Ellen Wallace
Enjoying a wine tasting moment with Sophie Dugerdil
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Thousands of visitors to Geneva’s wineries for the annual open house day today will be welcomed with glasses from a very fine harvest. The 2011 vintage wines were presented officially a week earlier to invited guests of Opage, the cantonal agricultural office. The evening was off to a good start: the event was hosted by the International Museum of the Reformation and its director, Isabelle Graesslé, opened the speeches with a chuckle, saying that she found it quite funny for Calvin to be welcoming Geneva’s wine producers.
She then waxed poetic about how much she has always loved to “se rustiquer” in the springtime, heading out from the city centre “to one of the nearby wine villages for a lovely fresh fish with a cool glass of white wine”.
The wines presented were marked by three features: wineries are presenting a larger number of grape varieties including several rarely seen in Switzerland, many of the wines are exceptionally well-structured because they are not as rich and have better acidity than 2010 wines, and a wonderful crop of young wine producers suddenly appears to be making their mark.
New generation showing off its talent
Geneva’s now long-gone reputation for making uninteresting little wines is in no danger of coming back, with the new generation at the helm. The canton went through a rough patch in the 1970s and 1980s when several growers, who had previously just supplied grapes to wineries, turned to making wine themselves. Some succeeded brilliantly, but others were mediocre and their wines did little for the canton’s name, despite some excellent producers making world-class wines.
The situation is now well under control, with the market pushing out most of those whose wines were, frankly, not very good. The new generation is well-trained, often well-traveled, not afraid to experiment but with the know-how to do so intelligently, and it appears to have set its standards high, judging by the new wines. Women oenologists are now taking the reins from their fathers or are part of a couple producing the wine in at least half of the wineries listed below.
What to expect at the winery open houses
This open house day will show off the 2011 vintage for wines that have not been oaked, with some of them so newly bottled the producers haven’t had time to label them. And 2010 wines that have spent up to a year in wood will be part of the day’s treats.
Notes on the 2011 harvest and vintage: a perfect year, with early flowering, a hot July followed by a hot, dry autumn with harvesting lasting from early September to late October with optimal conditions. Fermentation: good quality, quick. The white wines are particularly notable for their expressive noses, with very good structure supporting the aromas. The reds are notable for the presence of silky tannins.
Tip for exploring the area: if you spot a thick map called “Le Compagnon” 2012 published by terre-avenir.ch, which is part of Opage, grab it! It’s a wonderful map to all the regional products in canton Geneva, but it’s also the most useful map for touring the vineyards. A precious find!
Sampling Geneva's new wines with fellow wine writer Christian
How to visit Geneva’s open winery day, published 2010 but tips are still valid.
Note that several wineries are also open this Sunday 13 May, as a Mother’s Day treat.
Ellen’s Wine World favourites (check out the Facebook page). For another review, see remarks from a fellow wine judge who writes about Geneva’s wines in French, vins-geneve.ch
Here were my top 10 picks from the official presentation (not ranked), where I concentrated on white wines, and made a small tour of the reds at the end:
- Pinot Blanc Réserve de la Commune de Cologny 2011, Domaine de la Vigne Blanche, Cologny, well structured, rich; father Roger Meylan’s daughter Sarah is putting her stamp on these wines (CHF13)
- Aligoté de Peissy 2010, Les Perrières, Peissy, a great wine for aperitifs, well-balanced good acidity, fine delicate aromas (CHF12)
- Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Domaine des Faunes, Dardagny, typical notes of citrus and grapefruit but less apparent aromas than some of the other Sauvignon Blancs, rich and less acidic than some (a point in its favour): “Sauvignon Blanc is so exuberant you have to keep it in check for good quality” (price N/A)
- Scheureube 2010, SYD/ Stephane Dupraz, Soral, one of the more unusual grape varieties here, from a Riesling and wild grape crossing: very aromatic and nose could be confused with a Muscat at first (think grapes!), wonderful acidity, would be perfect with asparagus and since this is now in season, stock up! (CHF15)
- Kerner de Genève 2010, Domaine Les Abeilles d’Or, Chouilly, another close kin of Riesling, an interesting vertical tasting of 2009, 2010 and 2011: beautiful nose of violets, a wine with great finesse (CHF19.20)
- Le Sybillus 2010, La Printaniere, by vineyard that used to do only single grape (varietal) wines, but as they shrink their yields for quality, they have moved into doing blends, says Frederic Dugerdil, and this is a fine example of the new venture: 70% Sylvaner Riesling, 30% Sauvignon Blanc. (price, N/A)
- Chasselas, Domaine du Molards, Russin (open Sunday 13 May): very aromatic with more minerality than one generally expects from Geneva’s Chasselas wines (Vaud’s are famously mineral and Geneva’s are traditionally richer, more floral): beautiful in mouth. Papa is a grape variety fan and the winery has a small museum and an extraordinary collection of 26 grape varieties for the sheer pleasure of it. (CHF9.00)
- Findling, Les Grisling Blanc, Domaine de Charmes, Satigny: beautiful nose of that aroma I personally always have trouble identifying (I grew up in Iowa where we didn’t have these delicate peaches), pêche de vigne. Elegant wine. (CHF12.50) At this point I moved to the reds and this winery’s Merlot 2010 is a beauty, smooth and silky tannins, a great example of how well Geneva can now grow this grape, giving Ticino a run for its money.
- Gamay 2010, Domaine Dugerdil, Dardagny: fruity nose with typical red fruit notes but enlivened by pepper and spice notes, very straight and clean, an elegant version that is one of Geneva’s best examples of this grape variety, with Sophie Dugerdil’s signature (CHF11.50)
- Gamay, Briva, Domaine Les Hutins, dardagny, fruity nose, another elegant version of this varietal, and great fun to compare it with the previous year’s oaked Gamay, from one of my favourite wineries in the canton. (price N/A)
Ellen Wallace
Clos de la George, Yvorne, Caves Hammel
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – I have nothing but praise for Vaud’s 11 new Premiers Grands Crus collection, the first in what promises to be a growing list of some of Switzreland’s finest wines. They were presented to the world Tuesday evening in Lausanne, first to the press, then in the more formal setting of the canton’s parliamentary chambers, with the opportunity for guests to sample them afterwards. To a one, these are beautiful wines.
First, a word of explanation: Switzerland’s appellation system underwent a significant revision that led to a new list of classifications in July 2011. The country’s 80 AOC wines indicate the region, with just two cantons, Neuchatel and Geneva, having more than 20 each Other cantons reduced the number of AOC regions so Vaud, for example, now has 7.
The AOC designation is useful for shoppers because it includes some quality criteria. But a region’s great wines, and Switzerland has many, traditionally gain their reputation by word of mouth. This worked in an older, more inward-looking Switzerland of the past, but today consumers expect standards that help them compare products. Groups of producers in a number of smaller regions have banded together to agree on Grand Cru standards and these, today, give us superb wines from Salgesch and Vétroz in Valais and Dézaley in Vaud, for example.
Now canton Vaud’s producers have taken this a step further and created standards and a system for awarding Premier Grand Cru status to top wines that qualify. The project has been 15 years in the making, working its way through a typically Swiss political labyrinth of multiple consultations at every level.
Five essential selection criteria are used:
Time and history are important
A domain’s history and know-how are key. These wines develop, with age, a harmonious texture, intense and persistent aromas that make them excellent wines for aging.
Demanding cultivation requirements
The first Premiers Grands Crus will be limited to wines from Chasselas, Pinot Noir and Gamay grapes. Integrated production or organic standards must be followed, with no more than 6,000 vines per hectare to encourage their roots to grow deep, giving the wines complexity as a result. Vines must be at least 7 years old and the yield is limited to 0.8 litres per square metre for Chasselas, 0.64l/m2 for the reds.
Harvesting by hand
This allows grapes to be picked at optimal maturity, through careful selection. Chasselas grapes must have a sugar level at least 75 œchslé, with 80 required for Gamay and 85 for Pinot Noir (Ed. note: I’ll be writing about this shortly for those who aren’t familiar with the œchslé system).
Very special terroir
The Premier Grand Cru label is a guarantee that the wine comes entirely from one terroir, and Vaud’s unusual new system of continually checking and verifying, every year (this isn’t done everywhere in Bordeaux and Burgundy, for example), ensures that cozy relations without regular checks don’t allow wines whose quality may slip to remain in the group. Vaud has a wonderful range of soils and the wines reflect these terroirs, particularly remarkable for the minerality they provide.
Consistently excellent wine over time
One fine bottle of wine does not a Premier Grand Cru make. Once a proposed wine is accepted by the Commission des Premiers Grands Crus for consideration, it must be tasted and vines visited for each vintage.
A note on the first wines selected
The first wines selected are all Chasselas whites, but the commission notes that several more wines are in the pipeline. My two personal favourites Tuesday evening were Clos de la George from Yvorne and its neighbour, L-Ovaille 1584, but the standard was so high that it is difficult to really cite favourites. What I liked best about the first is its beautiful nose of gunflint; if you have trouble recognizing this smell, here is a wine to learn by. I also found notes of cedar and apricot, making this a wine with a sharp nose that is very exciting. In mouth, almonds and dried fruits. This is a truly elegant wine.
L’Ovaille 1584 offers a rich mix for the nose, floral but with fruits and hazelnut. But it’s real joy is in mouth: rich yet mineral but with a finish that is extraordinarily long and complex, thanks to the time it spends in amphores.
These vines sit opposite the Dents du Midi peaks and soak up the sun from morning to night, clearly taking the best from nature.
A wine I didn’t have a chance to taste properly but which I enjoyed a sip of is the newcomer (not yet on the new web site), Domaine de Capitaine’s Agénor Parmelin, worth exploring further.
The list of Premiers Grands Crus in the first selection, 8 May 2012
- Château de Chardonn, Chardonne
- Château Châtagneréaz, Mont-sur-Rolle
- Domaine de Autecou, Mont-sur-Rolle
- Domaine des Cordelière, Mont-sur-Rolle
- Château de Mon, Mont-sur-Rolle
- Domaine de Fische, Bougy-Villars
- Clos du Châtelar, Villeneuve
- Clos de la George, Yvorne
- L’Ovaille 158, Yvorne
- L’Ovaill, Yvorne
Ellen Wallace
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Valais wines took 15 medals, 10 percent of the total, at the Syrah du Monde competition at Château d’Ampuis, France. One gold medal went to the Gregor Kuonen winery in Salgesch/Salquenen and silver medals went to 14 other wines, with 11 wineries given medals. Of the 445 wines entered, 149 were given gold, silver or bronze medals. The countries of origin for the top 10 wines (actually 14 because of ties), based on the number of points: South Africa, Australia, France, Chile and Portugal.
All but four of the wines are oaked. The winners and their wines:
| Valais AOC Sélection J’François Kuonen 2010 GREGOR KUONEN – CAVEAU DE SALQUENEN Mr KUONEN François Web Site | |
  | Syrah du Valais “Classique” 2009 |
|  BarrelValais AOC – Tonneliers Syrah 2010 |
| Barrel Syrah du Valais “Madame de” 2010 |
| Barrel Martigny AOC Syrah – Les Serpentines 2009 |
| Barrel Valais AOC “Collection F” Syrah 2009 |
| Barrel Valais AOC Syrah Elevé en Barriques 2010 |
| Barrel Valais AOC Grandmaître Syrah 2011 |
| Barrel Valais AOC Grandmaître Syrah 2010 |
| Barrel Valais AOC Syrah Réserve 2009 |
| Valais AOC Les Larmes d’Héraclès Syrah 2011 |
| Valais AOC Primus Classicus Syrah 2011 |
| Barrel Valais AOC Syrah Fût de Chêne 2010 |
| Barrel Valais AOC Clos Combe d’Uvrier 2009 |
| Valais AOC Syrah 2011 |
Ellen Wallace
There's much in a name, when it comes to wine, and Swiss AOCs are now protected within the European Union, without having to include the origin
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Current Swiss regulations governing names of wines and spirits are now covered by the bilateral treaty with the European Union. Amendments to annexes 7 and 8, which list all legal names for products in the two categories, were revised with effect from 4 May.
The main change, but it is a significant one, is that a name is now protected whether or not its location of origin is mentioned.
Bern offers the example of what would in the past have required registration as Damassine d’Ajoie but which under the new rules may be registered simply in the list of spirits, annex 8, as Damassine, which provides broader protection.
Switzerland recently revamped its list of protected AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) wines and the new list of 80 products is now included in the annex 7 list of European wines. These include the new regional designations such as Lavaux and La Côte.
The two parties signed the agreement 3 May and it entered into force the next day.
The news comes just as canton Vaud, after 15 years of discussion, including two years of preparation, unveiled its first Premiers Grands Crus wines Tuesday evening 8 May, to media and then to Vaud legislators and officials.
Complete list of European wines, Annex 8 of the Swiss-EU agricultural agreement (pdf), with Swiss list at the end
Ellen Wallace
Video review now posted on Ellen’s Wine World on Facebook
Leman Noir 2010, winery Philippe Bovet, Givrins, Vaud, Switzerland
BLIND TASTING SERIES WITH ROMANDUVIN on YouTube (search Among the vines, “blind tasting notes”, to see all reviews posted to date)
Léman Noir 2010
Red wine, full-bodied
Grape varieties: Gamaret, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Winery: Philippe Bovet
Location: Givrins, canton Vaud
Price at the winery: CHF26
Wine reviewed independently in French by Laurent Probst and in German by Gabriel Tinguely
Ellen Wallace
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – Video first posted on Ellen’s Wine World on Facebook. Photos of new Pinot Noir planting were taken 2 April 2012, with Raymond Paccot of Domaine La Colombe and his vineyard team.
One row of new vines replaces two older ones which were planted too closely together to allow mowing by machine.
These are organically grown grapes (“bio” or “bio-dynamique” in French) and correct treatment calls for green plants between the rows, but the height must be strictly controlled for proper aeration and humidity control in the vineyard. Paccot explains (English).
Ellen Wallace
Les Curzilles, Domaine La Colombe, Fechy: dry white blend
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – I’m now posting my tasting notes mainly on a new Facebook page, Ellen’s Wine World. Blind tastings as well as my notes on wines that I’ve tasted at wineries or drinking at home will appear there.
Today’s wine, for example, is a beauty, a new wine that Raymond Paccot from La Colombe will be introducing at Arvinis in Morges in two weeks. It’s a very special white blend, with fewer than 4,000 bottles produced.
Do visit the new Facebook page and “like” it; wine news will still appear here and I will post brief alerts to the wine tasting notes as I post them on Ellen’s Wine World.
Ellen Wallace
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Ellen’s Wine World has just kicked off on Facebook, home to tasting notes, shared wisdom from other Swiss wine fans, videos, photos of Swiss vineyards throughout the year, events on the wine calendar and special daily or near-daily nuggets from Ellen’s Wine Almanac.
That Ellen and this one are the same person, so here is what it happening with Among the vines: I will continue to post wine news and longer features here, and these will be shared on Facebook.
The format on FB works better for a mix of information about wine, but it’s also a far better way to be part of the conversation about what’s happening with wine. A big part of the decision was due to videos working better on Facebook, and you’ll be seeing more of these in coming weeks.
Join the fun!
Ellen Wallace
Wine tasting notes, Swiss red wines (blind tasting)
Red wine, fruity yet somber, slightly spicy, dry
Grape variety: Gamay
Winery: Les Celliers du Chablais
Location: Aigle, Vaud
Price at the winery: CHF18.00
View this wine reviewed in French by Laurent Probst and in German by Gabriel Tinguely
Complete list of GenevaLunch Swiss wine videos, produced by RomanDuVin
Click on image to view larger
Ellen Wallace
Wine tasting notes, Swiss white wines
White wine, dry
Grape variety: blend of Petite Arvine, Amigne and Humagne Blanche
Winery: Provins
Location: Sion, Valais
Price at the winery: CHF39.00
View this wine reviewed in French by Laurent Probst and in German by Gabriel Tinguely
Complete list of GenevaLunch Swiss wine videos, produced by RomanDuVin