The Johanniter
Syrah Hospices de Salquenen
AOC ValaisRed wine
Syrah
13.5%
Stainless steel tank
16°C
Beef, veal, lamb and game. A suitable accompaniment to a peppery lamb tenderloin on thyme couscous.
Salgesch still proudly bears the Maltese Cross on its coat of arms today. The clergymen who settled in the heart of the Valais in the Middle Ages followed their religious vow to do good to travellers, the sick and those in need of protection by offering them exemplary hospitality and medical care. The order was able to achieve truly knightly feats with kind donations from the population. For their part, the winegrowers of Salgesch supported the benevolent friars of the order by distributing wine. In those days, the clergy collected these fine wines in large wooden barrels in the cool cellar of the hospice. At that time, the water in the village well was of inadequate quality and contained many pathogenic germs. And so the Knights of St John preferred to rely on pure wine to restore strength to exhausted travellers and the sick. It is hardly surprising that the quality of this wine, which was served in Salgesch, soon became known far beyond the Simplon.
The wines of the Hospices de Salquenen line from the best winemaker of the decade, Diego Mathier, are a delightful tribute to the unrivalled commitment of the Knights of St John, of which Salgesch is still rightly proud today.
Ruby red colour with violet reflections in the glass. The bouquet is reminiscent of dark berries and there is a hint of pepper on the nose. Full-bodied on the palate with an impressive maturity. The long finish is supported by silky tannins. Very balanced immediately after bottling.
Short fermentation on the skins to preserve the flavourful fruit and release only a small amount of tannin. Followed by traditional vinification in stainless steel tanks.
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