Petit Rouge

[bobby06877]

I just recently tried a great Italian wine called Le Muraglie from Ezio Voyat. It was highly recommended to me by a friend and it was a nice refreshing change of pace from the wines I had been drinking. The wine is a blend of Petit Rouge, Dolcetto and Gros Wein. Can anyone recommend any other wines that may use petit rouge grapes? I am unable to find much information on that grape variey, very often a search of the name comes up with a variety called petit verdot. Also, what exactly is "gros wein"? Again, I was unable to find much information. Any help appreciated. Thanks

[jasmurph]

I think it's actually Gros Vien (which makes a lot more sense spelling-wise, this being a frenchy area), which is a blend of Vien de nus (a white grape) and petit rouge. I think. Italian wine is tricky.

[Robert Lauriston]

You're right, it's gros vein. Victor Hazan says it's a synonym for vien de nus.

[bobby06877]

I think you must be right since I am unable to find any refernce to Gros Wein anywhere but the description of the wine on the wine stores web site which reads, in part, that Le Muraglie "is a blend of Petit Rouge, Dolcetto and Gros Wein, grape varieties central to the "valdostana" blending style". I was told that this region of Italy, due to its proximity to France, often mixes and creates some of its own terminology based on both the Italian and French language.

[Robert Lauriston]

The Valdostana dialect has a heavy French influence.

Many of the grape varieties grown there are unknown elsewhere.

[obob96]

You might also try looking for mondeuse-based reds from the Savoie, or Piedmont's grignolino or ruche-based reds for relatively light, fragrant mountainside alternatives to nebbiolo. I'd love to find here (NY) a Rossesse di Dolceacqua from Liguria--remember it as a particularly delicious aromatic, mid-weight, berryish quaffer.

[Robert Lauriston]

What a funny coincidence, we had a bottle last night, a Les Cretes Vallee d'Aoste Torrette 2004. Very light, nice nose, good balance. Interesting fruit.

[bobby06877]

I agree, it is a nice light wine and a great change of pace from the nebbiolo obsession my wife has been having lately. I appreciate the link you provided in your earlier post.

[zin1953]

In "Vines, Grapes & Wines," Jancis Robinson's 1986 classic book, she writes: "Petit Rouge is the red variety of the Aosta valley, ripening fairly late to produce deep-coloured flowery wines without too much acid." (page 210) She does not list "Gros Wein" as either a grape variety or a synonym of one.

[carswell]

The above is consistent with the newly published 3rd edition of *The Oxford Companion to Wine*. No entry for Gros Wein or Gros Vein and Petit Rouge defined (by JR) as "fine red grape variety indigenous to the Valle d'Aosta."

[RicRios]

Re. "petit verdot":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petit_ve...

[Robert Lauriston]

I think petit rouge and gros wein are both local Valle d'Aosta varieties. Good luck finding many outside of the region, but here's a list:

http://www.lavinium.com/composiz/uvaa...