Stock levels can change quickly. Please check with your chosen shop before travelling.
| Style | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | Switzerland |
| Producer | Christophe Abbet |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Grape Varieties | Gamay, Pinot Noir |
| ABV | 12.5% |
| Bottle Size | 75cl |
The enigmatic Christophe Abbet, one of Europe's great underground winemakers, tends just 2.7ha of vines, which he farms organically. Working with tiny quantities of local specialities Ermitage, Petite Arvine, and Chasselas, alongside Gamay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah, he uses a range of experimental winemaking methods, including extended elevages and ageing under flor, to craft a spellbinding range of cuvées. Bottled without filtration or sulphur, Abbet's wines are released only when he believes they are ready to drink, yet they still have excellent ageing potential.
Since 1985, Christophe has tended his vineyards around the villages of Martigny and Fully in Switzerland's Valais. In a converted forge in Martigny-Bourg, he produces an impressive roster of more than twenty bottlings.
His Petit Arvine has crystalline fruit with alpine freshness, while the Ermitage (Marsanne) is full-bodied and intense – the result of four years in wood and bottle. Aged for nine years under flor, the Vin de Voile combines a rich texture and spicy nuances.
With its lifted, floral-savoury perfume, Abbet's Syrah shares all the qualities of top Côte-Rôtie, while his bright and tangy Gamay from 40-year-old vines is one of the “best Gamays ever”, according to Jura winemaking legend François Rousset-Martin.
With less than 2% of Swiss wines exported and discerning local drinkers quick to secure the country's best bottles, few get the opportunity to taste Abbet's wines.
