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Switzerland’s 66 winning wines, part 1

25/11/2008 by Ellen Wallace

logo_hebdo_50mml’Hebdo and GenevaLunch present Switzerland’s top wines with tasting notes, adapted in English from articles that appeared in the 13 November print version of l’Hebdo, Switzerland’s leading news magazine in French. The magazine ran a major story on the winners of the Grand Prix du Vin Suisse, which is Switzerland’s main wine competition, open to all producers in the country.

Discover Switzerland’s winning wines, all 66 of them, in our four-part series, 25-28 November. Wednesday: other whites. Thursday: rosé, Pinot Noir and Gamay. Friday: other reds and an interview.

  • Original French version of part of the text, in l’Hebdo
  • l’Hebdo’s web site
  • Grand Prix du Vin Suisse site

English texts: GenevaLunch

Click on images to view larger.

salgesch_vines_151108b.jpg
Salgesch, Valais, November 2008

By Marie Maurisse

1,900 wines tasted, 120 judges, and in the end only 66 bottles selected, each one exceptional.

The wealth of Switzerland’s vineyards might seem inexhaustible, but how do you

go about choosing among the  thousands of bottles available? To give us some help, Vinea and the wine magazine Vinum recently organized a Swiss wine competition on a scale grander than any before: 1,900 wines entered, 120 professional judges tasting them. In the end, 66 wines were selected as the best, all of them exceptional bottles, vintage 2007 unless otherwise noted

We introduce you to them here with tasting notes by Barbara Meier-Dittus of Vinum, and Emeline Zufferey, author of the French texts for the Swiss Wine Guide, in bookstores and at kiosks 24 November 2008.

The secrets behind the selections

How many wines were tasted?

The tastings took place in Sierre, Valais, in June, with the same system that was used in 2007: there was no pre-selection and all the wines registered were tasted. In 2008, 460 producers from all of Switzerland participated, for a total of 1,900 wines. Elisabeth Pasquier, managing director of Vinea, which organizes the event in partnership with the European wine review, Vinum, says “The Grand Prix reflects the wonderful diversity of the Swiss winemaking landscape. We’ve had wines from every corner of Switzerland entered,” she notes. “But the two wines we received the most of were Chasselas and Pinot Noir, which is representative of what is grown in Switzerland.”

With participation voluntary, some of the best-known winemakers, such as Marie-Thérèse Chappaz, did not take part.

Who were the judges?

Most of the judges were professional oenologists or sommeliers, but the group also included a few wine journalists and a small number of people who are simply passionate about wine. Foreigners were also invited by the organizing committee that selected the 120 judges.

fechy_rolle_sm.jpg

How were marks given?

Each wine was tasted blind by 5 people who were instructed to give it marks, or points, out of a possible 100. The marks were not a matter of chance or personal taste: the judges must follow the precise criteria laid out by the OIV (International Organization of Vine and Wine), such as the intensity of the nose and how long the wine is on the palate. The final tally is the average of the five scores.

What are the categories?

These are 11 groups of wines ranging from white Chasselas to white blends to rosés and red varieties. For each category the judges selected six finalists, all of whom figure in the tasting notes to follow here. They then narrowed these down to three winners for each category.

And the special prizes?

There are three: the Vinissimo prize goes to the wine with the highest overall score, the Bio Suisse prize is given to the biodynamic production wine which gains the most points and the prize for Winemaker of the Year goes to the winery which has the most wines which figure among the winners.

The 2008 winner of the coveted Winemaker of the Year award is Madeleine Gay, oenologist at Provins in Sion.

The Swiss Wine Guide

Vinea brings together the annual wine competition and the publication of the Swiss Wine Guide (Le Guide des vins suisses in French). The book features all the gold and silver winners of the Grand Prix competition but also lists several hundred of the country’s best wine producers.

And for the first time, the book has been produced in English

(Ed. note: Ellen Wallace, editor of GenevaLunch, was responsible for the team that produced the English version).

CHASSELAS
Fendant de Saint-Léonard Grand Cru
Antoine & Christophe Bétrisey
1958 Saint-Léonard, rue du Château 12
+41 27 203 11 26,
info@betrisey-vins.ch
1 A complex nose that subtly blends the aromas characteristic of the Chasselas grape variety (linden, acacia flower) with more unusual fragrances such as marzepan, pineapple, bergamot and ginger. In the mouth the variety’s typicity is expressed with great class, in the mouth. Fresh yet long in the mouth: a wonderful combination in this magnificent wine! Best drunk before 2012.

Yvorne Grand Cru Château La Maison Blanche
Maison Blanche SA
1180 Rolle, place de la Gare 7
+41 21 822 02 02,
vente@schenk-wine.ch
2 A very pure bouquet. A discreet cluster of aromas expressed with great finesse, dominated by notes of fresh butter. On the palate: fresh, supported by bubbliness, clearly present. The body has great appeal, with wonderful balance and elegance. Yet again, a superb wine from the Maison Blanche, one of Yvorne’s finest terroirs. Best drunk before 2012.

Dézaley Grand Cru L’Ermite
Pascal Fonjallaz-Spicher
1098 Epesses, La Place
+41 21 799 37 56,
pascal.fonjallaz@urbanet.ch
3 A subtle, discreet bouquet, dominated by floral notes that are enhanced by a touch of vanilla and yeast. Crunchy and appetizing in the mouth. This Dézaley Grand Cru has real vinosity, with a strong and well-balanced structure and no heaviness. Fresh and crisp in perfect complement. Best drunk by 2013.


FINALISTS
Bérolon Le Consul Perroy
Cave du Consul, Laurent & Nicolas Martin
1166 Perroy, Grand-Rue 39

+41 21 825 2801,
caveduconsul@bluewin.ch

Fruit dominates the nose with floral touches and a hint of yeast. In the mouth it’s fresh, with the attack deliciously underlined by a slight bubbliness.  Overall very pleasant and with good balance on the palate. A great success for this cellar in the middle of the La Côte area in the Lake Geneva region. Best drunk before 2011.


Dézaley Grand Cru Sous-Marsens (2006)
Cave La Cornalle, Philippe Rouge
1098 Epesses, chemin de la Bastioule

+41 21 799 4122,
info@rouge-vins.ch
This second Dézaley in the category has a bouquet that, as it opens out, is dominated by yellow pitted fruits, notably apricot and peach. There are also some very interesting notes that are particular to the terroir of this Grand Cru and they come together as a mature bouquet. On the palate it has an elegant structure and benefits from good vinosity. The end is very pleasant, mediium’long. Best drunk by 2010.


Domaine des Faverges
Domaine des Faverges, Gérald Vallélian & Zvan Régamey
1071 Saint Saphorin, Les Faverges
+41 76 579 1081,
magninm@fr.ch

Yet again, and forever more: Lavaux with its Saint Saphorin whose nose is dominated by an appetising fruitiness rounded out by a mineral touch with a breath of bergamot and floral whisps.  In the mouth this has good freshness, while being rounded with good structure. It has an interesting persistant aroma. Best drunk before 2010.

Filed Under: Food & dining Tagged With: Chasselas, Food and Drink, Grand Prix du Vin Suisse, l'Hebdo, Swiss Wine Guide, Swiss wines

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  1. GenevaLunch » Blog Archive » Switzerland’s 66 winning wines, part 2 says:
    28/11/2008 at 14:22

    […] part 1 […]

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