Domaine Grand’Cour Rouge Geneve – 2021

Made from very low-yielding vines planted in 1985, this is a blend of 70% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot. It has an attractive, deep crimson colour and aromas of dark cherry and ripe blackberries. On the palate it is wonderfully silky in its tannins and has amazing fruit depth for this cooler vintage. Its two years in Burgundy barrel have added a spice and vanilla complexity. It is fresh and well structured, and although perfect to drink already, will no doubt age beautifully over the next ten years or more. This is extremely classy and one of the finest Bordeaux-style reds I have tasted from Switzerland.

Domaine Grand’Cour is located 1km from Switzerland’s most westerly border with France, in a valley between the Jura and Salève mountains. There is a special microclimate here; in the past 20 years or so a « foehn » style wind blows up from the south in the Autumn giving a warm, sunny October which is perfect for ripening Cabernet grapes. The vines were sourced from pre-phylloxera planting material, unique in Switzerland. His 1.5 hectare Grand Cour vineyard is planted to a very high density, so that the many small vines grow only a few, perfectly-formed bunches of grapes. His Grand Cour Rouge spends two years maturing in smaller Burgundy barrels (which is most unusual for a Cabernet -dominated wine). Jean Pierre says this is one of the key reasons for the silkiness of his wine’s tannins.