Wyss, Rouge Pinot Noir, Azmoos AOC 2022 - 75cl
Most Swiss Pinot Noir never leaves the country, and the good stuff barely leaves the valley it's grown in. Sandro Wyss farms a sliver of land — under a hectare all told, scattered across Azmoos in St. Gallen and up into the Bündner Herrschaft — and bottles a few hundred at a time. This is one of those bottles.
He works biodynamically and dabbles in permaculture, not for the label but because he sees himself as part of the place rather than someone extracting from it. The vines sit high, around 600 metres, on lean clay soils with big swings between day and night warmth. That altitude is the secret: it slows ripening and keeps acidity taut, which is exactly what alpine Pinot Noir needs to stay light on its feet. The 2022 is destemmed, given a cold soak, fermented in a mix of vessels, then rested in used barriques on its fine lees for the better part of a year.
In the glass it's a bright, translucent ruby. Raspberry and redcurrant lead, with a savoury edge of toasted hazelnut underneath and a whisper of blackcurrant. The palate is fine-boned and energetic — red fruit, gentle spice, tannins that brush rather than grip, and that mountain acidity carrying everything to a clean finish. A serious wine that still knows how to be a pleasure.
How to Serve
Serve at 14–16°C, slightly cooler than you might expect for a red. A Burgundy bowl helps the aromatics open. No need to decant, though a short time in the glass rewards patience.
Where to Drink It
Noble Rot in Soho, where lesser-known growers get the respect they deserve. Planque in Haggerston for its cellar-led, low-intervention leanings. The Quality Chop House for something honest off the bone alongside it.
Food Pairings
I'd pour this with roast guinea fowl or a plate of charcuterie and cornichons. It also loves mushroom dishes — think a wild mushroom risotto — and it's light enough to handle a slab of grilled salmon if you'd rather go that way.
