# Grain Pinot Les Esserts (2023)

- **Producer:** Domaine Marie-Thérèse Chappaz
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Pinot Noir
- **Region:** Valais, Switzerland
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.8%
- **Average price:** €71
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 15–17 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, blackberry, liquorice, mint, eucalyptus, vanilla, cloves, cedar, resinous, forest floor

## About this wine

Domaine Marie-Thérèse Chappaz, located in the Valais region of Switzerland, is widely recognized as one of the country's most iconic wine estates. The 'Les Esserts' parcel in Charrat holds special historical significance as the very first vineyard plot inherited and worked by Marie-Thérèse Chappaz in the mid-1980s, marking the origin of her estate. Situated on stony, highly calcareous limestone soils along the left bank of the Rhône River, the vines are cultivated strictly using certified biodynamic methods under both Bio Suisse and Demeter guidelines.

## Interesting facts

- Les Esserts is the first vineyard parcel inherited and worked by Marie-Thérèse Chappaz in the 1980s.
- Marie-Thérèse Chappaz is widely celebrated as the pioneering 'Queen of Valais' wine.
- The vineyard is certified organic and biodynamic by both Demeter and Bio Suisse.

## Food pairing

The lively acidity and fine-grained tannins of this high-altitude Pinot Noir slice through rich poultry and alpine cheese, while subtle mineral and fungal nuances harmonize with wild game and roast root vegetables.

## Wine making process

Grapes from old Pinot Noir vines are manually harvested in small crates and undergo 100% destemming. Maceration lasts approximately three weeks with native yeast fermentation, using gentle pump-overs and punch-downs. Pressing is conducted pneumatically, and free-run and press juices are blended prior to maturation. The wine ages for 12 to 16 months in 228-liter French oak barrels (around 20% new oak) before estate bottling with minimal added sulfites.