Domaine Du Mont d’Or – Sous l’Escalier Petite Arvine 2012 – Valais

Quite intense colour, medium towards deep golden; still with a youthful brightness to it. Beautiful nose, very intense and perfumed, with layers of tropical fruit, honey, saffron, black tea; a great complexity overall. The palate has an extraordinary richness; there’s a high level of sweetness, however I think it’s perfectly balanced, it’s bloody delicious already because we have that bright freshness underlying that ripe tropical fruit, and it really gives a creamy mouthfeel. Very unctuous texture, with layers of fruit going on in the finish; candied pineapple, mango, with those fine peppery saffron notes. Beautiful. I think it’s perfectly balanced in this style of late harvest/botrytis, still with a very cool climate feel because it keeps that bright freshness, salivating on the finish despite that wealth of very unctuous yellow fruit. Bloody delicious.

Tasted by the Best Sommelier of the World, Andreas Larsson.