2016 Gantenbein Chardonnay

Gantenbein

Switzerland / Graubünden / Gantenbein

The Gantenbeins' Chardonnay has the intense minerality of a Chablis, fused with the deeper power of the great white wines of Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune.

February, 2019

Stephan Reinhardt

Wine Advocate

93 points

Bottled in spring this year, Gantenbein's 2016 Chardonnay displays a radiant citrus color and opens with a pure, fresh and mineral nose of white and citrus fruits intermixed with crushed stone notes. This is nothing but exciting in its crystalline expression and finesse! Lush and intense on the palate, this is a concentrated, firm, slightly pithy 2016 that has not yet developed the length and the character of the earlier vintages but with its elegance, finesse and long, piquant finish, this wine goes with bucket full of talents into the future. Tasted November 2018.

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About Gantenbein

Founded in 1982, Gantenbein is widely considered to be one of the best wine estates in Switzerland. It is located in the Graubünden (Grisons) district of the upper Rhine valley in eastern Switzerland, one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places on Earth. Not far from here, high up in the Alps, the Rhine begins its long journey to the Atlantic. At the foot of the Alps, in the small village of Fläsch, is the gravity-flow winery of Daniel and Martha Gantenbein; a marvel of design simplicity, ingenuity and mechanical precision.

About

Daniel and Martha do all of the vineyard and cellar work themselves, by hand. Together, they farm six hectares (15 acres) of vineyards, about 500 meters above sea level on the scree slopes of the northern Alps. Most of the vineyards (about 12.5 acres) are planted densely with Pinot Noir clones from Burgundy. The rest is planted with Chardonnay, as well as a tiny parcel of Riesling, planted with vines sourced from the Mosel.