Grain Noble Blend Chappaz NV 500ml NV

Grain Noble Blend Chappaz, biodynamic wine, a blend of different years of Marsanne Blanche, Petite Arvine and Pinot Gris.  The grapes come from the amazing Les Claives vineyard, one of the hardest to cultivate in the Valais.  This sweet wine matures for at least two years in barrels to obtain the perfect balance. Its aromas skillfully combine currants, cinnamon, bitter orange, apple and fruit compote.  Your taste buds will delight in this delicate nectar, beautifully sweet (176g/l of residual sugar) but never cloying and with a superb acid balance.  This is top end dessert wine in the same class as the finest Sauternes, Grand Cru Alsace wines or Royal Tokaj.  It can be enjoyed with any desserts, cheeses or on its own at the end of a fine meal.  It will also reward long cellaring and will be become more and more profound with age.

A note on the vineyard…

Les Claives is one of the most difficult hills to cultivate in the Valais, and perhaps even the world.  There is no road to it, it ranges from 450 to 650 meters in altitude. Due to its steep slope, loamy deposits formed by the wind accumulate in the flatter parts while elsewhere, the soils are rocky and dry. The Claives appellation, with its successive terraces, is emblematic of this local hillside.  The main grapes grown here are Ermitage and Petite Arvine.  At the top of the hill,  Fendant, Païen(Savagnin) and Sylvaner can be found.  The lower part of Les Claives includes young Syrah vines along with Ermitage and Petite Arvine.

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, up to over 1000 metres.  The climate is hot in summer and bitterly cold in winter.  There are over 300 days of sunshine per year. The mountains provide a diverse terroir including loess, granite, alluvial, clay and limestone. There are 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 Chappaz took over her family estate when it was just 1.5 hectares back in the mid 80s.  She has worked using biodynamic farming for over 20 years. She has built a reputation for elegant yet full bodied wines with depth and style which age very well. Her passion and commitment to quality have earned her international recognition.  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 nearby villages, Charrat, Leytron and Chamoson.  Five of the vineyards are only reachable on foot or in a small cable car. Now on her 34th vintage, Marie Therese Chappaz continues to produce over twenty different Cuvee of world class wine.  Her wines are highly sort after all over Switzerland and around the world.