Ottin Fumin '21

Elio Ottin founded the Ottin winery in 1989, in the Valle d’Aosta, a small alpine region, beneath Mont Blanc, in northwestern Italy—the country’s smallest and least populated, and with the smallest wine production, as much of the region is too mountainous for viticulture. The plots Ottin purchased were marked by rough, steep terrain, with coarse-grained soil, and had never been planted to grapevines. In 1999 he devoted himself fully to viticulture and winemaking, and he produced his first vintage in 2007. By 2014 he had expanded to 16 hectares of farmland, a mix of vineyards, apple orchards, and grazing land, and his son Nicolas soon joined him in running the estate. 

The vineyards are located at 650 to 700 meters in elevation, with south-facing exposure and vines planted between 1990 and 2014. The vineyards of Fumin, a red variety native to Valle d’Aosta and resilient to cold weather, were planted in 2006. It is typically harvested late in the season, usually late October or November, and after harvest the grapes are dried for two to three weeks in warm, ventilated rooms.

For the Fumin bottling, the grapes were harvested by hand and left to rest for about three weeks in small drying boxes. The grapes then underwent spontaneous fermentation in 30-hectoliter wooden vats, with three weeks of maceration on the skins. The wine was matured for twelve months in a combination of steel vats and oak barrels, and then rested in bottle for four months before release.

Ottin’s Fumin has aromas of dark berries and black plum, both fresh and dried, as well as thyme, cured black olives, smoke, cedar, and baking spices. On the palate, the fruit is tarter, and the wine is medium bodied, with moderately grippy tannins and medium-plus acidity. Try Fumin with a charcuterie plate, aged cheeses, or dishes featuring red or gamy meats, such as duck carnitas.