Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah
A heavenly rich wine this blend of mainly Bordeaux varieties (apart from Syrah, its main abode being the Rhone Valley in France) perched above the salt mines in Bex. The Merlot and Cabernet Franc bring softness and fruit; the Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, tannin and stamina.
Bex is in the Chablais wine region at the foot of the Grand Muveran. Bex, not only famous for its salt mines, also has some first class wine and stunningly pretty vineyards slightly hidden and nestled behind the hills. You don’t really see them so much from the motorway as you’re driving past. Here it’s different from the sweeping slopes of vines that plunge down into the lake in the Lavaux region.
It’s well worth a visit to the area and also to the Salt Mines where hundreds of bottles of wine are stocked. According to legend the salt springs were discovered many years ago by a poor farmer whose goats left in the pastures drank from the springs. When the farmer did the same he discovered the water was salty. Don’t forget millions of years ago Switzerland had sea surrounding it and that is why there are these salt deposits still today in Bex and in the surrounding mountains.
Nose – Black berries, black currents, slight oak with a hint of tar and a dash of truffle.
Palate – Well developed tannins with a silky texture. An excellent full-bodied wine with complexity and depth. A richly satisfying effect on the palate.
Mood match – Treat yourself. Pop down with your best friend to the chic bar at the Trois Couronne Hotel in Vevey. Settle yourself into a comfortable arm chair in the adjacent room to the bar. Go back in time and enjoy the Rococo atmosphere with the chandeliers and pale blue and gold ceiling.
This wine is available by the glass at the Hotel at least until the end of February.
Food match – New Zealand rack of lamb with all the trimmings.
Tip – If you don’t want a hangover, for every glass of wine drink one glass of water.
Available at: www.hammel.ch
Price: CHF 29.80
Nina Bobillier is a wine reviewer and guide. nina@lenews.ch
