just a “cool,” obscure pick—it’s delicious. It makes a trip outside your comfort zone anxiety-free. Trust me on this one.
If you understand Italian, you can read the Institut’s detailed report on this wine right there on the front label—although they conveniently leave out the grapes used in the blend, which apparently vary from year to year. The ’18 consists of uve autoctone (“autochthonous,” or indigenous, varieties) headlined by the light-bodied Mayolet (40%). Preserving nearly extinct local varieties like this one is one of the Institut’s main missions, and they’ve been instrumental in rescuing another component in this blend, Vuillermin, from oblivion as well. Rounded out by the more-familiar Cabernet Franc and Nebbiolo, this is like a survey course on Valle d’Aosta viticulture. The name, “Vin des Chanoines,” translates as “wine of the canons,” which I take to mean as a wine meant to showcase historical, canonical grape varieties of this border region.
Although I’m told today’s release is from the 2018 vintage, the IAR no longer prints the vintage on the label—technically, you’re not supposed to include vintages on wines classified as “table wine,” or vino da tavola (even though most producers do so anyway). The vineyard sources are two sites just outside the city of Aosta proper—one in the hamlet of Cossan, at 640 meters’ elevation, and the other in La Rochère, at 590 meters. These sites, like most Valle d’Aosta vineyards, are perched on steep terraces on the north bank of the Dora Baltea, enjoying full-south exposure and intense luminosity in an otherwise cool climate—so while the reds are typically taut and high-toned in style (think of the great reds of the Savoie, on the other side of the Alps), there’s plenty of wild-berry fruit to complement the deep minerality imparted by the region’s morainic (glacial deposits) soils.
And as you might have guessed, this is a tiny-production wine, like everything in the Valle d’Aosta. Only about 4,000 bottles are produced per year, making the $29 price tag that much more appealing—you get the rarity factor without the accompanying tariff. In the glass, the Vin des Chanoines is a bright garnet red with hints of pink at the rim, with a perfumed mix of fruit, florals, and spice on the nose: red currants, cherries, black and red raspberries, gentian, rose petals, black pepper, clove, leather (there’s the Nebbiolo poking through) and forest floor. It is medium-bodied, with soft tannins and a long, lingering fruitiness on the mid-palate followed by a refreshing blast of mouth-watering freshness. Serving it at a cool 55 degrees in Burgundy stems will point up its red/purple fruit and floral notes, without sacrificing its distinctive spiciness. You will notice some kindred qualities with great Cru Beaujolais, Savoie Reds, and especially the ethereal Nebbiolo-based reds of Italy’s Valtellina, and food pairings should be chosen accordingly. I’ve always found taut reds like this to be a perfect counter-balance to rich Alpine dishes like fondue, polenta, and the like. Fontina cheese is a star attraction in the Valle d’Aosta and the attached recipe captures the regional culinary vibe perfectly. Enjoy!