Importer Neal Rosenthal wasn’t looking for new producers when they came across Cave des Amandiers. Upon the recommendation of Sandrine Caloz of Cave Caloz, the Rosenthal team went for a short tasting with winemaker Alexandre Delétraz and, after a few pours, “knew we had obtained not only a new grower, but a newfound understanding of the heights Swiss wine can achieve.”
Grown on treacherous mountain slopes, atop the only gneiss mother-rock to be found in the country, this type of viticulture is a Herculean effort, but with astounding results.
Though syrah is most famously sourced from the Rhône, the Rhône river’s source is a glacier on the edge of the Valais. Sandrine Caloz likes to call Valais “the real Northern Rhône,” and when you taste Alexandre’s syrah bottlings, you may find yourself in agreement. Brooding black currant and raspberry, violet leaf, and a kiss of Dutch cocoa powder with white pepper on the nose, with a burst of glacial acidity and precise tannin on the palate. A little eucalyptus and leather throughout the silky finish. Just spectacular.
This wine is a pre-sale with expected arrival of end of year.