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The Charrère are an ancient family from Haute Savoie, who have settled in the Aosta Valley since 1750. Bernardin, the forefather of the Charrères, built the historic building in Aymavilles (a few miles north of Aosta), which still retains the original wine-cellars and the ancient mill for the production of walnut oil and cereal grinding.

This agricultural facility covers 62 acres cultivated with both native and international grape varieties, along the orographic axis of the Dora Baltea River and spanning six different municipalities. The largest portion of the vineyards can be found in the area of “Les Crêtes” (in Aymavilles), overlooked by a medieval tower and surrounded by the gentle hill of Côteau la Tour. The very tower was inhabited by a hermit from the nearby village until the last century, and today is the symbol of the company.

The production area originates in the challenging mountain environment, with a high fragmentation of the vineyards and a rather thick planting density – between 8000 and 9000 plants per hectare. Such choice is related to the sloping ground which features the typical morainic and sandy soils: the ideal substrate for the cultivation of the vine.

The alpine climate significantly influences the organoleptic characteristics of the local wines; in fact, the grapes are harvested quite late, thus undergoing severe temperature changes due to the strong range between day and night, especially during the autumn. This phenomenon, quite common in the mountains, favours the formation of aromatic precursors in the bunch, which will increase the spicy and fruity component of the wines.

The agronomic management of these vineyards is strictly based on the respect for the environment and is aimed at enhancing the terroirs; these two cornerstones of the company philosophy are perfectly carried out in the combination between traditional cultivation techniques and innovation supported by never-ending technological research. For instance, pesticides are hardly ever used also according to the latest EU regulations.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)