Nouveau Salquenen once again celebrates great success at the Grand Prix du Vin Suisse
You read that right, this is the third victory for Diego Mathier’s Nouveau Salquenen AG team in 2018 at the Grand Prix du Vin Suisse (after 2007 and 2011). The winemaker of the last decade can therefore celebrate the start of the second decade with another autumn victory.
A victory that was admittedly announced, as he had hardly any competition on stage (only the brothers Grégoire and Frédéric Dubois and the oenologist Thierry Ciampi had to take to the stage twice that evening). If in tennis a victory is summed up as “game, set and match”, at the GPVS it is a little longer and could be summarized as follows for Salquenard:
Nominations, highlights, podium places, victories and crowning!
The joy was muted (I have seen him more euphoric on some evenings), but the pleasure was still inexpressible. Diego Mathier enjoyed it, surrounded by his team (e.g. Nadia, his wife, Cédric Leyat, his oenologist). Even if he won’t say it publicly, this new “coronation” washes away the affront of the panel of judges who, year after year, compile the Gault & Millau ranking of the 100, and now even 125, best wineries in the country. In the latest edition of the ranking for 2019, which was published less than two months ago, Nouveau Salquenen AG was once again not represented. Almost two months ago, I wrote HERE that this absence was a shame. Year after year, Diego Mathier rightly relies on the judgment of dozens of judges who blind-taste nearly 3,000 wines, rather than on a group of experts who have ultimately managed to discredit themselves. But let’s get back to the evening of October 18. With the best will in the world, it is impossible to taste all the wines presented during the evening (especially if your table is far from the wine bar). So you mainly settle for the wines that are served at your table, or even some that you have tasted at one or other tables close to yours.
The winner in the Riesling-Silvaner (where Müller-Thurgau) category is a very nice, sapid and fresh wine. It is the Cuvée Tegerfelden 2017 and I fell in love with the Cuvée de Scheurebe from Rico Lüthi, a winemaker I met a few years ago in his vineyards. Very nice assemblage “Aagne” 2016 (Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc) from Stefan Gysel.
Among the great wines that were tasted, it is impossible to overlook the magnificent Cornalin Grande Réserve 2015 from the La Romaine winery. The same goes for the Cuvée Les Ambassadeurs 2016 from Diego Mathier. A stratospheric white assemblage that is remarkably mature, fresh and balanced. The base of this wine was also crowned, as it is the Heida 2016 (huge, an ode to this grape variety). Finally, I fell in love with the Gamaret 2016 Inspiration from the La Côte wine cellar. For barely more than 20 CHf, you buy a wonderful wine (it harmonized our whole table for its harmony and finesse). François Defayes’ Petite Arvine 2017 is a real gem and goes perfectly with the other (chiseled) white wines we tasted in his company in the cellar five months ago. Bravo!
Above you can see the two wines that received the highest scores in the competition. Other very popular wines: the Cuvée Métissage from Dom. de Chambleau, the delicate and very fine Pinot Noir Le Secret de la Chapelle 2015 and the three Neuchâtel sparkling wines of the competition (their tasting was easier, I “got to know” them all at the aperitif before the gala evening).
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