Chardonnay 2023
AOC Uetikon, Erich Meier, 750 ml
| Grape variety: | Chardonnay |
| Producer: | Erich Meier |
| Origin: | Switzerland / Ostschweiz / Zürich |
| Other vintages: |
Attributes
| Origin: | Switzerland / Ostschweiz / Zürich |
| Grape variety: | Chardonnay |
| Label: | Vegan |
| Ripening potential: | 1 to 8 years after harvest |
| Drinking temperature: | 10 to 13 °C |
| Food Pairing: | Sushi, Sashimi, Ceviche, Crispy roast chicken, Spicy hard cheese |
| Vinification: | fully destemmed, long must fermentation, fermentation in wooden barrel, Pumping over |
| Harvest: | hand-picking, strict selection, in small boxes |
| Maturation: | bâtonnage, partly in steel tank, partly in barrique/ Pièces, long cultivation |
| Bottling: | filtration |
| Maturation duration: | 10 months |
| Volume: | 13.0 % |
| Note: | Contains sulphites |
Chardonnay
King or beggar?
Hardly any variety of vine shows such a broad spectrum of quality as the Chardonnay. Its wines range from faceless neutrality to breath-taking class. It is an extremely low-maintenance vine, which explains why it is grown around the world – even in places where it probably should not be. The aromas of the Chardonnay variety are not very pronounced: a bit of green apple, a little hazelnut; in warmer latitudes, also melon and exotic fruits. The wines are often defined by maturing in casks. They develop more or less subtle notes of butter, toasted bread and vanilla. The grapes achieve their highest expression in their region of origin, Burgundy. Its heart beats in the Côte de Beaune: one might think of the plant growth of Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet. With their finesse and complexity, they can survive for decades. Chardonnay also achieves first class in some Blanc-de-Blancs champagnes. It additionally yields great wines in the Burgundian Chablis, and increasingly in Australia and Chile. A simple rule of thumb for pairing with food: When butter and cream are involved, you cannot go wrong with Chardonnay.
Zürich
Zurich: On the way to the top
With a cultivated area of 620 hectares, Zurich is the largest wine-producing canton in German-speaking Switzerland. The potential is great at prime locations on Lake Zurich and in the various river valleys. It is no surprise that a steadily increasing number of top wines are vinified here. The major variety is Pinot Noir. But white varieties also exceed exquisitely, such as Müller-Thurgau and the long-established Räuschling, as well as international varieties like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The wine-producing canton of Zurich is currently experiencing the most sustained upswing in quality in its history.
Ostschweiz
Eastern Switzerland: an intriguing puzzle
Eastern Switzerland has long been positioned on the northern rim of the climate zone where the cultivation of popular Swiss varieties is possible. Due to a warming climate, the vineyards of Aargau, Zurich, Schaffhausen, Thurgau and Graubünden are now in the zone where varieties such as Müller-Thurgau or Pinot Noir succeed excellently. But even long-established, almost-forgotten varieties such as Elbling, Räuschling and Completer are experiencing a renaissance.
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.
