Grosjean’s Vallée d’Aoste Donnas 2022 comes from Italy’s smallest wine region, the Alpine Aosta Valley, where Nebbiolo is known locally as Picotendro. The Grosjean family’s roots in the valley run back centuries, and the estate has been certified organic since 2011. In Donnas—one of the valley’s historic growing zones—Nebbiolo tends to show a cooler-climate profile: aromatic lift, firm structure, and a distinctly mineral edge.

Professional reviews for the 2022 are notably strong, with two excellent scores from major critics. Vinous rates it 94 points and frames the wine’s identity in place-first terms. Antonio Galloni calls the 2022 Donnas Le Ronc de Vaccaz “bright and sculpted,” adding that “clean mineral notes cut through this super-expressive, translucent red.” He emphasizes that it “speaks eloquently, with tons of mountain character up front and primary fruit more in the background,” and concludes, “It’s one of my favorite wines in this range.” That is high praise, and it suggests a wine driven as much by texture and mineral nuance as by fruit.

James Suckling also delivers an excellent review at 93 points, focusing on shape and grip. He describes “a linear and firm pure nebbiolo, called picotendro in Aosta,” with “cherry, mushroom and bark character throughout.” In his view, it lands “medium-bodied with a fresh and bright finish,” and while there’s “slightly chewy” tannin at the end, he says it “shows polish and refinement.” His drinking advice—“Drink now or hold”—positions it as accessible already, but structured enough for short- to mid-term cellaring.

Taken together, the 2022 Donnas reads as a clear, mountain-inflected Nebbiolo: refined, mineral, and more about brightness and contour than sheer power.