Domaine La Colombe - Brez Grand Cru 2024 - 12.5% - 140cl - Bte

Raymond Paccot is not only one of the most experienced winemakers on the Vaud Coast whose subtle wines are praised by Swiss haute cuisine, he is also a pioneer of biodynamic viticulture in French-speaking Switzerland. It is no coincidence that Domaine La Colombe is considered the wine ambassador of the Vaud region and ranks among the "Swiss wine icons" awarded by the Gault&Millau wine guide. Innovative family business and fourth generation After studying viticulture, internships in California and Spain, the passionate oenologist Raymond Paccot joined his parents' estate in the commune of Féchy, not far from Lake Geneva, in the late 70s. In 1999, he gradually began the conversion to organic viticulture and recently, all vines have been managed biodynamically. Meanwhile, Laura Paccot has in turn joined the family business, as a representative of the fourth generation. The youngest of three sisters learned her trade in South Africa before refining her knowledge with renowned Swiss winemakers - first in Graubünden with Monika and Daniel Marugg and finally in Valais with Denis Mercier. Biodynamics for terroir typicity Biodynamic management of their vineyards that gently slope down to the lake is of exceptional value to Raymond, Violaine and Laura Paccot because this cultivation method allows them to clearly express the subtle details of their different plots - following the motto: living soils - authentic wine. For the vines to root deeply and benefit from the minerality of the subsoil, soil work is in principle purely mechanical. In addition, no chemical herbicide is used to preserve microbial life and plant diversity in the vineyards, necessary for vine vitality. The use of insecticides has also been banned to protect plants, only products like Bordeaux mixture, sulfur, biodynamic preparations and plant-based infusions are used, namely nettle, horsetail or yarrow. First-class wines, mirror of the terroir Domaine La Colombe pays particular attention to the Chasselas grape variety, alongside which many other white and black varieties also thrive in the vineyards - the care and preservation of old vines with particular genetics are paramount for Laura and Raymond Paccot. The rigorously selective harvest is done by hand, in small crates, in which the grapes are neither compressed nor damaged, and always well ventilated before being gently pressed in a pneumatic press; then fermentation takes place, always naturally with the grapes' own yeasts. Finally, thanks to patient maturation and long bottle aging, the Paccots are assured that their attachment to the terroir as well as the demanding work of the vine and low yields are reflected in exceptionally fine and mineral wines.