Marie Thérèse Chappaz - Grain Pinot "Charrat" 2024
In the heart of Valais, where the Rhône crosses a landscape of steep hills and imposing mountains, Marie-Thérèse Chappaz has made the precision of terroirs one of the great ambitions of her work as a winemaker. Established in Fully since the late 1980s, she has gradually built a vineyard heritage where each plot receives particular attention. Her approach, based on biodynamics, respect for natural balances, and measured cellar intervention, has earned her recognition far beyond Swiss borders. While her Petite Arvine, Marsanne, and sweet wines have greatly contributed to her reputation, her Pinot Noirs demonstrate an equally fine understanding of the geological and climatic nuances of Valais. The region benefits from a particularly sunny alpine climate, marked by strong temperature variations and the influence of the foehn wind, which promote grape ripening while preserving their freshness. In Charrat, a village located a few kilometers from Fully, conditions differ significantly from the granite slopes that dominate the estate. Grain Pinot Charrat thus allows discovering another facet of Marie-Thérèse Chappaz's work, where the finesse of Pinot Noir is expressed through a terroir distinct from her historic plots.
The Grain Pinot Charrat 2024 comes from two distinct sectors, Champ Dury and Les Esserts, whose calcareous gravel soils contrast with the granite formations of Fully. Located on the left bank of the Rhône, these plots benefit from later sunshine during the day, a particularity that favors a gradual ripening of Pinot Noir and helps preserve its aromatic expression. The grape variety develops a more pronounced structure, precise tannins, and a fruity register that can evolve towards spicy and slightly earthy nuances. The biodynamic vineyard management, certified Demeter, is accompanied by soil work adapted to the conditions of each season and constant attention to grape quality. After harvest, fermentation is carried out with indigenous yeasts, respecting Marie-Thérèse Chappaz's low-intervention approach. According to the estate's indications, the 2024 vintage benefits from fourteen months of barrel aging, which supports the construction of its texture and the gradual integration of tannins. This cuvée thus stands out from the other Pinot Noirs of the property by the association of two calcareous plots, whose complementarity gives the wine its depth and character.
The Grain Pinot Charrat 2024 expresses a generous and spicy personality, in which the finesse of Pinot Noir is accompanied by a real density of matter. The nose evokes black cherry, morello cherry, and wild berries, extended by notes of licorice, pepper, and a discreet smoky touch. Upon aeration, nuances of ripe red fruits and sweet spices bring more relief to a bouquet that retains a pleasant freshness. The attack is supple, quickly followed by a fleshy matter and fine tannins, whose presence gives the wine a more assertive structure than its aromatic delicacy might suggest. The palate maintains beautiful precision, with juicy fruit and a persistent finish where cherry, spices, and subtle woody notes are found. This Valais Pinot Noir will elegantly accompany roasted pigeon, veal fillet with mushrooms, farm-raised guinea fowl, or a delicately pink rack of lamb. Already expressive after a short aeration, it can also evolve favorably in the cellar, gaining nuances of undergrowth, fine leather, and candied fruits while retaining the distinction of its calcareous origins.
Grape variety: 100% Pinot Noir
