Cave de Rois / Marco & François Grognuz, St. Saphorin (Vaud, Switzerland) Chasselas 2017

 This is a terrific rendition of Chasselas, with a little spice note derived from 25% of the wine aged in new, medium-toast oak.  The spice note is the only signature left by the oak…nothing overtly woody about this, and the freshness of the wine is not compromised at all.  It is worth noting that the “Grand Cru” designation is granted based on limited yields rather than designated vineyard sites.  With a rather generous yield of 75 hectoliters per hectare (for this particular wine), one must say that “Grand Cru” in the Swiss context is rather underwhelming by comparison to, say, Burgundy.  But still, there’s nothing underwhelming about the performance of this bottling or its price, which is extremely reasonable in view of land prices, the expensive wood involved, and the sheer deliciousness of the wine.