Wines

Sourced from a variety of miniscule parcels in Fully, Saillon, and Leytron, Alexandre’s Fendant (Chasselas) is fermented spontaneously and aged for eight months on its fine lees in stainless steel. Less opulent and honeyed than many examples from the Valais, it exemplifies the house style in its chiseled intensity, palpable salinity, and cleanly rendered fruit.

The indigenous Petite Arvine is one of Alexandre’s specialties, and he produces several examples of this incredible variety. This cuvée comes from two southerly exposed parcels in the canton of Leytron comprising a mere quarter of a hectare, with soils of decomposed schist layers mortared by clay atop limestone mother-rock. Fermented via indigenous yeasts and aged eight months in steel, it offers Mosel-Riesling-like purity and cut, with a serene, crystalline nose of lime zest and kiwi, and a salty, ultra-focused palate. The two component parcels are situated at 500 to 600 meters altitude, with an average vine age of 20 years.

Alexandre’s village-level Gamay comes from a half-hectare’s worth of tiny south-facing parcels planted at altitudes between 480 and 750 meters, in highly acidic sandy gneiss soils, with an average vine age of 40 years. Fully’s distinctive terroir produces Gamay of remarkable gracefulness and lift, with hauntingly precise red fruits anchored by a robust stoniness. This fermented spontaneously with 40% whole clusters, and spent 10 months in stainless steel followed by six months in bottle.

From holdings both in Fully and in nearby Saillon, the latter of which possesses soils of clay-limestone and loess, Alexandre’s authoritative, ultra-fresh Humagne Rouge ferments with 80% whole clusters and spends two winters in a combination of barriques and demi-muids. With a mineral undergirding that would make many a Northern Rhône wine taste like fruit juice by comparison, this effortlessly combines elegance and power, with a downright electric palate of remarkable length.

Alexandre’s friend Sandrine Caloz likes to quip that the Valais is “the real Northern Rhône” (the river’s source lies nearby), and the Syrah from Cave des Amandiers adds ample fuel to that argument. Sourced from a handful of parcels—some of which are planted to the fabled Serines– in Fully and Leytron, this ferments with 20% whole clusters and spends 18 months in a combination of barriques and demi-muids. With rich but taut dark fruit and gripping but finely rendered tannins, this gives high-toned spice and earthy punch alike, with a vibrant dynamism that is very much a signature of Alexandre’s touch.