Grain Noir La Liaudisaz Marie-Therese Chappaz 2017

Grain Noir La Liaudisaz Marie-Therese Chappaz 2017 biodynamic wine from Switzerland, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, old vines, oak aged Bordeaux style but so much purer. The vines around the family above Fully bear the delicious fruit for this wine, a throw back once again to the old days when they shipped Bordeaux wines and bottled them at the domaine. The the nose develops slowly on opening with toasted aromas, elderberry and red pepper. In the mouth, the body is straight, tight, firmly bound together in a weave of fine tannins. 2017 is the new vintage just released, as with all Chappaz wines, particularly the reds, this wine will reward cellaring and some.

Domaine Marie-Therese Chappaz, lies on the south facing slopes of the beautiful Valais region of Switzerland just above the town of Fully. Wine production in the region dates back to the 2nd century BC and the vines carpet the lower slopes of the high mountains and climb as high as 1150 msl. The climate is hot in the summer and bitterly cold in winter with over 300 days of sunshine per year. The mountains provide a diverse terroir including loess, granit, alluvial and clay, limestone with a multitude of grapes from the well known Gamay and Pinot Noir to lesser known Cornalin and Petite Arvine. These conditions and such diversity make for a wide range of wine styles and exciting flavours.

Marie Therese took over her family estate when it was just 1.5 hectares back in the mid 80s and has worked biodynamically for over 20 years. She has built a reputation for elegant, crystalline wines with depth and style which drink well young but also age well. Her passion and commitment to quality have earned her international recognition and in 2016, her estate was listed in the Gault Millau guide as one of the best 100 wineries in the world. Today she farms 11 hectares of vines on the slopes above her house in Fully and in the nearby villages, Charrat, Leytron and Chamoson, 5 of which are only reachable on foot or in a small cable car. Now on her 31st vintage, she continues to produce over 20 different Cuvee of world class wine which are highly sort after all over Switzerland and around the world.