Weingut Gantenbein Chardonnay 2021

Weingut Gantenbein Chardonnay 2020

The Gantenbeins Chardonnay has the intense minerality of a Chablis, fused with the deeper power of the great white wines of Burgundys Cte de Beaune.

The vineyards are located in the Graubnden district of the upper Rhine valley in eastern Switzerland, one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places on Earth. Not far from here, the Rhine begins its long journey high up in the Alps. Closer to the foothills is the winery; a marvel of design ingenuity and mechanical precision, it’s turned bricks catch the light just so to form gleaming grape-cluster mirages.

Gantenbein is widely considered to be one of the best domains in Switzerland. Daniel and Marta Gantenbein do all of the vineyard and cellar work themselves, by hand. Together, they farm six hectares (15 acres) of vineyards, about 500 meters above sea level on the slopes at the base of the Alps. Most of the vineyards (about 12.5 acres) are planted densely with Pinot Noir clones from Burgundy.

Daniel and Marta ferment their Pinot Noir in custom-built, open-top wood fermenters. Malolactic fermentation takes place in standard barriques. The wines are bottled after 12 to 14 months in barrique, without filtration or fining. In a good vintage, the yields are quite low only about 1.5 tons per acre.