L'ENFER d'ARVIER Inspired by San Francisco’s two high holy days, Halloween and the Day of the Dead, we bring you three hellaciously good red wines from a hot and tiny patch of the Valle d’Aosta, the mountainous (and also tiny) Northwestern region of Italy. Since at least the 13th century, not long before Dante wrote his Inferno, vineyards have produced wines in the Enfer d’Arvier, or “Hell of Arvier,” a steeply terraced natural amphitheatre where daytime temperatures make the place feel like an oven ready for roasting. Despite the heat, Enfer d’Arvier wines are refreshingly low in alcohol (about 12%). They’re also velvety and full of peppery, berry-ripe flavor from an unusual blend of grapes. (Though the DOC covers only 5 hectares, or a little more than one-tenth of Golden Gate Park, it contains a devilishly eclectic range of Italian and French fruits.) The mix generally starts with about 85% Petit Rouge (an Italian native, despite its French name), with the remainder made up of unusual varietals like Vien de Nus and Mayolet, along with more common types like Dolcetto, Pinot Nero and Gamay. Three favorites: 1. L' Enfer D'Arvier Vallee d'Aoste Rosso 2009 The importer calls this one a great "entry level" Enfier d'Arvier, made of a blend of grapes grown by the Arvier commune, with medium body and "racy" red fruit.
http://www.biondivino.com/wine/region/val_d_Aosta/471/
$24. bottle | 3 in stock now
2. L'Enfer D'Arvier Mayolet Vin des Seigneurs 2008 This "wine of nobles" gives nod to the 11th century feudal lords of the small Valldostean village of Avise, who controlled access to the town's crossroads, represented on the label by two green lines.
http://www.biondivino.com/wine/region/val_d_Aosta/470/
$24. bottle | 6 in stock
3. Danilo Thomain Enfer d’Arvier 2008 From winemaker Danilo Thomain, the only independent producer in Enfer d'Arvier.
http://www.biondivino.com/wine/region/val_d_Aosta/581/
$33. bottle | 10 in stock now
-emily kaiser for biondivino
