The Cave la Madeleine is a family-owned winery located in the small village of Vétroz next to the city of Sion in the Canton Valais in the South of Switzerland. It is operated by the Fontannaz family and has 16 hectares of vineyards on the right side of the Rhône valley, surrounded by the Swiss Alps.
The Cave la Madeleine was founded by André Fontannaz in 1991. The management of the winery has been since expanded with the participation of his two daughters, Chloé and Camille, to the activities of the winery. Vétroz is the main area where the Swiss specific Amigne grape is cultivated in Switzerland. It is a grape that matures late in the year and produces wines that are generous, full and often just slightly sweet, with orange, citrus and almond notes. The Amigne wines can be produced in a range of styles, from dry right through to sweet. The wineries of Vétroz use a system of *bees” (“abeilles” in French”) to indicate if the Amigne is dry, medium or sweet. The Cave la Madeleine in Vétroz is one of the rare Swiss wineries that has been credited by Robert Parker The Wine Advocate guide with 94 points for both the Amigne de Vétroz Amphore 2017 and the Amigne de Vétroz Grand Cru 2017. Some of its wines are matured in amphoras.
Wine(s) tasted: (May 2019)
* Petite Arvine de Vétroz 2017: elegant, lightly smoky, minerality, yellow fruits, citrusy, salt
* Amigne de Vétroz Gran Cru 2016: honey, citrus, elegant sweetness
* Magdalena Blanc 2016: peach, citrus, minerality (blend of Païen, Petite Arvine, Amigne)
* Cornalin de Vétroz 2016: red flowers, wood berries, black and red cherries, smooth
* Humagne Rouge Nid d’Aigle 2016: wide-body, elegant tannins, licorice, spices, leather
Producer: Cave la Madeleine, André Fontannaz, Route cantonale 118, 1963 Vétroz
Website: https://www.fontannaz.ch/
Appellation(s): AOC Valais
