At the first sight the wine appears pretty dense, signalling a lot of matter. The nose is very rich. Pleasantly spicy, with dark cherries mixed in with some coffee and liquorice. Once in the mouth the wine is less filling than it made you anticipate from the visual and olfactory point of view. On the other hand it is more elegant than expected. A finesse that is confirmed by the discreet aftertaste.
This top of the line wine from Valais is made by Philippe Varone Vins using the three most prestigious grapes varieties of this mayor wine region of Switzerland: Humagne Rouge, Cornalin and Syrah. The wine has matured for 24 months in barriques and another 12 months in bottle.
Humagne Rouge, otherwise known as Cornalin d’Aoste, is a red wine grape variety once on the verge of extinction. It has been rescued thanks to a renewed interest for a variety that generally produces earthy and rustic wines with pronounced tannins. When blended it delivers a spiciness that adds complexity to the wine. It is a grape with a strong Valais identity.
Cornalin du Valais is a crossing of Petit Rouge and Mayolet, both indigenous grape varieties of the nearby Aosta Valley. It typically produces rich wines that require some bottle aging to soften. It is considered the greatest Valais red variety.
Syrah is a well-known international grape variety typical of the Rhône Valley. Most famed are the peppery, earthy reds produced along the French northern Rhône Appellations: Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Cornas and Saint-Joseph.
Even more North, near the river’s origins at the Rhône Glacier, Syrah has found a happy home across the border with Switzerland in the warm and sheltered sloping vineyards of Valais, where it can produce remarkably complex wines.
I got this bottle as a gift from my brother. On the winemaker’s online shop it sells for 69 CHF. Only 3’000 bottles have been produced. I drunk this bottle during New Year’s Eve and I felt the wine is still in a early stage of its evolution, but I wonder if with age it will develop more complexity.
Country: Switzerland
Region: Valais
Grapes: Humagne Rouge, Cornalin, Syrah
Type: Red
Vintage: 2013
Producer: Philippe Varone Vins
Price range: Extra (50-100 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 4/5