Voyat ‘Le Muraglie’ Vino Rosso 2015

Estate: The Voyat family has been making wine in Chambave, a region in Valle d’Aoste in extreme northwestern Italy since the 1800’s. Headed today by Marilena Voyat, she follows in the footsteps of her pioneering winemaking father, Ezio Voyat. The steep, mountainside vineyard is just under 5 hectares, held into place with stone walls. In refence to these walls that contain the loose sandy soils, and help in preventing mountainsides, the name ‘Le Muraglie’ translates to ‘stone walls’. The ancient vines are pre-phylloxera [planted by Marilena’s great, great grandfather] and are farmed with low intervention, organic methods. For a detailed look at the estate, check out Into the Unknown: Ezio Voyat Wines over on the Grape Collective.

Tasting Notes: Dark red-violet in colour with aromas of mashed, fresh cherries, black tea, earth and game. Nearly impossibly tart at first, but all that tart fruit diffuses into juicy, wild berry jam embraced by smoke and earth. Fresh acidity and firm tannins glide into the plush, fruity finish. Engaging and powerful, with a mercurial quality, a bottle you won’t soon forget.

50% Petite Rouge, 40% Gros Vein, 10% Dolcetto
Vino Rosso
Italy
Estate Bottled by Azienda Agricola La Gazzella di Voyat Marilena
13% Alcohol
$34 [average price]