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Vines in Satigny, GE, 6 October 2008

Satigny, GE

I sit in the mountains and look out at the white, white world, with more snow than we’ve had in years.

It’s lovely but when I came across photos from Satigny, taken 6 October 2008, I sighed with pleasure at the colours and remembered the smell of ripe grapes that hung over the village.

I was between business meetings, and the weather was suddenly turning cold that late afternoon. The autumn colours of the vines in Satigny were spectacular, some of the finest I had seen in 2008.

It was clear that the leaves would probably not make it through the night and certainly not the week as the wind whipped up and an icy rain began to fall.

A grape grower and his team were working feverishly as the light faded. I kept photographing the splendidly red vine leaves, unsure which grape variety this was.

Kathy Meinen, Domain de la Rosette

I too, had to stop as dark fell abruptly. I put my head in at the wonderful shop and tasting room run by Kathy Meinen in Satigny. Her husand Jacques Meinen has been expanding the wine range at his old family winery, Domaine de la Roselle.

I was so charmed and found so many interesting things to buy that I have forgotten what we decided about the grape leaves in the photos. I bought a red blend (see notes from an earlier post on buying Swiss wines) and a barrel-aged Merlot despite some misgivings because Geneva’s Merlots are sometimes excellent, sometimes mediocre. This is one of the very good ones, a reminder that Geneva offers a fine home to Merlot.

Merlot, Domaine de la Roselle, Satigny, Geneva

The Meinens aptly describe this as a very fruit-forward wine. The nose of cherries is unmistakable, although I quickly found currants as well, but what I enjoyed most was the complexity of this wine. It is a bottle well worth letting breath and serving at 15C to benefit from this richness as it opens up.

Merlot 2006, CHF22,  Domaine de la Roselle

Route de la Mandement 112, Satigny

Tel: +41 22 753 1161

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