Pinot Gris in maceration 2023 - 75cl - AOC Valais - Domaine des Petites Planètes

These old Pinot Gris vines, on the Prés des Pierres terroir in Chamoson, are truly a godsend. From my first vintage, I chose a long maceration, in order to reveal the splendid color of this grape variety as well as its aromatic palette. This wine, on the edge of an orange wine, all in fruit and with very little tannin, marries wonderfully with all Asian dishes, red curries, and, surprisingly, even with oysters! An unexpected alliance that awakens the senses and sublimates each tasting.

This wine was born in Switzerland. Here, no synthetic inputs, neither in the vineyard nor in the cellar. Instead, it is 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.

Altitude of the plot 550 meters
Harvested by hand on September 11, 2023
Indigenous yeasts
Aged in vats for 6 months
Light filtration before bottling
1456 bottles produced
Total SO2 less than 30 mg/L.

Grape variety

100% Pinot Gris.

Vinification

No SO2 At the harvest, the vinification began with a 5-day cold pre-fermentation maceration. From 15 °C, a native yeast starter was incorporated, followed by daily trapping during fermentation. After 13 days of maceration, pressing took place.

After malolactic fermentation, 10 mg/L of SO2 was added, with light filtration one week before bottling. The day before bottling, an adjustment to 25 mg/L of free SO2 5 days before bottling.

Bottled on April 17, 2024.

Tasting

A superb orange wine, revealing a captivating aromatic sphere of black tea, quince juice, sweet spices and wild herbs. On the palate, it unfolds with remarkable uprightness and digestibility, while beautiful tannins, finely extracted with delicacy, bring a beautiful complexity to the whole. Each sip is an invitation to explore its nuances and richness, offering a memorable sensory experience.

Poetic notes by Lise Donier-Meroz, sommelier at Gilles Varone ⭐️⭐️🍀

Inner Journey

Its unique hue never fails to surprise. A flash of sunset captured in the glass, a vermilion red illuminated by amber filaments. Like the day's last light resting on a distant sea.

On the nose, one plunges into a mysterious journey beyond Valais. A breath of warm spices mingles with more exotic fruits. A scent of smoked tea and old honey slips in, discreet, almost secret. One also perceives a trace of dry stone, bringing tension and verticality to the whole, like a root anchoring the dream. A distant memory of our mountains.

On the palate, the wine unfolds with slowness and majesty. The texture is ample, enveloping, almost tactile. Every sip is a step into an inner landscape: warm dunes, distant markets, citrus sprays, and green roots. Maceration gives it body and structure, yet never loses the lightness of this dream. The finish is long and meditative, a lingering breath of ripe fruits and light spices, an echo that continues to travel long after the last sip.

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, patiently, for 3 to 8 years, before revealing all the richness of its character.

Vintage 2023 in Valais

The vintage 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 white wines are very delicate and, without falling into exuberance, they reveal a beautiful aromatic expression, subtle and nuanced, like a gently whispered promise. The acidity, preserved by the diversity of maturities, brings a welcome freshness, offering the wines a precious harmony.