Above the village of Chamoson is the diminutive domaine of Didier Joris. A visit here needs some advance planning and a bit of persistence: tastings are rare events and by appointment only. The smart idea is to try and coincide with the Portes Ouvertes weekend in mid-May, when many winegrowers in the Valais open their doors to actual and potential customers.
The eponymous owner is one of the region’s most reputed winemakers, famous for crafting gemlike wines that faithfully reflect the terroir in which they are grown. Yields are purposely limited to a handful of berries per vine and production is tiny. The wines, inevitably, are hard to find – even if you get the chance to visit and taste here, there are seldom any left to buy. The best bet is Switzerland’s top restaurants, such as the Hôtel de Ville in Crissier outside Lausanne or Andreas Caminada’s Schloss Schauenstein in Graubünden.
Joris started his career teaching at the Changins school of viticulture and oenology, where almost all nascent Swiss winemakers do their studies. This was followed by several years as oenologist at the giant concern Caves Orsat in Martigny, now part of the Sierre-based Rouvinez empire. In 2003, as he turned 40, he realised a long-held dream, struck out on his own and built his own place at the top of the village. In his own words, he then proceeded to throw out the rule book.
Since 2010 he has worked organically, ditching any synthetic products in the vineyards and the cellar. As far as possible all the work is done manually – you can see all the tools of his trade – hoes, rakes, spades, shovels and saws – neatly lined up the full length of the wall as you walk across to the tasting table at the far end of the courtyard. Above is a series of pulleys and ropes that enable him to work singlehanded, as far as possible using gravity to ensure a smooth, unjostled winemaking process from start to finish. His objective throughout is to allow his terroir to speak for itself and to amplify the variety he has chosen to plant there.
In between rows of vines, he plants a cover-crop of rye, which prevents soil erosion, reduces compaction and increases biodiversity. The rye is harvested, threshed and sent to the local mill to be stone-ground for flour. It is used by Didier’s son at his bakery across the valley in Verbier to make pain de seigle, the dense, dark rye bread that is typical of this mountain region. He also keeps bees, which pollinate the vines and the richly diverse flora that thrive here.
Visits here have a way of turning into a fabulously enriching tasting exercise, sprinkled with trenchant views on the world of wine (Valaisan, Swiss and other – one of Joris’s many hats is that of flying winemaker). Of the speciality varieties, he makes a glorious Païen (aka Heida), which he subtitles Gentil Blanc, a rich mouthful that spends some time in barriques in his tunnel-like barrel cellar, and a fine-boned, straight-talking Arvine.
Amongst the international varieties planted here, his Chardonnay is a shining example of what can be done with this grape in these terroirs and blazes a trail for Swiss Chardonnay. And if you get the chance to taste the remarkable Syrah Prés des Pierres, enjoy the ride – and swallow your disappointment when you come to order some, only to discover that others (notably those top restaurants) have beaten you to the draw.
One of his greatest adventures, embarked upon jointly with grape geneticist José Vouillamoz, has been to resurrect an ancient, unloved, indigenous variety named Diolle. A handful of locals had heard tell of the grape, including one who had preserved a plant or two. Vouillamoz’s research showed it to be one of the many children of the famously promiscuous Rèze, which spawned huge numbers of other varieties, some of them now well-known and others – like Diolle – obscure. Vouillamoz assembled the necessary genetic material, Joris provided the vineyard and together they brought the variety back to life.
Their earliest attempts delivered a single bunch of grapes, from which Joris made a delicilitre of wine – about enough to fill an eggcup. In 2017 they managed to harvest 10 kilos of precious grapes, which were pressed and fermented with the natural yeasts and with minimalist intervention. It’s the very definition of a non-interventionist wine, which Joris describes with his puckish smile and evident relish as “un vin nature plus….et plus que nature!” – a super-natural, natural wine. Don’t hold your breath: even if you do manage to snag a tasting here, the chances of sampling Diolle are slim, given the minute quantities produced.
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ADDRESS: Case Postale 62 1955 Chamoson CONTACT: Tel. 027 306 55 12 (Wednesday mornings only) Mobile: 079 220 73 19 |
WINES TO LOOK OUT FOR: Païen Gentil Blanc Chardonnay Syrah Prés des Pierres |
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info@didierjoris.ch |
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Price range 24 to 40 SFr. |
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HIGHLIGHTS: Tasting in Espace Musée (April to September) or Espace Oenothèque (December to March), cellar visit (December to March) and vineyard visit (August to October) all by appointment. Chemin du Vignoble vineyard trail, Stage 2, Sion to Saillon |
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