No, no, the title does not refer to the family picture on the right. But to the vintages 2018, 2019 and a Christmas surprise.
In the last issue of our newsletter, I summed up the expectations for the last vintage with the words “The ’18 will be radiantly elegant. Santé.” to sum it up. Admittedly, after such a summer, almost everything would have had to go wrong in the cellar for me to have been off the mark with this forecast. The result is indeed thoroughly gratifying. The wines are wonderfully aromatic. Pure drinking pleasure. As a real insider tip I recommend the Cornalin. And towards the hunting season, Humagne Rouge, a Valais classic, presents itself in top form.
The shareholders of Domaine de Ravoire have also done a great job. The quality of the 2017 assemblage trumps the sum of the already beautiful, single-varietal base wines and is an absolute delight. Moreover, I ask myself, “Is Valais becoming the new Riesling paradise?” Form your own opinion and test our pure Riesling from the large barrique. Speaking of white wine. Our Vinum- Lignum® series also has a few trouvailles in store for you. The Vinum Lignum® Pinot Blanc is particularly recommended. My little journey of observation of the 2018 harvest is not complete, however, without a sentence about my heart’s project, the Orange Wine: The integration of the “Lafnetscha” lifts the Amphore® Blanc into a new sphere.
The outlook for the 2019 harvest gives much cause for celebration. Due to the climatic conditions, the budding of the vines in spring occurred about ten days later than normal. Although this backlog has not been made up to date, the flowering period, on the other hand, has been impeccable, the shoots have faded well and the grapes have developed wonderfully. The hanging of the vines is beautifully uniform. At the moment I am writing these lines, the grapes are in the stage of color reversal. They “turn” evenly, which corresponds to an ideal quality of grapes. The two hot spells of late June and late July, with peaks well above 35 degrees, slowed grape ripening. We are now hoping for calm weather so that the anticipation of the grape harvest, which we would like to start around September 20, will continue.
And finally, a festive surprise: our K-I-B project is based on the idea of vinifying the same grape variety from the same vineyard in the same cellar, but in different containers. Namely, in Kvevri (amphora), in Inox (steel tank) and in barrique. We have now implemented this idea for the first time with the Urwallis grape variety “Lafnetscha” and the wines are ready for Christmas 2019. In addition to our current special offers, the ideal Christmas gift for connoisseurs who are looking for something special. Curious? For more information, please contact us directly in the wine cellar.
