Wines made from Chasselas grapes of Neuchâtel - Page 2
Discover the best wines made with Chasselas as a single variety or as a blend of Neuchâtel.
Chasselas rosé is a grape variety that originated in France. It produces a variety of grape used to make wine. However, it can also be found eating on our tables! This variety of vine is characterized by medium-sized bunches and medium-sized grapes. Chasselas rosé can be found in several vineyards: Alsace, South-West, Cognac, Bordeaux, Loire Valley, Rhone Valley, Languedoc & Roussillon, Provence & Corsica, Savoie & Bugey, Beaujolais.
Neuchatel is one of the smaller wine regions of Switzerland, located in the French-speaking western half of the country, North of the much larger Vaud area. Much like its neighbour, Chasselas dominates white plantings here, however Pinot Noir is more significant here, as is the reputation of Neuchatel's rosés. The region is generally referred to as the 'Three Lakes' as the region - and the four AOCs within it - are found on the relatively low-lying, flatter land, centered around the lakes of Morat, Bienne and Neuchatel. The region also covers three neighbouring Swiss cantons.
A couple of weeks ago, I was looking up at some terraced vineyards in St-Joseph with an Australian friend. He remarked that he’d never seen a steep vineyard like this in his home country. Who could afford to rip out the trees, build the access roads, construct the terraces, and plant the vines, without being certain beforehand that the resulting wine could be sold at prices high enough to recoup the investment? It might not be the most romantic way of looking at it. But that’s the modern reality ...
There have been reports of good demand for Burgundy 2021 wines released during this year’s en primeur campaign, even if the vintage was unusually small. Production of some Côte de Beaune white wines was down by 70% or more, as previously reported. Jason Haynes, director of UK-based Flint Wines, told Decanter that ‘overall demand from collectors (private customers) feels very strong’. The small size of the 2021 crop makes it difficult to directly compare en primeur interest to the cam ...
In preparation for this column I tasted 46 reds in total, and – taking both quality and value into account – I can recommend 33 of them. Overall, the reds were less consistent than the whites, and although the lows were lower, the highs were higher. This tasting confirmed that it’s still possible to buy genuinely excellent northern Rhône reds for under £30 in the UK. That being said, it’s virtually impossible to find any Cornas, Côte-Rôtie or Hermitage for under £30 a bottle these days, but ther ...