Umami 2023 - 75cl

It is difficult to talk about this wine without mentioning its history. It all started in 2022, when I recovered my first plot. No one in the village wanted it anymore, there was so much to do to restore it. And then, from the first season, the land revealed its secrets to me. It was not only Pinot Noir that grew there. I discovered, among the vines, Merlot, a little Gamay, a Pinot Blanc vine, and even two Pinot Gris. Faced with this unexpected diversity, I decided, from the first vintage, to make a mixed blend. No doubt, the former winemaker had recovered some plants from a nursery and planted them where there were no vines.

Then, at the beginning of 2023, I was lucky enough to rent another plot, rich in Gamaret and Garanoir, near another plot of Pinot Noir. It became clear: these new plots would harmoniously complete the vintage. Harvesting everything on the same day, as in 2022, would be possible. Choosing the ideal moment of maturity, with all these grape varieties, was a challenge. But that is also what gives all its charm to this wine that I named "Umami".

This wine is born from the harmonious meeting of several red grape varieties, like a choir where each voice finds its place. Pinot Noir, the master at 60%, sings the main melody, while Merlot, an accomplice, brings its sweetness at 15%. Gamaret and Garanoir, each at 10%, add their deep and spicy notes, and the Syrah, subtle at 5%, crowns the whole with a touch of mystery. It is in this alchemy, where each grape variety co-ferments in perfect symbiosis, that this cuvée draws its strength and singularity.

This wine was born in Switzerland. Here, no synthetic inputs, neither in the vineyard nor in the cellar. Instead, it is the herbal infusions, fermented extracts and compost tea that watch over the vine, like benevolent companions, gently accompanying it at each stage of the season in addition to copper and sulfur to limit the spread of mildew and powdery mildew. Thus, this wine breathes the land that saw it grow, free and sincere, in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

Average altitude of the plots between 520 meters and 690m
Harvested by hand on September 15, 2023
Indigenous yeasts
Aging in vats for 6 months
Light filtration before bottling
4506 bottles produced
Total SO2 less than 30 mg/L.

Grape varieties

60% pinot noir, 15% merlot coplantés, 10% gamaret, 10% garanoir, 5% syrah.

Vinification

During the harvest, no sulfur was used to hinder the purity of the grapes. Each grape variety, carefully destemmed, was vatted together, like the notes of the same melody coming together. A starter culture, prepared with indigenous yeasts a week in advance, was added, gently initiating fermentation. Every day, a pumping over ensured that the wine blossomed fully, until pressing, which came after twelve days of maceration.

After malolactic fermentation, a subtle touch of sulfur was added, at a rate of 10 mg/L, to guide the wine in its maturation. A light filtration, a week before bottling, came to refine the work, followed by a final adjustment of volcanic sulfur the day before bottling.

And so, on April 17, 2024, this wine, the fruit of a long journey, was captured in the bottle, ready to tell its story.

Tasting

In this red blend lies the promise of a moment of indulgence. It will brighten up your aperitifs or accompany, with elegance, the simple and generous dishes of brasseries. Its nose, rich and deep, reveals a substance full of character, while its mouth, round and flattering, dances on lively notes of red fruits and black cherry. It is a wine full of fruit, vibrant and authentic, which tells with each sip the simple and joyful story of shared pleasure.

Storage

Magnificent on the fruit from the first year, if we offer it a refuge where freshness and humidity are in balance, this wine will wait, patient, for 3 to 5 years, before revealing all the richness of its character.

Vintage 2023 in Valais

The year 2023 was like an unpredictable adventure for the vine, where the elements, sometimes gentle, sometimes cruel, seemed to want to challenge the patience and know-how of the winemaker. Spring, initially generous in rain, nourished the earth to excess, and as summer set in, the capricious sky alternated between burning heat and unexpected coolness. The vine, courageous but vulnerable, suffered trials, especially under the onslaught of the burning sun of July and August, which slowed down its natural course. And then, one day in July, hail struck, leaving scars on the leaves and grape clusters, but fortunately for the winemaker, the fine weather in August allowed some of the wounds to heal.

Since the beginning of May, the winemaker, like an attentive guardian, had been watching. Faced with the threats of mildew and powdery mildew, he protected his treasure with constant care, preserving what could be preserved. Thus, after a timid start in April, the vine, in fits and starts, took off. The flowering, in June, rapid and full of promise, gave hope for a generous harvest. The maturity of the grapes, although disparate, carried with it the promise of wines of rare quality, the fruit of this complicity between nature and man.

The harvest, generous, turned out to be similar to that of the previous year, even surpassing the expectations of recent decades. The sugar, in each grain, recalled the best years, close to 2019 for some grape varieties, evoking 2014 for others.

Thus, the 2023 vintage promises to be a subtle melody. The red wines are dense, while retaining a natural elegance. Their bouquet, mixing fruits and spices, seduces from the first moment. The harmony between the silky softness of the tannins and a well-balanced acidity gives them a distinguished personality, full of character and finesse.