| Producer |
L'Alpage
: The art-deco label of the L’Alpage wine bottle is a throwback to the vintage Swiss travel posters of the 1930s. This whimsical exterior is a preview of the fun, playful and palate pleasing wine inside. Made from 100% Chasselas, a grape variety indigenous to Switzerland, the wine expresses a “sense of place”. Situated high above sea level at approximately 2,300 feet in elevation, the tiny jewel of Mont-Sur-Roll (sub-appellation of the tremendous appellation of La Cote) presents the greatest growing conditions for Chasselas.
L’Alpage is a custom cuvee selected by American exporter, Eric Solomon in conjunction with the top producer of Swiss wines and wine cooperative (Provins) that operates 800 hectares of vineyards in Valais, La Cote and across Switzerland. The grapes used to produce L’Alpage thrive on vines that are on average of 25 years of age and dwell in a terroir of clay, limestone and gravel soils; the rocky, terraced landscape providing superb, natural drainage. Vineyards are protected by forests in the north and benefit from ample sunlight as well as reflections from Lake Geneva creating the perfect host for its native grape variety.
The grapes are hand-harvested, gently pressed before fermentation and aged in stainless steel tanks (without batonnage or stirring of lees back into the wine) leaving a bright, flavor focused wine with medium acidity and a touch of salinity (sea spray). With notes of fresh quince, elderflowers, Anjou pears and almost imperceptible effervescence, a rather simplistic offering comes to life with delicate and delightful nuances. It is a wine that displays the Swiss terroir, mimicking the minerality of the rocky topography and the brightness of the conditions in which it is cultivated. There could be no better interpretation of the Chasselas grape variety.
|
