# Les Croix (2022)

- **Producer:** Domaine Matthias Orsett
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Chardonnay
- **Region:** Valais, Switzerland
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.3%
- **Average price:** €33
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 12–14 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** lemon, grapefruit, blossom, apple, butter

## About this wine

Domaine Matthias Orsett was established in 2021 by former French touch DJ Matthias Orsett. After formal studies in the Jura and training alongside legendary natural winemakers Pierre Overnoy and Emmanuel Houillon, Orsett established his micro-domaine on the steep, alpine terraced slopes of Valais, Switzerland. The single-parcel cuvée 'Les Croix' is sourced from a high-altitude site at 560 meters elevation in Saillon, planted on limestone scree resting over gneiss bedrock. The label features cyanotype photography of native flora designed by Angélique Stelhi.

## Interesting facts

- Winemaker Matthias Orsett previously worked as a French touch DJ in Paris before training under Jura legend Pierre Overnoy.
- The wine is sealed with a crown cap rather than a cork to ensure complete freshness and eliminate cork taint.
- Each bottle label features cyanotype artwork depicting local wild alpine plants.

## Food pairing

The wine's crisp energy, texture, and minerality easily cut through rich mountain cheeses and oily fish while complementing the savory umami of roasted meats and Asian noodle dishes.

## Wine making process

Grapes are harvested manually in small 20 kg crates and undergo 18 hours of cold skin maceration before pressing in a traditional vertical ratchet press. Fermentation occurs spontaneously using 100% indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged for 9 months on fine lees in old Burgundian oak barrels without any new wood. Bottled without fining or filtration and with minimal to zero added sulfur, the wine is sealed under a crown cap to ensure purity and protect against cork defects.