Clos de Tsampéhro Rouge XII

Clos de Tsampéhro, Flanthey
Description (detail)

Clos de Tsampéhro Rouge XII blends the character of Valais Cornalin with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. The 2022 vintage displays intense red and dark fruit aromas, black cherry, and subtle spicy notes. On the palate, it is powerful yet supple, featuring silky tannins, lovely freshness, and a long, spicy finish. Cornalin lends the blend its distinctive Valais identity, while Merlot contributes fullness and velvetiness, and the Cabernets add structure, freshness, and depth. A magnificent, youthful Valais red wine with excellent aging potential.

40% Cornalin
32% Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc
28% Merlot

At 40%, Cornalin is the lead variety. Consequently, this is not simply a Valais-style Bordeaux blend; rather, it represents the meeting of a major indigenous Valais grape variety with three classic Bordeaux varieties.
The winery describes Cornalin as the common thread running through the blend: it provides fruit and structure; Merlot adds spice, red fruit, and a velvety texture; while the Cabernets contribute freshness along with notes of leather, liquorice, and mocha.

Red wine
Red assemblage
Prozent
13.5
Option 1: Beschrieb
75cl
Option 1: Jahrgang
2022
Option 1: Preis
CHF 145
Option 2: Beschrieb
150cl
Option 2: Jahrgang
2022
Option 2: Preis
CHF 250

Matching mood

generous & giving

Characteristics

Opulent and powerful
Dry
Oak barrel
Rarity
Beef
Lamb
15 years

Our story

What connects us with this winery...

Clos de Tsampéhro

Clos de Tsampéhro in Flanthey was born from the shared vision of three wine enthusiasts: Joël Briguet, Christian Gellerstad, and Vincent Tenud. Their standards are uncompromising: on just under three hectares of exceptional Valais soil, they produce small quantities of wine that express the terroir in its purest form.

Winemaker Joël Briguet, founder of Cave La Romaine, oversees vineyard operations, while Vincent Tenud—a trained oenologist from Changins—shapes the winemaking process. As a co-founder and passionate wine lover, Christian Gellerstad contributes the strategic perspective. They are supported in the vineyard by viticulture manager Antonio Almeida, who has known the Flanthey terroir for many years.

The name "Tsampéhro" comes from the local Valais patois and refers to the specific location of the vineyards. Situated at an altitude of around 600 meters, the terraced plots benefit from the intense Valais sun and lean, limestone-rich soils. The focus is on a select few cuvées. Low yields, meticulous manual labor, and uncompromising selection form the foundation of their work.

The terroir is particularly fascinating: the *Clos* comprises just under three hectares of soil characterized by slate and sandy loam. Ten grape varieties grow here, with a deliberate blend of indigenous Valais varieties and international ones. Viticulture is organic, eschewing herbicides and pesticides, and incorporates biodynamic principles. Another notable feature: according to the estate, the *Clos* is home to the oldest still-productive Cornalin plot, featuring vines that are nearly 100 years old.

The deliberate numbering of editions using Roman numerals is another distinctive touch. In this way, every vintage becomes part of the *Clos*'s history - with Edition I corresponding to the 2011 vintage.

Discover the wineryDetails

More about the grape variety

Red assemblages and cuvées

«Married wine»

It is up to the cellar master to compose a complex, finesse-rich but balanced taste experience from wines of different characters. Often, colourful, full-bodied and tannic wines are blended with lighter, fruit-intensive wines to achieve a more complex, intense harmony of aromas. The aim is not to conceal the weaknesses of a wine, but to combine strengths; the cuvée should be of higher quality and taste better than the single-varietal wine. In order for a cuvée to present itself as a harmonious composition, characteristics such as fruitiness, acidity, tannin content, alcohol content and residual sweetness have to be very precisely sensory assessed during preliminary tastings. It is an art that requires a great deal of knowledge, skill, sensitivity and experience to finely match complementary varieties to create a particularly round and harmonious wine.

The terms assemblage and cuvée sometimes cause more confusion than clarity. This is because they are used differently in French than in German. In German-speaking countries, the term cuvée and the synonym assemblage are used for a blend of different grape varieties, vintages or sites. Not so in France. Cuvée comes from the French Cuve (vat or wine container) and actually refers to a certain amount of wine in a vessel. Accordingly, in French, each separately bottled wine is called a cuvée - in the sense of bottling. The composition of the cuvée is called assemblage in France. If simple wines are blended, the French speak of a coupage.

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