Syrah 2023
AOC Wallis, Bonvin, 750 ml
| Grape variety: | Syrah |
| Producer: | Bonvin |
| Origin: | Switzerland / Wallis |
| Other vintages: |
Description
Syrah is the grape which accompanies the Rhône on its way from Switzerland to the South of France. Spicy, wild and powerful in its aroma, it is presented here with pepper, liquorice, juniper, leather and black olive. Mulberry, blackberry and cassis complement the flavour spectrum along with floral accents. On the palate, the wine is dense and muscular with an intense, fruity and spicy taste. It is worth decanting the wine an hour or two before serving.
Attributes
| Origin: | Switzerland / Wallis |
| Grape variety: | Syrah |
| Label: | Vegan |
| Ripening potential: | 2 to 6 years after harvest |
| Drinking temperature: | 16 to 18 °C |
| Food Pairing: | Spiced grillades, Roasted lamb gigot, Roast saddle of venison, Wild specialities |
| Vinification: | fully destemmed, short must fermentation, fermentation in steel tank, pressed carefully and immediately |
| Harvest: | hand-picking, strict selection |
| Maturation: | partly in steel tank, partly in wooden barrel/foudre |
| Maturation duration: | 8 months |
| Volume: | 13.5 % |
| Note: | Contains sulphites |
Bonvin
High above Sion, on the Clos du Château, is the heart of the oldest wine trading house in Valais – today's winery Charles Bonvin SA. The view sweeps over the wide Rhone valley, meets the two castle hills of Tourbillon and Valère and grazes on the magnificent Valais vine landscape with its countless terraces.
In the mid-19th century, Valais was a poor area. The valley was largely marshland. The people, mostly farmers, mainly subsisted from agriculture and the dairy industry. The wineries were set up where nothing else could be grown. The vineyard was smaller than the one in Zurich and the yield was mostly for self-consumption. The Valais wine couldn't leave its borders, although it had been cultivated since Roman times.
Syrah
A hint of pepper
The legend stubbornly persists that the Syrah variety came from the Persian city of Shiraz. Yet, researchers have shown that it is a natural crossing of two old French varieties: the red Dureza from the Rhône Valley and the white Mondeuse blanche from Savoy. Wines from Syrah are gentle and concentrated. They smell of dark berries, violets and liquorice, and amaze with a piquant touch of white pepper. As varietal wines, they are found on the northern Rhone, as in the Hermitage or Côte Rôtie appellations, as well as in Swiss Valais. In the southern Rhône Valley, Syrah is often wedded with Grenache and Mourvèdre. In 1832, a Frenchman brought the variety to Australia, where it became the emblem of the national wine industry. There, the weightiest versions develop with typical notes of tar and chocolate.
Wallis
Valais: Alpine wines with class
More than 20 varieties of grapes can yield wines in Valais that are full of character. A large number of them grow on spectacular, steep slopes. Sealed off by mighty chains of mountains, old plantings like Petite Arvine, Amigne and Cornalin have survived in Valais, and today they are highly sought-after by wine enthusiasts. The highest vineyards in Europe are also found in Valais: the Savignin vines (known here as “Heida”), rooted in the mountain community of Visperterminen.
Switzerland
Switzerland – A small country with enormous diversity
Switzerland is famous for its banks, watches, and cheese, but not necessarily for its wine. The Swiss didn't invent wine, but they have been extremely open and curious to it. Wine culture arrived in what is now modern Switzerland via several routes: from Marseilles to Lake Geneva and the Lower Valais region; from the Aosta Valley through the Great St. Bernard Pass to the rest of Valais; from the Rhone through Burgundy, across the Jura Mountains to Lake Constance; and from Lombardy to Ticino, and then on to Grisons.
