The Perrochet family from Auvernier on Lake Neuchâtel goes back a long way – to at least the 16th century according to parish records. The hillside that descends to the lake all along the flank of the Jura has been carpeted with vines for at least a thousand years and winegrowing remains a significant activity here.
In 1827 Jean-Jacques Perrochet purchased La Maison Carrée, a landmark, foursquare building in the middle of the village, topped with a flared roof and superimposed with a second structure resembling a cloche hat. The building still houses the Perrochet family as well as the winery, its distinctive shape graphically depicted in the house logo and stamped onto their barriques. In 2008 Jean-Denis and Christine followed in a long line of Perrochet winegrowers. In 2015 they were joined by their son Alexandre, after the obligatory stops at viticultural school and internships in Burgundy, the Valais and the vineyards of Schaffhausen.
Given the family’s long and illustrious history and the reputation of their wines, you might think that the estate would be a standoffish kind of place; nothing could be further from the truth. When asked if one can visit the winery, Jean-Denis explains that while they don’t do wine tourism (by which I understood him to mean that they don’t take busloads and there’s no toy train chugging around the vineyards), interested visitors are most welcome with a prior phone call or email.
In total they farm ten hectares: 17 different plots planted in two sites ten kilometres apart, spread out in the lee of the Jura. Some of the vineyards are around Auvernier, the rest are in Hauterive, east of the golden city of Neuchâtel. Limestone is an underlying theme throughout, with significant variations in the topsoil. In some plots this is deeper and heavier with more clay mixed in; in others it’s leavened with visible chunks of crushed limestone, sand or gravel.
The moderating influence of any large, inland body of water on the vineyards that slope down towards it can hardly be overestimated. In winter and early spring, the residual warmth of the lake can protect the vines from extreme cold in this region which experiences extremely harsh winters – climb from the Neuchâtel lakeside at 500 metres to the famously freezing village of La Brévine – barely 40 minutes away but located at over 1000 metres – and midwinter temperatures can rival those of Siberia. In the heat of the summer months, the mass of water acts to gently cool the vineyards, while at the end of the ripening period, its reflected warmth allows the grapes to hang a little longer on the vine, so growers can achieve the degree of ripeness they are looking for.
In some ways La Maison Carrée seems super-traditional: the horizontal wooden wine press is ancient, the large oak vats date back to the last century and practices in both the vineyards and the cellar have an old-fashioned feel to them. Yet in many important ways this is a pioneering estate, farmed along organic and biodynamic lines since 2012 and totally in line with modern, ecologically focused thinking. In winter and early spring, they invite a herd of sheep from a local farmer into the vineyards to graze the rows between the vines and keep down the grass. The aim is to keep the soil healthy and full of living organisms, not deadened by herbicides or flattened by pounding tractors.
During the growing season, homeopathic doses of plant-based treatments are applied to the vines as and when needed, following the phases of the moon. “We aim to avoid problems at the outset, rather than trying to correct them later”, explains Jean-Denis. Other key factors in their vineyard management include choosing the most appropriate vine for the plot, careful monitoring of leaf cover and protecting the vines and grapes with a gentle hand. In the cellar, only native yeasts are used and sulphur very sparingly. The net result of this preventive, low-intervention approach is a range of wines whose distinct identity and character fairly jump out of the glass at you and turn tastings here into a special treat. “If you have lots of character, people may or may not like you – but they won’t forget you!”
There are plenty of unmemorable Chasselas produced in Switzerland, but this is far from the case at La Maison Carrée, whose Chasselas elevé sur lies has unusually complex flavours from the lees contact, as well as a pert, refreshing prickle of CO2. It’s a big seller, representing 30 percent of sales. For their Chardonnay, the balance of new and used barriques means that the oak influence is restrained, the wine rich and voluptuous.
A more recent arrival at La Maison Carrée is Savagnin, which they have grafted onto rootstocks that once hosted Chasselas. The Savagnin Blanc grape makes perfect sense here: its homeland is just the other side of the Jura in France, and the grape was once widely grown in Neuchâtel but had fallen from favour. Above all it is well-suited to some of the domaine’s heavier soils, giving a delightfully complex, smoky wine, quite distinct from those from the French Jura or the Valais (where it’s known as Heida). “It’s been a real discovery for us”, remarks Jean-Denis.
Pinot d’Auvernier, their wine in the Mémoire des Vins Suisses, is pretty unforgettable too. Grown in deep limestone soils above the village and raised mainly in large wooden vats with minimal input from barriques, the wine combines juicy fruit aromas with power and finesse. Pinot Noir Hauterive, by contrast, comes from shallower, stonier soils and gives an almost spicy wine with notes of dried fruits. Taste them side by side for a lesson in what two different terroirs can give, both limestone but quite distinct one from another.
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ADDRESS: Grand’Rue 33 2012 Auvernier CONTACT: Tel. 032 731 21 06 |
WINES TO LOOK OUT FOR: Chasselas élevé sur lies Chardonnay Savagnin Pinot d’Auvernier Pinot Noir Hauterive |
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Price range 21 to 37 SFr. |
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HIGHLIGHTS: Visits welcomed Saturdays 9–12 or weekdays by appointment or during the Portes Ouvertes weekend in May. Wines may be ordered from the website. Wine Growers Path, Lake Neuchâtel |
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