<p>Franco Noussan is a “<glossary title="481">garagiste</glossary>” in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="981">St Christophe</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> a small village in the hills above the town of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="109">Aosta</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> His <glossary title="251">cave</glossary> is dug into the hillside and is literally an extension of his garage. He is a professor at the local university in <glossary title="109">Aosta</glossary> and when not teaching, he likes to work in the vineyards and make wine and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="411">eaux-de-vie</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p>The grapes are from small family <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> in different areas near <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="981">St-Christophe</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> In 1999, his family acquired vineyards from his wife Gabriella’s side. They were all <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="740">old vines</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the majority over 70 years old, planted in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="781">Petit Rouge</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="644">Mayolet</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary title="473">Fumin</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="803">Pinot Gris</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The vines are all over 40 years and the majority much older. In 2003 he also began renting some vineyards and now has about 5.5 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of surface. The vineyards are worked without <glossary title="526">herbicides</glossary> and are <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="810">plowed</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The <glossary title="1129">yields</glossary> are kept small. He started making wine just for the family's and friends’ consumption, but then began <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary> and selling the wine in 2005 under his own name. The grapes are <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="520">harvested by hand</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the <glossary title="441">fermentations</glossary> are with <glossary title="538">indigenous yeast</glossary> in <glossary title="986">stainless steel</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1140">tanks</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary title="827">pressed</glossary> using a <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1200">hand press</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> then the wine is <glossary title="74">aged</glossary> in smaller <glossary title="731">oak</glossary> <glossary title="142">barrels</glossary> from a year to 14 months. The wines are <glossary title="185">bottled</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="447">unfiltered</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> All of this done in Franco’s garage <span class="zalup"><span>/<glossary title="251">cave</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The <glossary title="1034">Torrette</glossary> is <glossary title="781">Petit Rouge</glossary> over 70% and the rest is <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="644">Mayolet</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary title="338">Cornalin</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1088">Vien de Nus</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
producer visit12.08.2019
A Visit with Franco Noussan
This visit with Franco Noussan took place in May 2014
<p><strong><em>This visit with Franco Noussan took place in May 2014.</em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Words by Jules Dressner. Photos by Jill Berheimer, Josefa Concannon and David Norris.</em></strong></p>
<p><span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="111">Vallée d'Aoste</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Holy shit.</p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//b2/15/b215f04cde4378991f19aa69612cff08.jpg" /></p>
<p>In all of my years of visiting <glossary title="1103">viticultural</glossary> regions, <glossary title="110">Aoste</glossary> just might be the most visually remarkable. You can't take a picture here without it looking majestic! Proof's in the pudding: the picture above, is the view from Franco Noussan's front yard. <br />
<br />
Speaking of Franco, he lives in the <glossary title="322">commune</glossary> of Maillod, which itself is part of the town of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="981">Saint Christophe</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> If all these names sound kind of French to you, that's because they are: <glossary title="110">Aoste</glossary> used to be part of the <em><glossary title="925">Royaume de Savoie</glossary></em>, and only became part of Italy in the aftermath of World War 1. In such, Franco speaks a local dialect called <em>Patois</em> with his wife and daughters, but is fluent in French and Italian. <br />
<br />
<em>"We are not French, we are not Italian. We are people of the </em><glossary title="94"><em>Alps</em></glossary><em>." </em></p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//58/25/582546211dfbf351075001dbe201c4a6.jpg" /></p>
<p>Though vines have been planted in <glossary title="110">Aoste</glossary> since Roman times, the idea of <glossary title="1026">terroir</glossary> driven <glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary> is a recent one, only dating back to the 1970's. This is because more traditional, rural ways of living were abandoned and forgotten during the Industrial Revolution. <br />
<br />
As locals began working in the metal industry to build railroads, <glossary title="110">Aoste</glossary> wine became for family consumption, while the more established <glossary title="1103">viticultural</glossary> region of<font color="#7b143e"><strong> <glossary term="Piemonte" title="793">Piemonte</glossary></strong></font> began providing them every day wine. <br />
<br />
<em>"Our tiny micro vineyards could not compete with our much more established neighbors in<font color="#7b143e"><strong> <glossary term="Piemonte" title="793"><em>Piemonte</em></glossary></strong></font>."</em><br />
<br />
The first vineyard we visited was young <glossary term="Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio" title="803">Pinot Gris</glossary> planted in 2007.</p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//c3/70/c37048108c0247895c830993945eea05.jpg" /></p>
<p>The vines are planted in very high density and in <glossary title="335">Cordon</glossary> to reduce <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1129">yields</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//97/7b/977b97e07d35bce65284799206dc1dbf.jpg" /></p>
<p>The <glossary title="419">elevation</glossary> here is 1300m! As we walked through the vines, Franco started breaking down some of his <glossary title="1103">viticultural</glossary> practices.</p>
<p><br />
<img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//60/05/6005145d7356892fc8294273c6b2daa8.jpg" /></p>
<p>In a new plantation, he always uses a small amount of <glossary title="526">herbicide</glossary> along the rows for the first three years of their growth. This is because the area has a ton of cereal production, and the grains fly into vineyards because of the wind, then start growing wildly. This creates too much competition for young vines. He also <glossary title="549">irrigates</glossary> the first three years, because <glossary title="110">Aoste</glossary> only gets 500ml of annual rainfall. <br />
<br />
<em>"If the young vines don't get water in their infancy, their roots don't dig deep enough into the soil and won't fully express the </em><glossary title="1026"><em>terroir</em></glossary><em>."</em><br />
<br />
If the vines are over three years old or acquired at a later stage in their growth, Franco never uses <glossary title="526">herbicides</glossary> or <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="549">irrigation</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<em>"After this initial step, I work </em><glossary title="746"><em>organically</em></glossary><em>." </em><br />
<br />
Franco's "<glossary title="427">estate</glossary>" consists of 1.5 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines spread over 13 <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> in three <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="322">communes</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Seven different grapes are grown: <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="">Pinot Noir</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="803">Pinot Gris</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1088">Vien de Nus</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="644">Mayolet</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="338">Cornalin</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary title="">Fumin</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="781">Petit Rouge</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> He rents all of his <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="760">parcels</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> but has fixed them up himself. <br />
<br />
<em>"Everything is small production here. You can't make a "commercial" wine in the sense of volume; the numbers just aren't there. The best you can do is produce a great wine of </em><glossary title="1026"><em>terroir</em></glossary><em> that expresses its place."</em><br />
<br />
Most of the people who currently live in Franco's <glossary title="322">commune</glossary> are residential habitants who work in the nearby city of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="110">Aoste</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Almost no agriculturalists are left. <br />
<br />
The next <glossary title="1133">plot</glossary> we visited was some 20 year old <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//ed/3c/ed3cc70e2a060f6c6be3f177e4182579.jpg" /></p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//7b/77/7b771fc6bc9037ab0bd35002573f2ec9.jpg" /></p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//bb/ef/bbefc00a529620e15e933ee0dd57824d.jpg" /></p>
<p>A tiny part of this <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> is a 90 year old <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="446">field blend</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Though he likes the current results, Franco believes it will take at least 20 more years before these vines produce "really great" grapes.<br />
<br />
Driving to Franco's main site, we passed a 12 year old, very low <glossary title="1129">yielding</glossary> vineyard composed of 70% <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="781">Petit Rouge</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> 30% <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="473">Fumin</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
Our final stop was Franco's main vineyard site, where six of his 13 <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> co-exist amongst his neighbors' vines. It is one of the most stunning vineyards I've ever seen. </p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//69/c5/69c576eb43ffcbd72e4b04ca5b078da8.jpg" /></p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//6e/de/6ede416a2e0fcbca84ad6cee88768d31.jpg" /></p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//66/7d/667d689665241c89632dca232e850920.jpg" /></p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//0a/b5/0ab5cb3f2a5830cd77aaa5e18763156b.jpg" /></p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//33/e0/33e03d5c220d91155d37448e5eabc86c.jpg" /></p>
<p>The vines that produces Franco's <glossary title="1034">Torrette</glossary> are located here, and stand tall at a whopping 710m <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Elevation" title="419">elevation</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The soils consist of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="909">sand</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> and it was abandoned before Franco gave it new life. <br />
<br />
The highest <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> here 800m <glossary title="419">elevation</glossary> planted in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="803">Pinot Gris</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> In the same area, there is some very old <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="781">Petit Rouge</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<em>"I'm not sure how old these vines are, but they are definitely older than me."</em><br />
<br />
Unlike the earlier <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> we visited, which were trained in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="518">Guyot</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the much older vines here are trained in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="497">gobelet</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//54/dc/54dc4403c1e41d12067e14f9da838ab7.jpg" /></p>
<p>The soils in this particular section are very light <glossary title="301">clay</glossary> that breaks up like <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="909">sand</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> <br />
<br />
The sun was beginning to set, so we decided to head back to Franco's house to visit the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="254">cellar</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Unsurprisingly, it is tiny. So small in fact that Franco is forced to <glossary title="1104">vinify</glossary> all of his wines at different times. The wines <glossary title="441">ferment</glossary> off of their <glossary title="538">native yeasts</glossary> for 12 days.<br />
<br />
Along with some incredible local charcuterie and cheese, we tried a bunch of wine. Each bottle features the date of <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> on the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Wine Label" title="573">label</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> and looking at the <glossary term="Lot Number" title="1355">lot number</glossary> is the only way to identify the <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> since it is not listed.</p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//74/2a/742aa1f52b6a0aaa7d34ba7f523a4d9b.jpg" /><br />
<glossary title="163"></glossary></p>
<p>"Blanc de Tzanté": means <em>"little hill"</em> and is all <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="803">Pinot Gris</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> We tried 2012 and 2013, and both had a lot of <strong>Alpine Charm™</strong>. I'm trademarking that because it sounds like the name for a Febreze or Old Spice odor, and you never know with these multi-national corporations! I need to keep my creative endeavors safe!<br />
<br />
<glossary title="">Torrette</glossary> 2012 had a dark <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="">nose</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> with a smoky, <strong>Mountain Freshness™</strong> and herbaceous character. The <glossary title="168">blend</glossary> always consists of 70% <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="781">Petit Rouge</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> but the rest varies <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> to <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> <br />
<br />
The 2011 <glossary title="1034">Torrette</glossary> had a fruitier <glossary title="723">nose</glossary> which also marked the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="756">palate</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> It was the fresher of the 12.</p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//22/42/2242e180ae0387e15382a27d3ebe3b43.jpg" /><br />
<em><glossary title="363"></glossary></em></p>
<p><font color="#7b143e"><strong>"</strong></font>Cuvée de la Cote" is a <glossary term="Blend" title="168">blend</glossary> of all his red grapes, all <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="308">co-fermented</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Both 2012 and 2011 were super <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="495">glugable</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> easy drinking wines. <br />
<br />
<em>"You have to want to drink the wine. If finishing a glass seems like a burden, you haven't done your job correctly." </em></p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//12/b1/12b1dae32e37a211cbf8cdf47ef27b6c.jpg" /></p>
<p>The tasting ended with a 2011 <glossary title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary> that was my favorite of the night.</p>
<p>The spring arrived a little late because the cold. We had the first <glossary title="1179">flowering</glossary> around the 3rd of June with several rainstorms the consequence of which was some <glossary term="Coulure" title="1252">coulure</glossary> of the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1138">bunches</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> especially for the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="803">pinot gris</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Then the weather got better with a good set for the later <glossary title="1179">flowering</glossary> vines like <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="781">petit rouge</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
July was very hot which made up in part for the late spring again specially for the more precocious <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="805">pinot noir</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> but around the end of the month, beginning of August <glossary title="737">odium</glossary> arrived, but I managed to control it well with powdered <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p><br />
Finally, September arrived with ideal temperatures for our vines (hot days and cool nights) helping the grapes acquire sugar and, above all, the <glossary title="120">aromas</glossary> characteristic of our mountain wines. The 16th of September we began the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> with <glossary title="803">Pinot Gris</glossary> for the "Blanc de Tzanté" <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="363">cuvée</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> It was very good quality (14° alcohol, 8 gms total <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary>) but limited quantitatively.<br />
<br />
September 18th we moved on to the <glossary title="805">pinot noir</glossary> (13° alcohol, 8 gms total <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary>) which was in optimal condition.<br />
<br />
Lastly, the first days of October we <glossary title="521">harvested</glossary> the<font color="#7b143e"><strong> "</strong></font>Cuve dela Cote" (13° alcohol, 7.8 gms total <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary>) (NT: a <glossary title="446">field blend</glossary> of very <glossary title="740">old vines</glossary> of local heritage – <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Mayolet" title="644">mayolet</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Cornalin" title="338">cornalin</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Vien de Nus" title="1088">vien de nus</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> etc) also in optimal ripeness but especially good perfume and color.<br />
<br />
We will wait until mid-October to <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> the <glossary title="1034">Torrette</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span>(<glossary title="781">petit rouge</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> et al.)</p>
harvest report24.10.2006
Post Harvest Report: Pretty Satisfied with 2006 in Val d'Aosta
<p>Only until now could you say it is good.<br />
<br />
The 23rd Spetember we started with <glossary title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary> and the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="803">Pinot Gris</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The grapes were beautiful and healthy perhaps with a little less alcohol than in 2005 because we waited an extra 10 days after a rainfall. In fact, the weather was ugly until the end of the month. Now it is beautiful and sunny, hot days still and cold nights which benefit the <glossary title="324">concentration</glossary> of sugars and of aromas.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, we are waiting to pick the <glossary title="1034">Torrette</glossary> grapes, which probably will be Saturday the 14th.Next time I will send you some pictures and an account with more details and the exact data.</p>
<p>I wanted to tell you a little bit more about the 2006 <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> We had a cold spring with some late <glossary title="1135">frost</glossary> then a very hot July in which the vines sped up to normal <glossary title="639">maturity</glossary> and truly seemed to be in the same condition as 2003 (note: 2003 was an unusually hot season in most of Europe), but then in August came the cold again with little precipitation that stopped the quick <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="639">maturation</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
Finally in September in which it was warm, dry and sunny we had some scattered rain, the consequence of which some vines had to wait to be <glossary title="521">harvested</glossary> in order not to compromise the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> I finished the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> on the 21st of October with the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1034">Torrete</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> I am pretty happy. In terms of quantity it is comparable to 2005 with wines of slightly less alcohol than the previous year, but in my opinion more balanced with a more floral <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="120">aroma</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> I will let you know soon when the analyses are done. Here are some pictures of the grapes and the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary>….</p>
<p>Franco Noussan is a “<glossary title="481">garagiste</glossary>” in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="981">St Christophe</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> a small village in the hills above the town of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="109">Aosta</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> His <glossary title="251">cave</glossary> is dug into the hillside and is literally an extension of his garage. He is a professor at the local university in <glossary title="109">Aosta</glossary> and when not teaching, he likes to work in the vineyards and make wine and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="411">eaux-de-vie</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p>The grapes are from small family <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> in different areas near <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="981">St-Christophe</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> In 1999, his family acquired vineyards from his wife Gabriella’s side. They were all <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="740">old vines</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the majority over 70 years old, planted in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="781">Petit Rouge</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="644">Mayolet</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary title="473">Fumin</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="803">Pinot Gris</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The vines are all over 40 years and the majority much older. In 2003 he also began renting some vineyards and now has about 5.5 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of surface. The vineyards are worked without <glossary title="526">herbicides</glossary> and are <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="810">plowed</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The <glossary title="1129">yields</glossary> are kept small. He started making wine just for the family's and friends’ consumption, but then began <glossary title="185">bottling</glossary> and selling the wine in 2005 under his own name. The grapes are <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="520">harvested by hand</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the <glossary title="441">fermentations</glossary> are with <glossary title="538">indigenous yeast</glossary> in <glossary title="986">stainless steel</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1140">tanks</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary title="827">pressed</glossary> using a <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1200">hand press</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> then the wine is <glossary title="74">aged</glossary> in smaller <glossary title="731">oak</glossary> <glossary title="142">barrels</glossary> from a year to 14 months. The wines are <glossary title="185">bottled</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="447">unfiltered</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> All of this done in Franco’s garage <span class="zalup"><span>/<glossary title="251">cave</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The <glossary title="1034">Torrette</glossary> is <glossary title="781">Petit Rouge</glossary> over 70% and the rest is <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="644">Mayolet</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary title="338">Cornalin</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1088">Vien de Nus</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
Article
producer visit12.08.2019
This visit with Franco Noussan took place in May 2014
<p><strong><em>This visit with Franco Noussan took place in May 2014.</em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Words by Jules Dressner. Photos by Jill Berheimer, Josefa Concannon and David Norris.</em></strong></p>
<p><span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="111">Vallée d'Aoste</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Holy shit.</p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//b2/15/b215f04cde4378991f19aa69612cff08.jpg" /></p>
<p>In all of my years of visiting <glossary title="1103">viticultural</glossary> regions, <glossary title="110">Aoste</glossary> just might be the most visually remarkable. You can't take a picture here without it looking majestic! Proof's in the pudding: the picture above, is the view from Franco Noussan's front yard. <br />
<br />
Speaking of Franco, he lives in the <glossary title="322">commune</glossary> of Maillod, which itself is part of the town of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="981">Saint Christophe</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> If all these names sound kind of French to you, that's because they are: <glossary title="110">Aoste</glossary> used to be part of the <em><glossary title="925">Royaume de Savoie</glossary></em>, and only became part of Italy in the aftermath of World War 1. In such, Franco speaks a local dialect called <em>Patois</em> with his wife and daughters, but is fluent in French and Italian. <br />
<br />
<em>"We are not French, we are not Italian. We are people of the </em><glossary title="94"><em>Alps</em></glossary><em>." </em></p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//58/25/582546211dfbf351075001dbe201c4a6.jpg" /></p>
<p>Though vines have been planted in <glossary title="110">Aoste</glossary> since Roman times, the idea of <glossary title="1026">terroir</glossary> driven <glossary title="1103">viticulture</glossary> is a recent one, only dating back to the 1970's. This is because more traditional, rural ways of living were abandoned and forgotten during the Industrial Revolution. <br />
<br />
As locals began working in the metal industry to build railroads, <glossary title="110">Aoste</glossary> wine became for family consumption, while the more established <glossary title="1103">viticultural</glossary> region of<font color="#7b143e"><strong> <glossary term="Piemonte" title="793">Piemonte</glossary></strong></font> began providing them every day wine. <br />
<br />
<em>"Our tiny micro vineyards could not compete with our much more established neighbors in<font color="#7b143e"><strong> <glossary term="Piemonte" title="793"><em>Piemonte</em></glossary></strong></font>."</em><br />
<br />
The first vineyard we visited was young <glossary term="Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio" title="803">Pinot Gris</glossary> planted in 2007.</p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//c3/70/c37048108c0247895c830993945eea05.jpg" /></p>
<p>The vines are planted in very high density and in <glossary title="335">Cordon</glossary> to reduce <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1129">yields</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//97/7b/977b97e07d35bce65284799206dc1dbf.jpg" /></p>
<p>The <glossary title="419">elevation</glossary> here is 1300m! As we walked through the vines, Franco started breaking down some of his <glossary title="1103">viticultural</glossary> practices.</p>
<p><br />
<img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//60/05/6005145d7356892fc8294273c6b2daa8.jpg" /></p>
<p>In a new plantation, he always uses a small amount of <glossary title="526">herbicide</glossary> along the rows for the first three years of their growth. This is because the area has a ton of cereal production, and the grains fly into vineyards because of the wind, then start growing wildly. This creates too much competition for young vines. He also <glossary title="549">irrigates</glossary> the first three years, because <glossary title="110">Aoste</glossary> only gets 500ml of annual rainfall. <br />
<br />
<em>"If the young vines don't get water in their infancy, their roots don't dig deep enough into the soil and won't fully express the </em><glossary title="1026"><em>terroir</em></glossary><em>."</em><br />
<br />
If the vines are over three years old or acquired at a later stage in their growth, Franco never uses <glossary title="526">herbicides</glossary> or <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="549">irrigation</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<em>"After this initial step, I work </em><glossary title="746"><em>organically</em></glossary><em>." </em><br />
<br />
Franco's "<glossary title="427">estate</glossary>" consists of 1.5 <glossary title="523">hectares</glossary> of vines spread over 13 <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> in three <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="322">communes</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Seven different grapes are grown: <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="">Pinot Noir</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="803">Pinot Gris</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1088">Vien de Nus</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="644">Mayolet</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="338">Cornalin</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <glossary title="">Fumin</glossary> and <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="781">Petit Rouge</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> He rents all of his <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="760">parcels</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> but has fixed them up himself. <br />
<br />
<em>"Everything is small production here. You can't make a "commercial" wine in the sense of volume; the numbers just aren't there. The best you can do is produce a great wine of </em><glossary title="1026"><em>terroir</em></glossary><em> that expresses its place."</em><br />
<br />
Most of the people who currently live in Franco's <glossary title="322">commune</glossary> are residential habitants who work in the nearby city of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="110">Aoste</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Almost no agriculturalists are left. <br />
<br />
The next <glossary title="1133">plot</glossary> we visited was some 20 year old <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//ed/3c/ed3cc70e2a060f6c6be3f177e4182579.jpg" /></p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//7b/77/7b771fc6bc9037ab0bd35002573f2ec9.jpg" /></p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//bb/ef/bbefc00a529620e15e933ee0dd57824d.jpg" /></p>
<p>A tiny part of this <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> is a 90 year old <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="446">field blend</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Though he likes the current results, Franco believes it will take at least 20 more years before these vines produce "really great" grapes.<br />
<br />
Driving to Franco's main site, we passed a 12 year old, very low <glossary title="1129">yielding</glossary> vineyard composed of 70% <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="781">Petit Rouge</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> 30% <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="473">Fumin</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
Our final stop was Franco's main vineyard site, where six of his 13 <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> co-exist amongst his neighbors' vines. It is one of the most stunning vineyards I've ever seen. </p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//69/c5/69c576eb43ffcbd72e4b04ca5b078da8.jpg" /></p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//6e/de/6ede416a2e0fcbca84ad6cee88768d31.jpg" /></p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//66/7d/667d689665241c89632dca232e850920.jpg" /></p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//0a/b5/0ab5cb3f2a5830cd77aaa5e18763156b.jpg" /></p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//33/e0/33e03d5c220d91155d37448e5eabc86c.jpg" /></p>
<p>The vines that produces Franco's <glossary title="1034">Torrette</glossary> are located here, and stand tall at a whopping 710m <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Elevation" title="419">elevation</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The soils consist of <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="909">sand</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> and it was abandoned before Franco gave it new life. <br />
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The highest <glossary title="760">parcel</glossary> here 800m <glossary title="419">elevation</glossary> planted in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="803">Pinot Gris</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> In the same area, there is some very old <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="781">Petit Rouge</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<em>"I'm not sure how old these vines are, but they are definitely older than me."</em><br />
<br />
Unlike the earlier <glossary title="760">parcels</glossary> we visited, which were trained in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="518">Guyot</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> the much older vines here are trained in <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="497">gobelet</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> </p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//54/dc/54dc4403c1e41d12067e14f9da838ab7.jpg" /></p>
<p>The soils in this particular section are very light <glossary title="301">clay</glossary> that breaks up like <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="909">sand</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> <br />
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The sun was beginning to set, so we decided to head back to Franco's house to visit the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="254">cellar</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Unsurprisingly, it is tiny. So small in fact that Franco is forced to <glossary title="1104">vinify</glossary> all of his wines at different times. The wines <glossary title="441">ferment</glossary> off of their <glossary title="538">native yeasts</glossary> for 12 days.<br />
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Along with some incredible local charcuterie and cheese, we tried a bunch of wine. Each bottle features the date of <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> on the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Wine Label" title="573">label</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> and looking at the <glossary term="Lot Number" title="1355">lot number</glossary> is the only way to identify the <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> since it is not listed.</p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//74/2a/742aa1f52b6a0aaa7d34ba7f523a4d9b.jpg" /><br />
<glossary title="163"></glossary></p>
<p>"Blanc de Tzanté": means <em>"little hill"</em> and is all <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="803">Pinot Gris</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> We tried 2012 and 2013, and both had a lot of <strong>Alpine Charm™</strong>. I'm trademarking that because it sounds like the name for a Febreze or Old Spice odor, and you never know with these multi-national corporations! I need to keep my creative endeavors safe!<br />
<br />
<glossary title="">Torrette</glossary> 2012 had a dark <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="">nose</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> with a smoky, <strong>Mountain Freshness™</strong> and herbaceous character. The <glossary title="168">blend</glossary> always consists of 70% <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="781">Petit Rouge</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> but the rest varies <glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary> to <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> <br />
<br />
The 2011 <glossary title="1034">Torrette</glossary> had a fruitier <glossary title="723">nose</glossary> which also marked the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="756">palate</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> It was the fresher of the 12.</p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//22/42/2242e180ae0387e15382a27d3ebe3b43.jpg" /><br />
<em><glossary title="363"></glossary></em></p>
<p><font color="#7b143e"><strong>"</strong></font>Cuvée de la Cote" is a <glossary term="Blend" title="168">blend</glossary> of all his red grapes, all <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="308">co-fermented</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Both 2012 and 2011 were super <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="495">glugable</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> easy drinking wines. <br />
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<em>"You have to want to drink the wine. If finishing a glass seems like a burden, you haven't done your job correctly." </em></p>
<p><img src="http://louisdressner.com/uploads/images/article/2019_Aug_12//12/b1/12b1dae32e37a211cbf8cdf47ef27b6c.jpg" /></p>
<p>The tasting ended with a 2011 <glossary title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary> that was my favorite of the night.</p>
<p>The spring arrived a little late because the cold. We had the first <glossary title="1179">flowering</glossary> around the 3rd of June with several rainstorms the consequence of which was some <glossary term="Coulure" title="1252">coulure</glossary> of the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1138">bunches</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> especially for the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="803">pinot gris</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> Then the weather got better with a good set for the later <glossary title="1179">flowering</glossary> vines like <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="781">petit rouge</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
July was very hot which made up in part for the late spring again specially for the more precocious <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="805">pinot noir</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> but around the end of the month, beginning of August <glossary title="737">odium</glossary> arrived, but I managed to control it well with powdered <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="993">sulfur</glossary><span>.</span></span></span></p>
<p><br />
Finally, September arrived with ideal temperatures for our vines (hot days and cool nights) helping the grapes acquire sugar and, above all, the <glossary title="120">aromas</glossary> characteristic of our mountain wines. The 16th of September we began the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> with <glossary title="803">Pinot Gris</glossary> for the "Blanc de Tzanté" <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="363">cuvée</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> It was very good quality (14° alcohol, 8 gms total <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary>) but limited quantitatively.<br />
<br />
September 18th we moved on to the <glossary title="805">pinot noir</glossary> (13° alcohol, 8 gms total <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary>) which was in optimal condition.<br />
<br />
Lastly, the first days of October we <glossary title="521">harvested</glossary> the<font color="#7b143e"><strong> "</strong></font>Cuve dela Cote" (13° alcohol, 7.8 gms total <glossary title="71">acidity</glossary>) (NT: a <glossary title="446">field blend</glossary> of very <glossary title="740">old vines</glossary> of local heritage – <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Mayolet" title="644">mayolet</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Cornalin" title="338">cornalin</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> <span class="zalup"><span><glossary term="Vien de Nus" title="1088">vien de nus</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> etc) also in optimal ripeness but especially good perfume and color.<br />
<br />
We will wait until mid-October to <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> the <glossary title="1034">Torrette</glossary> <span class="zalup"><span>(<glossary title="781">petit rouge</glossary><span>,</span></span></span> et al.)</p>
<p>Only until now could you say it is good.<br />
<br />
The 23rd Spetember we started with <glossary title="805">Pinot Noir</glossary> and the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="803">Pinot Gris</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> The grapes were beautiful and healthy perhaps with a little less alcohol than in 2005 because we waited an extra 10 days after a rainfall. In fact, the weather was ugly until the end of the month. Now it is beautiful and sunny, hot days still and cold nights which benefit the <glossary title="324">concentration</glossary> of sugars and of aromas.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, we are waiting to pick the <glossary title="1034">Torrette</glossary> grapes, which probably will be Saturday the 14th.Next time I will send you some pictures and an account with more details and the exact data.</p>
<p>I wanted to tell you a little bit more about the 2006 <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> We had a cold spring with some late <glossary title="1135">frost</glossary> then a very hot July in which the vines sped up to normal <glossary title="639">maturity</glossary> and truly seemed to be in the same condition as 2003 (note: 2003 was an unusually hot season in most of Europe), but then in August came the cold again with little precipitation that stopped the quick <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="639">maturation</glossary><span>.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
Finally in September in which it was warm, dry and sunny we had some scattered rain, the consequence of which some vines had to wait to be <glossary title="521">harvested</glossary> in order not to compromise the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1109">vintage</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> I finished the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary> on the 21st of October with the <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="1034">Torrete</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> I am pretty happy. In terms of quantity it is comparable to 2005 with wines of slightly less alcohol than the previous year, but in my opinion more balanced with a more floral <span class="zalup"><span><glossary title="120">aroma</glossary><span>.</span></span></span> I will let you know soon when the analyses are done. Here are some pictures of the grapes and the <glossary title="521">harvest</glossary>….</p>