AND LE CONSERVATOIRE MONDIAL DU CHASSELAS
It seems to me perfectly logical that Chasselas should have become Switzerland’s signature white grape (it accounts for over 60 percent of all white wine produced). Shy, self-effacing, often understated, it never elbows itself forward, preferring to perform quietly to the best of its ability. Always described as a remarkable reflector of terroir, it gives the credit to where it is grown (the specific site is often marked on the label), as well as to the winemaker prepared to devote time and trouble to working with it, rather than beating its own chest about any inherent brilliance of its own.
In short, it’s the perfect embodiment of Swissness in vinous terms – but also a grape for our time. Other varieties, such as Chardonnay, get infinitely more limelight (and oak). Chasselas plays its hand with skill and subtlety. It can be simple and thirstquenching, designed to be drunk young; or it can be complex and timelessly elegant. When you tire of grapes that shout louder – I’m thinking Gewurztraminer, Viognier or those body-built, over-oaked Chardonnays that gave rise to the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) movement – Chasselas comes as a blessed relief. Besides, since it seldom contains more than 12.5% alcohol, you can drink more of it.
The grape is nowadays so intimately connected with Switzerland that it comes as a surprise to learn that its precise origins were long shrouded in mystery. Thanks to the newly emerging field of research into the DNA of grape varieties at the beginning of this century, the internationally renowned grape geneticist Dr José Vouillamoz was able to establish that the home of the Chasselas grape is almost certainly the Lake Geneva region. One clear indicator of the likelihood of its presence on the lake for many centuries is the large number of Chasselas clones found here. It was to preserve this precious diversity that the Conservatoire Mondial du Chasselas was created in 2010 high above Rivaz on Lake Geneva.
The celebrated lawyer-turned-winemaker Louis-Philippe Bovard from Cully played a key role in the creation of the Conservatoire, in partnership with the Vaud Office of Viticulture and the Swiss agriculture research station Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil. Thanks to Bovard, 3000 square metres of prime vineyards in the heart of Lavaux were made available and planted with 400 rootstocks of 19 different Chasselas clones. Apart from preserving the vine’s diversity, another aim is to explore which clone is best suited to the region’s unique sites and wide variety of soils. The Conservatoire has other sites around Vaud, including in the vineyards of La Colombe in Féchy, along the lake in La Côte.
You can explore the Lavaux Conservatoire Mondial du Chasselas for yourself by following the vineyard trail up into these famous terraced vineyards. The vine collection is visible from the track that runs through the vineyards and each one is clearly signposted, so from spring through to autumn, you can see the differences between the plants’ growing habit, the stems, leaves and ultimately the grapes. There’s no better introduction to Switzerland’s most famous grape.