Swiss
wines
part 4
Dégustation
de presse, Casino de Morges, 19 Janvier 2006
As
I mentioned earlier in this series, the Mémoire des Vins Suisses (MDVS)
is a group of 25 of Switzerland’s top wine producers who have chosen
to collaborate in organized tastings each year, where along with
current releases, a museum stock of older vintages (the mémoire) will
be built up and tasted critically.
This
is the second gathering of the group, and below are my notes on the 25
wines presented, one from each producer. As you can see, many of these
wines have a few years bottle age on them: one of the goals of the
organization is to document the evolution of these wines. The quality
(uniformly high) and diversity on show was refreshing. There are some
very nice wines here in a diversity of styles. The following day we
had the chance to taste the current releases, which I'll report on
next in this series.
Raymond Paccot Le Brez 2002 Féchy
Chasselas. Lovely
expressive ripe fruit here: melony and a bit lemony with nice weight.
The fruit is rich but well defined. Very good/excellent 90/100
Domaine Louis Bovard Dézaley Médinette 1999 Dézaley
Chasselas. Fresh
nutty nose is quite tight with a nice fruitiness. The palate is smooth
and elegant with lovely fresh fruit and nice acidity on the finish.
Potential here. Very good+ 89/100
Château d’Auvernier Chardonnay Barrique 2001 Neuchâtel
Fresh fruity nose is quite unusual with a herby edge and a hint of
tinned peas. Brightly fruited palate has some caramelly oak and a bit
more of the herbal character. Quite sweetly fruited and accessible but
not my style. Seems to be ageing well, though. Very good 84/100
Château Lichten Petite Arvine 2001 Valais
Lovely cabbagey, smoky edge to the nose – a nice sot of
reductive character that works well in the context of this wine. Good
fruit. The palate shows rich, bold, ripe fruit with striking high acid
finish. Nicely complex with great freshness. A delicious, fascinating
wine. Very good/excellent 93/100
Philippoz Frères Ermitage Leytron Barrique 2002 Valais
A blend of Marsanne and Roussanne. Rich smoky spicy nose with a nice depth of fruit, and some
tropical notes. The palate is concentrated, open and rounded with well
integrated oak. Quite a creamy character but there’s a nice spicy,
high acid finish. Very good/excellent 91/100
Provins Valais Vieilles Vignes Maître de Chais 2000
Valais
A blend of four white varieties. Open, evolved fruity herby nose is quite sweet. The palate
has a caramel edge to the sweet rounded fruit. Quite soft and nutty.
Very good+ 87/100
Denis
Mercier Cornalin 1999 Valais
Bright fresh red fruits dominate the nose which has a spicy,
roasted, slightly herbal edge. The palate is bright and fruity with
freshness and high acidity, leading to a nice grippy finish. Very
good+ 89/100
Henri
Cruchon Raissennaz 2001 Morges
This Pinot Noir has a smooth, slightly shy red fruits nose which
is quite fresh and pure. The palate is clean and fresh with bright
fruit and a subtle herby edge. Bit of savoury bite on the finish.
Tasty high acid style. Very good+ 88/100
Andreas
Meier Kloster Sion Pinot Noir Klingnau Réserve Barrique 2000 Klingnau
Smoky, slightly herby edge to the nose which shows tight red and
black fruits. The palate has nicely defined fresh dark fruits with a
spicy edge and good acidity. Very good+ 89/100
Pircher
Eglisauer Stadtberger Blauburgunder Barrique 2000
This Pinot has a rich, sweet spicy oak imprint on the red fruits
nose, with some herbiness. Quite inviting. The palate is nicely spicy
and elegant with good spicy, herbal definition to the bright fruit.
Appealing if a little oaky. Very good+ 89/100
Baumann
Pinot Noir ‘R’ 2000 Oberhallau
Sweet elegant chocolatey spicy nose with well integrated oak and
very smooth red fruits. Lovely rich elegant palate with nice smooth
ripe fruits and good oak. A modern yet elegant Pinot Noir. Very
good/excellent 90/100
Hans
Ulrich Kesselring Bactobel Pinot Noir No 3 Der Andere 2000
Slightly shy red and black fruits nose leads to a palate that is
fresh and accessible with nice fresh fruit and a pleasant, spicy,
slightly green edge. Expressive stuff. Very good/excellent 90/100
Georg
Fromm Malanser Pinot Noir Barrique 2002
Slightly odd, peppery, herbal edge to the fruit here, with some
caramelly notes. Quite light and a bit funky. Good 79/100
Von
Tacarner Schloss Reichenau Churer Blauburgunder Barrique Gian Battista
1999
Nice open, spicy herbal nose with ripe red fruits and good
complexity. The palate is Burgundian with lovely spicy, slightly
earthy structure and good bright red fruits. Delicious stuff with nice
definition. Very good/excellent 92/100
Gialdi
Sassi Grossi 2001 Ticino
Varietal Merlot. Big roast coffee and spice imprint to the bright
fruit on the nose. The palate is full with lots of classy roasted oak
supporting the bright red and black fruits. Nicely structured. Very
modern and perhaps a little too oaky at the present. Very good+ 86/100
Daniel
Huber Montana Magica 2000 Ticino
Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Subtle green note
behind the pure sweet red fruits nose. The palate is fresh and fruity
with nice structure and just a hint of herbiness. A nice fruit driven
style. Very good+ 89/100
Adriano
Kaufmann Pio della Rocca 2000 VDT della Svizerra Italiana
A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark vivid fruits on the
nose: quite pure and fresh. The palate shows lovely acidity supporting
the expressive bright dark fruits. Lovely concentration, structure and
definition. Very good/excellent 91/100
Christian
Zündel Orrizonte 2000 VDT della Svizerra Italiana
Big bretty nose: pungent, spicy and animally. The palate is full
and fruity with a spicy, medicinal character and good acidity.
Striking stuff, but I reckon there’s a fair whack of brett here.
Very good+ 86/100
Jean-Pierre
Pellegrin Grand’Cour 2000 Peissy
A blend of Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon. Lovely pure, sweet, open
black fruit nose with a liqueur-like character. Smooth cassis
dominates. The palate is delicious, open and soft with sweet, smooth,
elegant fruit and some grippy tannin. Delicious current drinking. Very
good+ 91/100
Hammel Domaine du Crochet Cuvée Charles Auguste 2001
Mont-sur-Rolle
A blend of Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Really
classy open black fruits nose with a hint of chocolate and spice.
Really nice definition. The palate shows nice bright fruit with good
acid and an attractive savouriness. Restrained with plenty of future
ahead of it. Very good/excellent 92/100
Cayas
Syrah du Valais 2000 Valais
Open, smoot sweet dark fruits nose with olivey, meaty character.
The palate shows really open sweet meaty fruit and good acidity and
freshness. Quite a forward, sweetly fruited style. Very good/excellent
90/100
Simon
Maye & Fils Syrah Chamoson Vieilles Vignes 2000 Valais
Dark, open, spicy meaty nose with pure black fruits and savoury,
peppery complexity. The palate is concentrated and dense with massive
spice and clove character. Savoury and dense. Complex and quite like a
very good northern Rhône
Syrah in character. Very good/excellent 94/100
Marie-Thérèse Chappaz, Cave La Liaudisaz, Petite
Arvine Grain Nobile 2000 Valais
Deep coloured. Fantastic
full complex botrytis nose of spicy apricot fruit. Very sweet.
There’s a massive concentration of spicy fruit on the palate which
is super-rich and viscous, with lots of fat, honeyed apricot fruit.
Lovely spicy finish. Very good/excellent 94/100
Domaine
Cornalus Hermitage Octoglaive 2000 Valais
Sweet open herb, caramel, tea and apricot nose. The palate is
viscous and sweet with huge concentration. Perhaps a little cloying.
Thick melon and peach fruit. Very good/excellent 90/100
Philippe
Darioly Vent d’Anges 2001 Valais
Sweet, honeyed, syrupy grapey nose. Super sweet, intense palate
with fruity, spicy notes and some tea-like herby complexity.
Concentrated and full; perhaps lacking a bit of balance, but still
nice. Very good+ 89/100
see
also
Wines tasted 01/06
Find
these wines with wine-searcher.com
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