IAR Vuillermin Valle d’Aosta DOC 2018

The news from top winemaking institutes often circles the innovative technologies shaping the future of viticulture.  However, not all studies revolve around mechanization, and as humans, we know that studying the past can positively inform our prospects.  The Institut Agricole Régionale (or IAR) was established in Italy in the early 1950s to provide vocational training in the agricultural sector.  Over its first 30 years, wine grapes quickly became the focus crop-wise for research and experimentation, with fruit and dairy a far second and third.  It was in the early 1980s that the IAR put itself on the map as a trusted reference for Italian grape growing when a student conducting research in vineyards close to the institute re-discovered an ancient Italian varietal Vuillermin, pronounced “Vwee-yair-meen.”

The once thought-to-be-extinct Vuillermin is indigenous to the northwestern region of Italy known as Valle d’Aosta, where the country borders Switzerland and France by way of the Graian Alps Mountain range.  The valley floor soils in Valle d’Aosta are too rich and nutrient-dense for successful grape growing, so many of the region’s vineyards are planted to the lower half of the slopes.  The tall peaks provide coverage from rain and harsh winds, allowing for dry and warm conditions in the summer yet fiercely cold nighttime temperatures.  Vuillermin is a genetic cross between Fumin (another grape native to Aosta) and an unknown varietal that is most likely extinct.  Despite the IAR’s efforts to reinvigorate the varietal among local growers, there are still only a handful of vineyards planted with Vuillermin as it is a late-ripening grape, which proves tricky in the region as harvest passes and temperatures steadily drop.  Only two producers in Italy make a single-varietal Vuillermin, and Institut Agricole Régionale is one of the two.  With much of the Val d’Aosta wine production staying within the region, it is a unique treat to share the IAR 2018 Vuillermin with our Pulse club members.

After de-stemming and maceration, the wine underwent a slow and cold fermentation over 19 days.  Aging took place in three stages: the first 12 months in French oak barrels, the next three months in stainless steel, and a final month of bottle-aging before release.  Vuillermin is a potently perfumed grape, and this wine is no exception, bursting with ripe red fruit, bitter citrus, and tonic botanicals.  The time in oak softened the gripping, structured tannins while adding a toasted note to the flavors of plum, Bing cherry, and wild raspberry.  Let your inner wine nerd geek out and taste this bottle over time; open one now and save a couple for the future.  Time will reveal the beguiling layers of this one-of-a-kind wine.