Biography
The Charrère are an old family of upper Savoy, residents of the Valle d’Aosta since the mid-18th century.
Bernardin, the progenitor of the line, constructed the historic edifice which houses the original cellars and the mill for walnut oil and cereals at Aymavilles to the north of Aosta. For many years the Charrère estate has been in the hands of Costantino Charrère, today assisted by his daughters Eleonora and Elena. Some years ago, Charrère, though still using the historic cellars for small lots of wines, created a new firm called Les Crêtes, a modern, functional plant outside of the town close to where the vineyards begin.
But more than on the new cellar, Charrère counts on vineyards in strategic positions, well exposed and on fine soils. Like the Vigna La Tour, just a short distance from the cellar, a vineyard which radiates like spokes from a central tower.
Or like the vineyard called Les Fourches above Aosta, on the southern slopes of the mountain, which takes its name from the gallows which once, in the Middle Ages, were located on the spot. Working with passion, struggling with the adversity of the site (the micro-climate, the altitude, the slope) Charrère stubbornly cultivates his vineyards to obtain the finest grapes he can.
The results are on his side, as the Chardonnay Cuvée Bois demonstrates, an opulent, silky, delicate, and elegant wine which has amazed critics all over the world, a wine which, in blind tastings, is often taken for a Montrachet or something similar. Very interesting as well is the regular Chardonnay of the house, Frissonière, with no wood aging. Petite Arvine is a lovely white wine, made from the grape of the same name, originally from the Vallese area of Switzerland but a variety which has admirably adapted to the Valle d’Aosta as well: mineral, tasty, vigorous. Fumin is a very original wine which uses a native grape of the valley, purple in color and very fruity, well suited to oak aging. CÔteau La Tour is also very fine, with original aromas, grapey and very much an expression of the Valle d’Aosta