Italian wine and grape guide : Fumin

The Fumin grape is native to the Aosta Valley, and the earliest records date back to relatively recent times, around 1830. Its name comes from the smoky scent that characterizes the wine made from it. Some time ago the vine Fumin was mainly used to give color and acidity to less structured wines, while it has also more recently been vinified alone with excellent results. In the past the vineyards in the Valle d'Aosta were generally implanted with an assortment of native grapes characterized by their susceptibility to altitude, and the concept of a wine made from a single variety was virtually unknown. It is still quite common in the old vineyards of Aymavilles, in association with the Petit rouge. The Fumin is very sensitive to changes in the microclimate, which means that the vineyard sites are to be selected with great care to achieve the desired results. Fumin is characterized by a good preparation for aging in wood, therefore the wines made from Fumin are preferably not to be drunk young, needing at least two years of aging. The berry is black, medium-small, spheroid with substantial, very waxy, blue-opaque skin. The bunch is medium-small, pyramidal, usually winged, medium compact with a medium, three-lobed, pentagonal leaf. The Fumin variety has high vigor, vintage mid-late maturing, with good productivity even if not very consistent. The Fumin grape variety gives a very strong ruby red wine with purple hues. The scent is intense, vinous and herbaceous, with spicy notes of black pepper. In the mouth, it is rich and full-bodied, warm, soft, of fine and elegant tannins.