Mercury 2022 - 75cl
Red blend from several co-planted and co-fermented grape varieties. 13% vol.
It is difficult to talk about this wine without mentioning its history. It all started with this first vintage, when I recovered my first plot. No one in the village wanted it anymore, there was so much to do to restore it. And then, from the first season, the land revealed its secrets to me. It was not only Pinot Noir that grew there. I discovered, among the vines, Merlot, a little Gamay, a Pinot Blanc vine, and even two Pinot Gris. Faced with this unexpected diversity, I decided, from the first vintage, to make a blend of planted vines. No doubt, the former winemaker had recovered a few plants from a nursery and planted them where there were no vines. This is how Mercury was born.
From the second vintage, I had to change the name due to name protection issues. Thus, Mercury was transformed into Umami, a flavor so dear to the land of the rising sun.
This cuvée is born from the harmonious encounter of several red grape varieties, like a choir where each voice finds its place. The Pinot Noir, master at 60%, sings the main melody, while the Merlot, accomplice, brings its sweetness at 30%. The Syrah and the red Humagne, each at 5%, add their deep and spicy notes. It is in this alchemy, where each grape variety co-ferments in perfect symbiosis, that this vintage draws its strength and singularity.
This wine was born in Switzerland. Here, no synthetic inputs, neither in the vineyard nor in the cellar. Instead, it is the herbal infusions, fermented extracts and compost tea that watch over the vine, like benevolent companions, gently accompanying it at each stage of the season in addition to copper and sulfur to limit the spread of mildew and powdery mildew. Thus, this wine breathes the land that saw it grow, free and sincere, in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
Average altitude of the plots 520 meters
Harvested by hand on September 5, 2022
Indigenous yeasts
Aged in vats for 6 months
Light filtration before bottling
2323 bottles
Total SO2 less than 30 mg/L.
Grape varieties
60% pinot noir, 15% merlot coplantés, 5% humagne rouge and 5% syrah.
Vinification
During the harvest, no sulfur was used to hinder the purity of the grapes. Each grape variety, carefully destemmed, was vatted together, like the notes of the same melody coming together. A starter culture, prepared with indigenous yeasts a week in advance, was added, gently initiating fermentation. Every day, a pumping over ensured that the wine blossomed fully, until pressing, which came after twelve days of maceration.
After malolactic fermentation, a subtle touch of sulfur was added, at a rate of 10 mg/L, to guide the wine in its maturation. A light filtration, a week before bottling, came to refine the work, followed by a final adjustment of volcanic sulfur the day before bottling.
And so, on April 14, 2023, this wine, the fruit of a long journey, was captured in the bottle, ready to tell its story.
Tasting
This red blend, a true ode to gluttony, is an enthusiastic addition to your aperitifs and brasserie dishes. Its rich and captivating nose reveals a beautiful substance that calls for discovery. On the palate, it is flattering, with a vibrant dynamic of red fruits and black cherry. Each sip is a fruity dance, a feast for the senses, where the simple joy of a fruity wine transforms each moment into a celebration of delicious and shared flavors.
Storage
Magnificent on the fruit from the first year, if we offer it a refuge where freshness and humidity are in balance, this wine will wait, patiently, for 3 to 5 years, before revealing all the richness of its character.
2022 vintage in Valais
The year 2022 was marked by exceptional weather conditions, with a scorching summer and low precipitation throughout the growing season. This drought, accentuated by the high temperatures, led to increased evaporation.
These hot and dry conditions benefited the vines, while keeping fungal diseases and pests at bay. After an early bud burst in mid-April, growth took place quickly. Flowering, which began in mid-May, took place two weeks early, leading to early harvests at the end of August.
The quality of the wines is promising, with an unexpected freshness for such a hot vintage, giving energy and vitality, while delicately balancing the gourmandise. The red wines combine body and subtlety, displaying a rich palette of black fruits and warm spices, supported by silky and melted tannins.