Danilo Thomain - Enfer D'arvier 2022

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Producer	Danilo Thomain
Country	Italy
Region	Valle d'Aosta
Subregion	Enfer d'Arvier
Varietal	Petit Rouge
Vintage	2022
Sku	12017170
Size	750ml

 

What can I say except that this is quite frankly one of the wines whose arrival I look forward to every year more than just about any other! I was first blown away by its utterly unique, one-off character during a ski trip to Cervinia in the Italian Alps (after the best day of skiing I ever had in the Alpen glow of the Matterhorn!) It was perfectly paired with a Veal Chop Val d'Aosta - double cut thickness, stuffed with crisped sage, melted fontina, and prosciutto - heaven! It has been one of my favorite wines ever since, and when it arrives, if there is any left we’ll recreate that great dinner.

It is always just ever so slightly rustic, with beautiful aromas of dried herbs, dried cherry, sour cherry, with moderate tannins, a lovely core of fruit, seamless from start to finish, with a hint of underlying stony minerality that stems directly from this wines' roots in the solid rock vineyard where it is grown.

Meanwhile if you plan on enjoying it at home and don’t have a veal chop handy don't worry! It's perfect for spring and summer grilling - with chicken, pork, burgers, steaks and lamb, or with pizza or pasta dishes of all kinds.

Those of you who bought this from us over the years already know how totally awesome this wine is - those who haven't owe it to yourselves to try it! One of my favorite finds of all time is Danilo Thomain's Enfer d'Arvier - rare, delicious and totally unique. From its spectacular label to the little known grapes and region where it is made, this is a one off indeed.

It's made from grapes grown in the tiny Enfer d’Arvier appellation (only five hectares in the entire DOC!), with vineyards located in an amphitheater-shaped bowl on extremely steep, terraced slopes in a high-altitude Alpine valley.

This site provides excellent sun exposure, concentrating and capturing the sunlight, creating a unique microclimate with huge diurnal temperature swings - very warm during the day, with temperatures plunging at night due to the high altitude. The name of the wine, which translates to the "hell of Arvier'' reflects this, as well as the hard work required to farm here. Danilo's the only independent vigneron working this tiny appellation, with just one hectare of vineyards in the shadow of Mont Blanc.

It’s 90% Petit Rouge, an obscure grape not widely grown outside the Valle d'Aosta, if anywhere, with 10% Pinot Noir, Gamay, and Gamaret making up the balance. The vines are rooted in sandy glacial moraines on steeply terraced south-facing vineyards in a natural amphitheater overlooking the Dora Baltea/Doire Baltée river. Natural farming methods are employed (lutte raisonnee) with vines averaging 35-40 years old. It also has one of the greatest labels on earth!!