"L'Arène" 2024 - Matthias Orsett

"L'Arène" - Matthias Orsett 

L'Arène is a pure mountain fragment, a vertigo-defying Chasselas at 760 meters above sea level among the heroic vineyards of Fully. Matthias Orsett, a solitary craftsman with just one hectare of vines, cultivates this Valais Gneiss with an almost spiritual care, relying on plant extracts and a historic vertical ratchet press from the early 20th century. This six-day maceration is a tribute to slowness and manual labor. On the nose, an Alpine breeze brings with it hints of medicinal herbs, meadow flowers, and a rocky, almost pungent minerality. On the palate, the maceration imparts a subtle yet decisive structure, where the crisp freshness of high altitude meets a deep, vibrant savoriness. Bottled by gravity, without fining or added sulfites, L'Arène is a "naked" and magnetic wine: the sincere portrait of a man and his rock.

Service

It is advisable to taste it at a temperature of 8/10 °. Wine to be drunk immediately but left a few years in the cellar can give great emotions.

Pairing

Excellent with savory desserts with tapenade, smoked fish, crustaceans, white meats.

Cellar: Matthias Orsett

Since 2021, among the steep terraces of Fully, Valais, Matthias Orsett has been charting a new path in the Swiss artisanal wine scene. Trained in the Jura alongside key figures such as Houillon and Overnoy, he has embraced a rigorous and authentic vision, applying it to 1.3 hectares of vineyards stretching up to 870 meters above sea level. In this extreme setting, characterized by stony gneiss and granite soils, viticulture becomes a heroic task: every operation is carried out by hand, respecting the principles of BioSuisse certification and traditional local pruning techniques. At the Port-Valais winery, organic grapes from nearby areas such as Saxon and Miège are also processed according to the same essential, non-interventionist philosophy. Fermentation occurs spontaneously, while aging—from 9 to 30 months in steel or old Burgundian barrels—is designed to enhance the purest identity of grape varieties such as Fendant, Petite Arvine, and Pinot Noir. Without fining or filtration, and with minimal or no use of sulfites, Matthias Orsett's wines offer an authentic and vibrant expression of a challenging terroir, interpreted with sensitivity and consistency by one of the most interesting voices in contemporary natural wine.