Le Clocher Valle d'Aosta
Le Clocher winery was founded officially in 1995, but has…
Le Clocher winery was founded officially in 1995, but has been in the family of Danilo Charrere for many generations mostly producing wine for personal consumption. The real passion was passed on to Danil by his grandmother Eulalia who taught him ‘to love this job and teaching me her skills’. Mattia Nicoletta is the consultant winemaker.
The vineyards total about 4 hectares and are from 600 – 900 meters asl. With most estates in the Valle d’Aosta producing wines from cooperative growers, Le Clocher is an estate that owns and maintains their own vineyards.
Natural organic fertilizers are always used and care of the environment is most important. Only when absolutely necessary are pesticides applied and never toxic products.
The vineyards are all very small pieces and very old, the oldest is a vineyard of Petit Rouge that is about 80 years old. Over the years they began to weed out and to refurbish these old plots trying to assemble as much as possible to get the greatest vineyards and thus the best to work with.
Viticulture Aosta Valley is by many considered a heroic venture precisely because of the strong slope that does not allow them to mechanize the vineyards. Most of the plots that they work are in Jovencan, which is where they are located, others are in the adjacent town called Gressan. The Valle d’Aosta is the smallest wine producing region in Italy.
The harvest is made by hand harvesting the grapes and putting it inside the baskets which are then emptied gradually in the boxes that are then placed on a trailer. The vinification of the wine begins with meticulous sorting to ensure optimum fruit thereby producing the best wine possible.