Rosset, the allure of the Valle d’Aosta terroir

The young estate of the Rosset family has climbed to the top of regional winemaking thanks to continual research and experimentation.

I have always been fascinated by winemaking in Valle d’Aosta. The vineyards around the main road climb to high altitudes, harvests are often cold or even at times done in the snow and yet everything is done naturally without anyone claiming to be a hero. Perhaps this is why not much is said about this land and at times it surprises me. I believe that high altitudes can produce Italy’s best Chardonnay, as well as both white and red native grapes the wines from which are so interesting and often age long, as I have already said in DoctorWine.

Recently, thanks to the top enologist Luca D’Attoma, I discovered the Rosset Terroir estate. It was love at first sight thanks to some wines that were truly outstanding and I was sorry that our Essential Guide 202 had already been “closed”.

The estate is a relatively young one, founded in 2001 with the planting of vines in three areas of the valley in order to benefit from the best terroir for the various varieties, which included native as well as French varietals that have been in the area for a long time like Chardonnay. Winegrowing is focused on the quest for the highest quality possible, while in the well-equipped winery experimentation is carried out on a daily basis. They produce a total of some 30,000 bottles a year from seven hectares of estate vineyards.

These are my “heart wines”, as Veronelli would say.

Valle d’Aosta Chardonnay 2018 

95/100 - € 22

Made from Chardonnay grapes and matured in part in barriques and in part in stainless steel. The wine has a pale, straw color with bright reflections and the intense and clear bouquet has notes of white flowers, medlar, lime and grapefruit with light nuances of green olives. Wonderful. The mouthfeel is quite thick and flavorful with a winning progression and it is never sickly sweet but agile with a very persistent finish. Unexpected elegance. Fascinating.

Sopraquota 900 2018 

93/100 - € 38

This blend is made with grapes from an over-30-year-old vineyard that is situated at an altitude of over 900m above sea level and the estate wants to keep the composition of the blend a secret. The varietals are harvested separately and the wine matures in part in amphorae, in part in pots, in part in barriques and in part in stainless steel. The beautiful result is a wine that blows your mind and excites your senses. The color is a bright straw-yellow and the complex aroma is a mixture of white fruit, peach and medlar with floral sensations that lean towards yellow but not excessively so. The tight mouthfeel has a broad and consistent progression with a sapidity that makes it an agile and very flavorful drop. The finish is very persistent. A wine that will improve with age.

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