Petite Arvine flétrie, Cuvée Safran, C. des Amandiers - A. Deletraz (50 cl) - 2008

Alexandre Delétraz is the story of an idealist from Geneva who moved to the Valais. In his own words: "La Cave des Amandiers is a bit of a utopia or rather a dream... A life project! It is the desire to create great wines in exceptional terroirs while respecting nature, to reveal the qualities of the Valaisan grape varieties in an authentic environment and to offer the wine the time to grow in the coolness of the cellar. The cellar is one of the youngest in the Valais, since it was created in 2008. After having vinified the first vintage in a mazot, then in a tractor garage in Fully, Alexandre found a more suitable place in the commune of Saillon. He moved into this new cellar in 2011 and although the vinification facilities are recent, the work remains totally artisanal. The vines are tended by hand because of the uneven topography, made up of small terraces that stretch from 450 to 900 metres above sea level over 5.2 hectares. This is an opportunity to remind ourselves that vine growing in the Valais is sometimes also mountain viticulture. This heroic viticulture is perfectly illustrated by the different entities that Alexandre owns in Fully: Les Seyes, Les Follatères, La Combe d'Enfer, Chanton d'Euloz, La Combe des Cloux. And so many vertiginous slopes, where the vines sometimes cling painfully to the hillside, with numerous small terraces supported by dry stone walls. This...