Compleo Cuvée Noire 2021

The colour is medium garnet. On the nose black cherries and raspberries. In the mouth soft, sweet and fruity. The aftertaste is very inviting and last for some time.

This wine is made by Staatskellerei Zürich under the Vin de Pays Suisse denomination. It is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir, 36% Gamaret and 4% Syrah.

Gamaret is a red grape variety from Switzerland, bred in 1970 at the Federal Research Institute of Changins through the crossing of Gamay and Reichensteiner. Continue reading “Compleo Cuvée Noire 2021”

Cuvée 1858 Blanc 2019

The colour is medium gold. On the nose honey, almonds, dried apricots, banana, ginger. In the mouth filling, elegant and tasty. The aftertaste is savoury and last for quite a while.

This top of the range Valais white wine is made by Bonvin with Petite Arvine, Heida and Amigne grapes. All three grapes are peculiar to Valais. The fermentation and the maturation on lees are carried out in new oak barrels. Continue reading “Cuvée 1858 Blanc 2019”

Terre Alte 2020

The colour is pale straw. On the nose pears, white peaches, orange peels and white flowers. In the mouth grapey and refreshing. The aftertaste is medium long.

This wine is made with 100% Merlot grapes vinified off the skins.

White Merlot del Ticino was born in 1986, when a local Cooperative, faced with chronic grapes’ oversupply, decided to produce a white wine. Other producers followed suit. Nowadays the share of Merlot grapes vinified in white in Ticino is more than 30% of the total production.

Merlot is the main grape of Canton Ticino, where it has been imported from France for experimental purposes at the beginning of the 20th century, during the post-phylloxera period.

Currently Merlot covers about 80% of the planted area in a Canton with some 3’600 grape growers and 200 or so winemakers. Approximately 1’000 hectares are devoted to viticulture.

White Merlot is not my kind of wine. Nevertheless, I find this exemplar made by Gialdi a pleasant Apero wine.

I bought this bottle at the winery for 16 CHF.

Country: Switzerland
Region: Ticino
Grapes: Merlot
Type: White
Vintage: 2020
Producer: Gialdi
Price range: Medium (15-30 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 3/5

Viognier Varone 2020

The colour is medium gold. On the nose aromas of apricot, peach, citrus, peanuts, chamomile and minerals. On the mouth fresh and elegant, with a lemon-flavoured aftertaste that last for quite some time.

This wine is made with 100% Viognier grapes by Maison Varone.

Viognier is a unique grape variety known to produce full-bodied white wines. It is the premier white grape of Northern Rhone (France). Continue reading “Viognier Varone 2020”

Solaris Schloss Heidegg 2020

The colour is medium gold. On the nose pleasantly perfumed, with hazelnut, banana and white peach. In the mouth aromatic, with medium acidity. The aftertaste last for quite a while.

Solaris is a hybrid white wine variety grown mainly in Baden, a wine region of Germany, where it was developed in 1975. Its parent varieties are Merzling and the functionally named Gm 6493 (a crossing of Zarya Severa and Muscat Ottonel). Continue reading “Solaris Schloss Heidegg 2020”

Heida Fleur du Rhône 2019

The colour is medium straw. On the nose nuts, pineapple, peach, quince, honey and jasmine tea. In the mouth refreshing, with a pleasant sapidity on the finish. The aftertaste is pretty long.

I bought this bottle to complete a set of four wines that I’ve decided to present at a wine tasting I’ll host for the CFA Society Switzerland in December. Since I resigned from Credit Suisse and started my own company more than two years ago, I often thought about guiding a wine tasting, but so far I never did it. Continue reading “Heida Fleur du Rhône 2019”

Northern Rhône Syrah

Mid October I organised a tasting of Northern Rhône Syrah wines. I visited the region with my wife in Mai 2015. Back then I bought wines from the best denominations: Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage and Cornas. I let the bottles age in my cellar for six years and now I’ve decided to taste a couple with some friends. Continue reading “Northern Rhône Syrah”

Merlot del Ticino 2010

2010 has been a very good year for Ticino wines. Back then I was just starting to get an appreciation of wine and was curious to see how the best products of my region would age. I therefore bought a few bottles of wines produced by three friends: Sassi Grossi made by Alfred De Martin (12 bottles), Rompidée made by Andrea and Giada Arnaboldi (12 bottles), and San Giorgio made by Mattia Bianda (6 bottles). Continue reading “Merlot del Ticino 2010”

Il Bianco di Chiara 2019 e Il Rosso di Chiara 2017

The colour is pale straw for the first and medium ruby for the second. On the nose Il Bianco di Chiara gives very discreet mineral and citrusy sensations, Il Rosso di Chiara displays mainly oak aromas, with some blackberries. In the mouth the white is dominated by the oak, but in an elegant way. The aftertaste is pleasant, but not very long. The red has less structure than you would expect and seems fading, although it is only 4 years old. The aftertaste is not very long. Continue reading “Il Bianco di Chiara 2019 e Il Rosso di Chiara 2017”

Leukersonne Cornalin 2016

The colour is deep purple. On the nose black cherries with a bit of blood. In the mouth juicy, with silky tannins. The aftertaste is fairly long and fruity.

Cornalin is the name given to two distinct, but related, red wine grape varieties from the Alps. One found in the Italian Aosta Valley: “Cornalin d’Aoste”, and one from the Swiss Canton of Valais: “Cornalin du Valais”. This wine is made with Cornalin du Valais grapes. Continue reading “Leukersonne Cornalin 2016”