Merlot Le Merle Aosta Valley PDO 2017

To tell this story, it is only right to start with Elena and Eleonora, born in 1977 and 1980, who, as sunny as their mother Imelda, had the very important task of procuring ladybirds: yes, ladybirds! They were searched for and picked up in the mountain meadows around Ozein, half an hour from Aymavilles, placed in small cardboard cases and carefully transported on the day to be released into the vineyard where they would do their work by devouring the harmful mites: the little girls, amused by much more than a game, just had to stop and watch. No, this is not a fairy tale, it was a simple choice made by the Charrère family, which has always, throughout its history, been concerned with practical things. It was their great-great-grandfather Bernardin Charrère, from what is now Haute-Savoie, who immigrated to Aymavilles around 1750. There he built the building that still exists today with cellars and a walnut mill. His great-grandfather Etienne continued the activity by also adding cider production according to the needs of the fashion and economy of the time by adding an additional mill. Grandfather Louis then built a mill to grind wheat, rye and barley because once again this was what the market wanted and those who are farsighted know how to recognise the signs of the times by adapting. Antoine, Costantino's father, who succeeded him, continued the business until 1955 when olive oil and milled grain began to arrive from outside the valley. It was again necessary to convert and the line chosen this time was fine wines. Once again, the focus was on the public, and to better distinguish themselves, they began a customisation process at the level of cultivation (crus vinified separately), commercial (indication of the geographical location of each vineyard), and historical (loyalty to the native vines that would make Valle d'Aosta great, such as petit rouge, fumin, prié rouge, and tinturier). Costantino, an athletic gymnastics teacher, like his wife moreover, and ski instructor, continued the work of his father Antoine and mother Ida, dedicating himself passionately to viticulture. First by selecting vines that would otherwise have been lost in the Valle d'Aosta mountains: the Premetta (Prié Rouge), an extremely rare vine in danger of extinction, whose grapes are now vinified in purity according to an innovative protocol in classic method sparkling wine, and the Fumin, another 'indigenous' strain, saved from extinction and vinified with striking results, so much so that it earned the attention of national critics as early as 1999 with 'Il sole di Luigi Veronelli'. Later, after leaving teaching, Costantino was driven by a desire to dedicate himself completely to his passion for wine and created what is now Les Crêtes, also in Aymavilles, planting new vineyards in other municipalities of the Aosta Valley. Today, the company, owned by the Charrère family, manages 20 hectares of vineyards spread over six municipalities in Valle d'Aosta. With its annual production of 180,000 bottles, it is the largest private company operating in the region.