Ezio Voyat La Gazzella Moscato Secco 2008

Though he made his living as an accountant for a casino, Ezio Voyat forged his legend as a producer of some of Italy’s most distinctive wines. His two Moscato, the dry La Gazzella, the red blend Le Muraglie and the sweet Ambrato are truly wines of place, slightly austere and aromatic with brisk acidity balancing concentration of flavor. Like the mountains from which they come these wines can be imposing and difficult to attain but with time and effort their mysteries unfold and their charms become a warm embrace. Voyat made wine in Chambave, a hamlet in the Valle d’Aosta, his modest house and cellar within walking distance of his several acres of hillside vineyard. Ezio Voyat died in 2003 leaving his wife and daughter to carry on his sizeable winemaking legacy. Voyat named his sleek (note the tall slender bottle) 100% Moscato after his daughter Marilena, Olympic sprinter and 1980s Italian track sensation, known to her fans as the "Gazelle." While most Italian Moscato is vinified sweet, the late Voyat made La Gazzella dry with an uncommon depth and structure.