“ The wine is the bottled poetry “
( Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson )
Gargantua, the person from the books of François Rabelais Gargantua a Pantagruel, the giant who was the lover of food and wines. In the area of Gressan is located the prolonged hill named “ the finger of Gargantua “. This is the name of the estate and also the visible emblem of the estate.
The story of two impassioned brothers Laurent and Andrea Cuneaz is started in the year 2013. Laurent was employed at IAR before to start to work in the estate,the Institute Agriculture Regional gave him a lot of labour experience and also a new ideas. At the beginning the year production was of about 8000 bottles, instead of today 30000 bottles.
Chardonnay. The harvest is done in boxes , 2-4 hours of maceration. There were used big oak barrels from different places, Slavonic oak, French oak and American oak. The ageing for two years.
The blend of Priè Blanc di Morgex 70%, Müller Thurgau 20%, Petite Arvine 10%. Gargantua Blanc, 2020 , 13% alcohol. Priè Blanc is the unique autochthonous variety , characteristic for the territory. The percentage of added Müller Thurgau depends on the year. Priè Blanc is cultivated in Morgex, on the historical vineyards.
Vin de la Fée. The wine of Fairy is one of the first wines of the estate. Aromatic wine thanks to high percentage of Gewürztraminer 90%, 10% Chardonnay ( in good years also Priè Blanc is presented ) , 2020. The colour straw yellow . The aroma of lemon, citrus, litchi. The mouthfeel is fresh, fruity, sapid, persistent.
Mon Dadà, Sauvignon, 2019.
Mon Dadà means “ mine passion “ . ( The fantasy and the creativity of Lorenzo Cuneaz doesn’t have borders ). The Sauvignon Blanc is very interesting,different, which is copying the character of mountains. The aroma of tomato leaf . The wine is crispy ,fresh, sapid. The production is slightly complicated, the final wine is assembled of the part aged in barrique and not aged in barrique. Absolutely to taste.
Pinot Gris 100%, 2020. The other traditional wine of the estate. After years of research for the best way to work it,now, how it’s worked – 60% in stainless steel vats, 40% in the vessel made of opus signum , the other interesting material. Opus signum is a material derived from the dough of fragments headstone, the chopped earthenware , sand, reinforced fibres and the cement binder. The difference between the terracotta and the opus signum is that drying of opus signum is natural, by air. The opus signum gives the possibility to use the controlled micro oxygenation and in consequencies to give the structure to wine more full. The wine is structured, rich, with the ageing potentiality.
Daphne, 2019. The minimum ageing for one year or more.
80% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Grigio. The malolactic was done completely. The colour golden straw yellow . The aroma of green apple,citrus, herbs and the butter. The wine is enveloping, structured, full-bodied , sapid , rich.
Rosé, 2020.
30% Merlot, 70% different autochthonous varieties. Very nice.
Gargantua Rouge, 2020.
Old vineyards. 40% Cornalin, 60% Vielles vignes ( autochthonous varieties from the old vineyards ) . The vinification in stainless steel vats only. The wine is very drinkable, fruity, fresh and nice.
Gamay Noir 100%, 2020.
The variety which I know very well from France and which I like. It become a synonym of the famous Beaujolais, but not only, it forms part also in Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains AOC together with Pinot Noir. It is cultivated also in Loire Valley.
The colour ruby-red . The bouquet is delicate with the scents of plum, clove. The wine is dry, tannins, full-body. The late harvest. 80% in stainless steel vats, 20% in second passage barrels .
Gamaret 100%, 2020.
The crossing between Gamay Noir x Reichensteiner obtained in 1970 by André Jaquinet in Caudoz Viticultural research center in Pully, in neighbourhood of Lausanne, Switzerland, today belongs to Agroscope Changing Wädenswill. More cultivated in cantons Vaude, Genève and Valais. Infact, I have tasted it several times in Switzerland and at the first time when I have tasted it in Valle d’Aosta it was here, in Cave Gargantua. I should mention that I have understood how unique is Valle d’Aosta, which attack the circumstances mountains and the borders with France and Switzerland. The angle where everything is mixing, there are a common dishes , climatic conditions, and the same vines, there are dialects so different depending on the distance to the nearest neighbourhood country, one of them is patoise , and the others, probably more rare, titsch and toitschu, German based dialect.
The colour ruby-red, very interesting wine, dry, the mouthfeel with a good acidity and nice tannins. Close long on fruits and spices.
Torrette Superiore “Labiè” , 2019. 90% Priè Rouge, Fumin 5%, Vien di Nus 5%. Some of the vineyards are older than 50 years. Labie it means mutterer, the person who complains permanently, but in positive sense, and also the person who is looking for how improve the things. ( How was doing a grandpa of Laurent and Andre ) . Vinification in steel, 80% was ageing in big barrels 1500 litres for 12 months, while the rest 20% in barrique. The wine which I like very much.
Pinot Noir .Ageing in big barrels 1500 litres for one year. The colour ruby red. The aroma of small red forest fruits, blackberry, rose, licorice.
Pierre, Pinot Noir, 2018.
Macerazion for 20 days,malolactic made in barrique, ageing in big barrels. The colour is ruby-red with garnet reflections . Aroma of forest fruits,balsamic scents , pepper, tobacco. The wine is evolved, harmonic and balanced, elegant.
Impasse. The blend of 50% Merlot, 20% Fumin, 30% Petit Rouge. Fermentation in steel vats for 20 or more days, after passes for two years in barrique, 60% of them are a new ones.
Spillo d’oro. Passito.
80% Gewürztraminer, 20% Pinot Grigio. The ageing for two years in big oak barrels. It’s made from moulding grapes , very concentrated. The colour golden yellow. The name derived from the plant which grows on the moraine, Goldilocks Aster (Galatea Linosyris). To taste absolutely, it is a gem.
And don’t ask me how I tasted this huge quantity of wine…No comments.
