LE CLOS AUX MOINES – ST BLAISE
- Tony Lcrx
- Oct 14
- 13 min read
COMPLETE TASTING NOTES 2024 VINTAGE
PRODUCER OVERVIEW
Charlène Contesse represents a new generation of Swiss vignerons who combine technical precision with artistic vision. After years honing her craft at Château de Praz alongside Alain Gerbert, she made the bold decision to vinify her family's exceptional terraced vineyard independently.
Estate Details:
Total vineyard: 2 hectares of pristine old vines
Farming: Certified biological with innovative practices (straw mulching, biodiversity focus)
Philosophy: Delicacy paired with structural integrity, limestone expression
Terroir: Steep terraced slopes, yellow Jurassic limestone, northern shore of Lake Neuchâtel
Elevation: Upper slopes with varied exposures
Key innovation: Straw mulching between rows for moisture retention and biodiversity
The Site: The family vineyard is genuinely exceptional—steep terraces carved into yellow Jurassic limestone that glows golden in afternoon light. These are old vines in impeccable health, maintained for decades but previously sold as fruit to local estates. Charlène recognised their potential and began with a single barrel in the early 2020s while still working full-time at Château de Praz.
Range:
Chasselas Classique (straightforward limestone expression)
Chasselas sur Lies (traditional Neuchâtel style, elevated)
Chasselas Barrique "L'Ecrin" (revolutionary oak-aged Chasselas)
Pinot Noir (delicate, luminous style)
Future: Parcel-specific Pinot Noir (pending vintage cooperation)
Philosophy: Charlène's wines showcase what I call "strength through delicacy." There's no heaviness, no manipulation—just pure expression of limestone terroir through Chasselas. She understands that Chasselas isn't about power; it's about precision, salinity, and the ability to transmit terroir transparently.
Her biological farming goes beyond certification. The straw mulching technique is particularly intelligent—it retains natural humidity, moderates soil temperature, creates organic matter, and encourages biodiversity. This is thoughtful, modern viticulture informed by tradition.
UNDERSTANDING THE TERROIR
The Limestone Signature at Le Clos aux Moines
Yellow Jurassic limestone defines everything at Le Clos aux Moines. This isn't the white chalk of Champagne or the Kimmeridgian marl of Chablis—it's a distinct limestone formation with its own personality.
What limestone brings to these wines:
Salinity: Pronounced saline minerality, almost sea-like
Precision: Laser-focused aromatics without blur
Tension: Structural backbone without weight
Ageing potential: The acidity and mineral core allow extended cellaring
Phenolic texture: Subtle grip on the finish that enhances food pairing
The terraced structure creates varied mesoclimates. Upper terraces see more mountain influence (cooler, more precise). Lower sections benefit from lake moderation (riper, more generous). Charlène works with these differences rather than fighting them.
Why Chasselas Here?
Chasselas is often dismissed as neutral or simple. That's because most Chasselas comes from high-yielding, fertile sites where the variety produces pleasant but unremarkable wines.
On poor limestone soils with old vines and thoughtful viticulture, Chasselas transforms. It becomes a terroir transmitter of exceptional clarity. Where Chardonnay might add its own personality, Chasselas steps aside and lets the limestone speak.
Charlène's three Chasselas cuvées show the variety's range when treated seriously—from crystalline purity (Classique) to textural complexity (sur Lies) to gastronomic ambition (Barrique).
