WTN: An amazing Swiss Chasselas

Testuz Dézaley “L’Arbalète” Grand Cru 2004

This is among the most succulent, ripe and intense Chasselas I’ve tasted –rivaling those of Schoffit in Alsace. Ripe fig and juicy melon fruit, white peach, milk (almost like some Macon Chardonnay), raclette cheese, sweet pea. It is creamy and rich (for Chasselas anyway) and still lively on the finish with plenty of mineral. Very, very good. If you're in the camp that doesn't appreciate Chasselas, this will change your mind for good. 12,5% alc $47

Dézaley and Calamin, just above the city of Lausanne, are the best two vineyards for chasselas in the world, Bill. Now you know why.

The Dezaley vineyards are spectacular - steeply terraced looking down to lac leman


Here's a report on a visit to one of the top producers there: http://www.wineanorak.com/louis_bovard.htm

Absolutely endorse all that has already been said about the potential of Chasselas from Dézaley - Testuz are a quite large, but reliable producer for wines of the Canton of Vaud.

Good picture Jamie, but wanted to post the link for an amazing Swiss photographer - Regis Colombo - the Swiss wine Info Centre used to send me calendars of his pictures but sadly no more.
Here is the link that takes you straight to his pictures of the area of Vaud including Dézaley:
http://www.diapo.ch/galerie.php/16
It's really worth a cruise around his site (words are in French only, but the pictures ....)

Thanks for the link, Wink
Regis' pictures are awesomely good - found this one that impressed among many, of a very similar slope being harvested with the aid of a helicopter!

Thanks for the info and comments Victor, Jamie, and Wink. I love Chasselas and buy it whenever I have the chance (which is difficult outside of central Europe.) It can be quite fascinating and like Silvaner, I feel the need to speak up for it. Both are under-utilized and underappreciated varieties as well as important pieces in the grand story of wine. I'd love to hear your recommendations for other producers.

Cheers,
Bill

One more fact: the Lavaux chasselas (as well as some others from other areas of Switzerland) can be amazingly long-lived. I've had some mind-blowing ones at age 30 or more. It's remarkable because it's a low-acidity grape, but it seems the low yields and the minerality of these granite-rich can have such a result.

Fine producers in the Dézaley include the Ville de Lausanne (that's the Lausanne city hall, since many centuries ago the owner of a great chunk of this vineyard which nowadays has been clased as a 'grand cru'), and also the 12 producers which are united in the La Baronnie du Dézaley association: http://www.baronnie.ch/catalog/baronnie.php.