Rosé Valle d'Aosta DOP

Les Cretes – Valle d'Aosta

Why We Chose This When we promoted the Rose packs last summer, we were surprised by the customers' interest and became enthusiastic about continuing our search for unique Rosés to add to our selections. As we were packing the rosé at the shipping warehouse last year, an employee creeped over and handed us a bottle from Les Cretes. He whispered in my ear that THIS is the best rosé ever and loyal customers travel from all over the world to buy these wines in Valle d'Aosta. We didn't hesitate to open it that same night and loved the minerally fresh flavors coming from this Northern Alpine wine. The idea to introduce a new and lesser known wine producing region to the club really excited us and we hope you feel the same! Petit Rouge is thought to be native to this region and is usually used as a blending grape to add aromas and color. Hopefully you will feel the crisp flavors coming from 's neighboring Alps and enjoy this refreshing wine!

Winemaking 3 hours of whole cluster cold refrigerated maceration. 12 day fermentation in stainless steel with 2 months of aging on the lees.

Tasting Notes Delicate floral nose with red fruits like strawberry and cranberry. Crisp on palate with white peach, nice structure and acidity and the signature salty finish.

Pairing Appetizers, finger foods, sushi, shellfish.

GRAPE Petit Rouge (indigenous red variety) and from old heirloom clones.

BOTTLES PRODUCED 550 cases

VINEYARD LOCATION The grapes are found in the vineyards of Sarre, the historical vocational area of the Torrette, with south exposure, in the vineyards of Aymavilles and Gressan.

AGE OF VINES 20+ Years Old

AGING POTENTIAL Drink

SERVING TEMPERATURE 10-15°C/50-54°F Langhe Rossese Bianco DOC

Giovanni Manzone – Monforte d'Alba

Why We Chose This Wine The talented and down to earth Manzone family is still under the radar in Monforte. Their Barolos are fantastic but there is one surprising white wine that stands out! Rossese Bianco's roots have been traced back to Cinque Terre and its plantings eventually spread all the way up the Ligurian coast and inland to Piemonte. The Barolo village of Monforte d'Alba seems to have been the perfect spot for this grape in the late 19th century. In the 70s,a handful of winemakers like Manzone started to take the grape seriously and make delicious wines from this rare grape . In Piemonte, the vines were so old and the history was so long that it was recognized as an official Piemontese grape varietal. In 2011 it was granted the official Langhe Rossese Bianco DOC status. There are only approximately 25 acres total of this grape cultivated in Piemonte! The name can be confusing because it sounds like a “red-white” but is thought to have obtained this name for its pinkish tones on the grape while ripening in the sun. The grapes have a good sugar content while maintaining nice acid. The wines are usually quite high in alcohol with intense nose and flavors of green apple and citrus with a nice body and persistence on the palate.

Winemaking Soft press and fermentation in stainless steel with a few hours of skin maceration. Aged in barrels for 1 year with batonnage on the lees and natural decantation in stainless steel tanks with no filtering or clarification.

Tasting Notes Straw yellow with golden tones. Cedar and orange blossoms, acacia and juniper with hints of citrus. Full bodied, soft with fruity flavors of honeydew and white peaches. Long finish. Pairing White meat, fine cuisine with shellfish.

GRAPE VARIETALS 100% Rossese Bianco

VINEYARD LOCATION The original Is located in MGA Barolo Cru Castelletto – Monforte with Eastern exposure and a younger vineyard facing west.

AGE OF VINES 10-38 years

DRINK OR HOLD? Drink

SERVING TEMPERATURE 10-15°C/50-58°F Roero Arneis DOC

Giacomo Fenocchio – Monforte d'Alba

Why We Chose This Wine Claudio Fenocchio is the 5th generation winemaker at this family run winery in the Bussia cru of Monforte d'Alba. He follows a traditional philosophy and hope to best bring out the character of the terroir in all the wines. Although he specializes in the big reds, the Roero Arneis is an excellent effort by Fenocchio. It is not the average simple expression of the grape but creamier and more complex. You will find an intriguing floral and fruity nose with medium body that covers your palate nicely but still has a beautiful freshness. Arneis from Roero, its native land, usually has a minerality that sets it apart! Winemaking The grapes are gently pressed and then the wine-must obtained is refrigerated in stainless steel vats to allow the lees to settle. After 24-36 hours the juice is separated from the lees and fermented at a controlled temperature. Bottling is done in sterile conditions. Aged in stainless steel tanks and matured in the bottle. Tasting Notes The light hay coloring is loaded with greenish reflections. The fragrance is soft and complex, especially inviting with aromas hinting broom, camomile and fresh fruti like white peaches and apricots. The flavor is pleasantly tangy, full and very persistent. Pairing Great as an aperitif. Pairs nicely with saucy dishes white meats and grilled fish

GRAPE VARIETALS 100% Arneis

VINEYARD LOCATION Monteu Roero from only approx. 3 acres

AGE OF VINES 10-15 years old

DRINK OR HOLD? Drink

SERVING TEMPERATURE 10-12°C/50-54F° Petite Arvine DOP

Les Cretes – Valle d'Aosta

Why We Chose This Wine We wanted to take you on a journey a bit North of Piemonte to the bordering region of Valle d'Aosta known for the Petite Arvine white grape varietal.The cool temperatures are fantastic for giving an incredibly intense aroma to the wine.

Les Cretes is considered one of the most historical and well regarded wineries in that region and best known for their award winning Chardonnay – this year voted the best white wine in ! When we chose an Aosta white wine for your selection, we tasted their whole line-up. While the Chardonnay was delicious, it was creamier and more similar to an international or Burgundy style. But what actually excited us the most was one of their simplest wines, Petite Arvine! The grape is unique and has a beautiful purity that we love. Thought to originate in but planted for centuries in Valle d'Aosta, it is considered one of its native grapes. Wines from the Alps boast a beautiful minerality that we surely wanted you to experience. The Petite Arvine expresses just that with a light and delicate mouthfeel but with very intense flavors and a salty persistence. Winemaking Soft press of refrigerated grapes.12 days of fermentation at low temps in stainless steel.Fining on the lees for 1-2 months. Tasting Notes Floral nose of jasmine and peonies with hints of green apple, yellow plums and lime. Delicate on the palate with flinty and salty flavors with medium persistence

Pairing Shellfish dishes

GRAPE VARIETALS 100% Petite Arvine (small grapes from Arvine variety) It is especially resistant to cold temps in the mountains and needs the sunniest exposure because of late ripening.

VINEYARD LOCATION Champorette e Bufferia di Aymavilles, Frissonniere di Saint Christophe In Valle D'Aosta on steep hills at high altitude up to 700 mt. Which requires enormous fatigue and work.

DRINK OR HOLD? Drink

SERVING TEMPERATURE 10-12°C/50-54° F Blanc de Blancs Alta Langa DOCG

Contratto - Canelli

Why We Chose This Wine Contratto is the most historical classic method sparkling wine house in Italy and was the first in all of Italy in 1919 to make a vintage sparkling wine! It is also the home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site where they have the underground cathedrals dedicated to making and storing the wine. The town of Canelli is also known for Moscato d'Asti and Asti Spumante so I would say it is a bubbly town! Believe it or not, Contratto was actually the personal supplier of wines to the Italian Royal Family and the Vatican at the turn of the 20th century.

Contratto winery has changed hands over the course of time but is now owned by the famous La Spinetta winery. The Rivetti family has raised the bar of quality and dedicates this winery soley to the production of traditional method wines (metodo classico). Visiting this historical building which keeps winding further and further underground is always a magnificent treat. Unbelievably all the bottles are still riddled (rotated) by hand. Mauro is the master “riddler” who has been specializing in this job for 40 years (since he was 16 years old) and has become quite a celebrity for his 300 bottle turns per minute!

Winemaking Grapes are handpicked and kept separate from different vineyards. After first fermentation with native yeasts the wines are then blended together before the second fermentation in the bottle done with native yeasts as well.Wine rests on the lees for approximately 4 years! Riddling done by hand.

Tasting Notes Golden yellow color. White stone fruit on the nose with citrus, slate and tree blossoms. Vertical on the palate with a nice mineral note balanced by a nice creaminess. Persistent bubbles.

Pairing Finger foods and fish

GRAPE VARIETALS 100% Chardonnay

BOTTLES PRODUCED 650 cases

DRINK OR HOLD? Drink

SERVING TEMPERATURE 6-8°C/42-46°F Sterbu Chardonnay

Cantina Rizzi - Treiso

Why We Chose This Wine Sterbu is a bit of a gamble on my part. Sending you a cloudy wine might put some people off but it is the unfiltered nature of this beautiful crisp Chardonnay grown in the Barbaresco area that we love. Sterbu is fun because it is summery and means “cloudy” in Piemontese dialect. When Ernesto started the Rizzi winery in the 70s thanks to his passion for red wines, the same could not be said for his wife. In order to get her to drink wine and make her happy, he tried to at least find a white wine she could enjoy. This attempt caused him to plant Chardonnay many decades ago. It worked! Chardonnay has become important to the family especially when the son Enrico took over and used it for his beloved Alta Langa sparkling wine. But while eating at “Da Felicin” in Monforte one night, the owner/chef and Enrico came up with this wine as a playful bet to make an unfiltered Chard on the lees. The son Enrico is a type of Renaissance man who makes wine, plays basketball and has an incredible talent for photography and painting. This label for this unique wine is actually one of his very own drawings! We love this Chardonnay for its freshness and fun vibe. You can shake it up to make sure the lees are evenly distributed or leave them at the bottom!

Winemaking Soft press after manual . Fermentation in stainless steel and 6 months aging in steel on the lees with various battonages (lee stirring) during that time. Wine is bottled without any clarifications or filtering.

Tasting Notes Citrus and yellow fruit aromas, bright lemon on the palate with some yeasty pan brioche notes from the lees.

Pairing Anchovies with green parsley sauce or vitello tonnato.

GRAPE VARIETALS 100% Chardonnay

BOTTLES PRODUCED 100 cases

VINEYARD LOCATION Treiso - Barbaresco

AGE OF VINES 20+ Years Old

AGING POTENTIAL If you want to shake up the lees to make it cloudy you will taste more of the yeasty pan brioche or you can leave the sediment at the bottom for a fruitier expression of the wine.

SERVING TEMPERATURE 8-10°C/50-53°F