Elio Ottin, Torrette Superieur, Vallée d’Aoste, Italy
Torrette Superieur must be a blend, with at least 70% Petite Rouge. Ottin’s enticing red is a blend of 90% Petite Rouge, which gives it a smooth and silky base. The 10% Fumin is used more like a spice, adding a delightful touch of earthy funkiness.
Easy to drink, versatile with food, this is not a showstopper-blockbuster ‘look at me’ wine, but a solid, satisfying table wine (which style, by the way, is still prominent in Italy.) Light-bodied but intense, with nervy acids and tart sour-cherry fruit, this is one of the most accommodating red wines you’ll find.
Don’t concern yourself with food pairings; this wine is amenable to everything. A crisp, al dente gazpacho? No problem. Moules Mariniere? Piece of cake. Mussels Korean-style? A natural combination. The Torrette handled itself with perfect aplomb, adopting itself to any occasion.
Some might disparage the Aosta wines as being “rustic”, often a code word for poorly made or low-tech wines flawed with acetic acid or funky bacteria. There’s no rusticity here: this is bright, vivacious, and lively---with what the French call “nervosité” (which means lively and nervy as opposed to nervous).