In praise of Vuillermin, Mataossu, Asprinio, Durello and Torbato

These Italian grapes are from Aosta, Liguria, Campania, Veneto and Sardegna which just goes to show native and rare varieties (autoctonous) can be found everywhere in that country. All these varieties have made wines we have enjoyed immensely this year. 

First, three outstandingly delicious sparkling wines. Prosecco producers might as well pack up and go to be frank. If ever news gets out about these three beauties, it will be curtains for them. 

Of these three graces our favourite and the most obscure was the Asprinio. Luigi Veronelli called Asprinio (the still version) 'The best wine in the world to drink with Pizza.' That was not the first connotation that came to mind. I Borboni's Asprinio Frizzante has personality and attraction in high measure and could be drunk just whenever you might want something memorable and toothsome. It earns the Slotovino 'Mmmm' award.

Equally delicious but in a more restrained way is the sparkling Torbato from Sella and Mosca. Previously we have wondered who needs Chardonnay when you can have Torbato. Well, that may ne a little overstated but a Torbato from Sella and Mosca - perhaps the only producers working with this grape? - or a great Encruzado makes you think Chardonnay is not alone at the top of the tree as it were.

The third beauty was the Sparkling Durello from Montecchia. Strangely, Durello wine is not made with Durello grapes. It is made with Durella grapes. That might be a good trick question for the MW exams. Durello can be made dry, sweet or sparkling as here. Versatile, a bit like Verduzzo. Again. this Brut was a winner in terms of personality.

Staying with the whites but in this case a still wine, we enjoyed this Punta Crena Mataossu just as much as any of the above. Like them, a distinct personality was to the fore. We do like a wine with personality but we can imagine the strong features of these wines might deter more fastidious palates. 

In October 2023 we bought this bottle of Mataossu together with the Lumassina (third and fourth from right respectively) both made by Paolo Ruffino of Punta Crena, Varigotti. Mataossu is a synonym of Lumassina so it was a surprise to discover that the former was so much better than the latter. In fact D;Agata tells us the 'some believe [Mataossu] to be an unrelated variety and on the strength of this wine we can quite believe that.

This bottle of the Aosta red variety Vuillermin had languished in a cupboard since we bought it from Valerio Sola at Vinateca Sola, Genova in 2019, so much so that we wondered if it would have held up.

No need to worry; Vuillermin is obviously a robust variety and interestingly it has a characteristic one would have thought would have recommended it to growers in its native mountainous region: resistance to sunburn. 

D'Agata says Vuillermin is best described as a cross between Mayolet and Cornalin, two other native grapes of the Vallee D'Aosta. He also charts the progress of the other Aosta grapes making monovarietal wines which he says were Primetta, Fumin, Cornalin and Mayolet in that order. 

'Wine Grapes' gives us further information on Vuillermin. It is a natural cross between Fumin and another unknown and probably extinct variety and is therefore a nephew/niece of Petit Rouge. 

Also we read in 'Wine Grapes' that it was rescued in extremis from old vineyards in Pontey and Chatillon by Giulio Moriondo, ampelographer at the Institut Agricole Regional in Aosta. at the end of the last century. At the time of the publication of 'Wine Grapes' (2012), there were only three vineyards planted with Vuillamin. In 2000, it covered only a tenth of a hectare.

It is impossible to overstate what an excellent variety this is. Once more, a distinct and appealing personality shines through.