Graubünden

The Donatsch family has been in the winemaking business for over 100 years – that’s 5 generations of wine connoisseurs.  Their philosophy is to produce wines of outstanding quality that are representative of their terroir.  Their estate is in Bündner Herrschaft (Grisons) – one of the leading Swiss wine regions – located in the northernmost corner of Graubünden.

Heidi Donatsch runs the wine bar and manages wine sales, while her husband Thomas concentrates solely on the wine-growing estate. Thomas Donatsch, who is recognized as a pioneer of Swiss wines, started to raise the quality of his wines to an international standard early in his life.

Inspired by Burgundy, he had already planted Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc in 1975, which, from a legal point of view, was not allowed at that time. In Switzerland he was the first to press a sparkling wine according to the Champagne method and to cultivate Cabernet Sauvignon (1983) in the region. Further, when it comes to pressing methods, Thomas was the first in Switzerland to experiment with wooden barrels. In 1973 the late André Noblet, a fellow winemaker from the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti gave his friend, Thomas, three used «LaTâche» barrels, in which the first «Spiger» was cultivated according to the classical Burgundy method. To achieve all of these innovations it took courage, as well as oenological skills and the helpful exchange of information with other wine making friends all over the world.

During his vocational training as a vintner and winemaker with several wine-growing estates in Australia, South Africa, Bordeaux and Spain, Heidi and Thomas’s eldest son Martin acquired many new ideas. After he returned home to Malans, he successfully integrated this in depth knowledge with tried and tested methods. Martin is convinced that the Bündner Herrschaft is amongst the best Pinot regions in the world and is sure that its potential is by no means exhausted.

Martin Donatsch has won the 2010 competition for «Champion du Monde des Producteurs de Pinot Noir» – the world champion among the pinot noir producers. The Mondial du Pinot Noir 2011 brought the confirmation: Martin was «WORLD CHAMPION PINOT NOIR PRODUCER» for the second time in succession!

The quality of the grapes must be right from the very beginning in order to produce top wines. As well as having Malans’ excellent climate, this requires considerable attention to be devoted to the ground and vines.

Located on various plots, 4.5 hectares (11.12 acres) of vineyards belong to the Domaine Donatsch, with names such as “Spiger”, “Selvenen”, “Frassa”, “Bovel” and “Halde”. It is of great importance to us to look after our vineyards so they stay healthy and produce a high standard of quality for generations to come.

After years of experience, we have established which types of grapes are most suited to our ground and now grow these on each plot and thus produce top-class single vineyard wines. The Pinot varieties thrive particularly well in Malans. Therefore our main varieties are Pinot noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, but we also grow rarities like Completer, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. We constantly strive to produce wines of the highest quality, which we achieve by applying strict quality control in the vineyards and harvesting healthy grapes for pressing in the cellar.

We work as close to nature as possible both in the cellar and in the vineyards. Each of our wines is individually cultivated in an optimum manner producing intrinsic single vineyard wines full of character.

Our wine cellar is divided into three modern working rooms and seven centuries old vaulted cellars. The grapes from the various vineyards are all cultivated separately, which leads to a great variety of wines. In this way, various unfermented white grape juices ferment in used barrels producing fruity white wines. To produce Chardonnay and Completer wines fermentation takes place in French oak barrels, where they are aged on the yeast in accordance with the Burgundy tradition, creating full-bodied, mellow white wines in the old Ochsen vaults.

All our red wines are stored in our imposing barrel cellar. We only use french barrels from Burgundy. The fruity Pinot noir «Tradition» in used barrels like a burgundy Village wine, the Pinot noir «Passion» like a premier cru (30% new oak) and the Pinot noir «Unique» just in new barrels like a Grand cru.

Grape Variety: Pinot Noir

Classification: Malans, AOC Graubünden

Vinification: Harvest from the old vineyard «Spiger». Classic maceration and aging in new and used barrels, Premier Cru type.

Tasting Notes: Dense Pinot red, spicy, smoky note, concentrated fruit, full, concentrated palate, noble wood note, very dense Pinot with a long-lasting finish and great aging potential.

Food Pairing: Food accompaniment to braised or roasted meat or game, cheese, and various main courses.

2017 Reviews: “The 2017 Pinot Noir “Passion” is sweet and concentrated yet delicate on the perfectly ripe (and slightly reductive) nose that is full of red berries and cherries as well as floral aromas. Smooth, very elegant and fine on the palate, this is a well-balanced Pinot with firm tannins and a long and tensioned terroir-driven finish. This is an impressive, very elegant and fine Pinot Noir. 13.5% alcohol. Tasted in Zurich in December 2019.” – 92+pts, Wine Advocate

2016 Reviews: “The 2016 Pinot Noir Passion is beautifully clear, fresh and fruity on the nose, where coolish dark berry and cherry aromas are displayed and interwoven with pure and peppery terroir expressions. On the palate, this is a very delicate, elegant and charming Pinot with floral aromas, stimulating freshness and mineral grip. This is pure but fruity and very stimulating. Bottled in September 2018. Tasted at the domaine in Malans in November 2018.” – 92pts, Wine Advocate

Grape Variety: Chardonnay

Classification: Malans, AOC Graubünden

Vinification: Burgundian Chardonnay, fermentation and aging in used and 30% new Burgundy barrels, Premier Cru type, single vineyard.

Tasting Notes: Light golden yellow, classic Burgundy-style Chardonnay with a fine apricot and honey bouquet, full, mineral palate with spicy wood aromas. Terroir wine with long aging potential.

Food Pairing: Good food companion that goes perfectly with fish, seafood, and white meat, as well as pasta and cheese dishes.

Grape Variety: Chardonnay

Classification: Malans, AOC Graubünden

Vinification: Rare, selected top quality Chardonnay.  Fermentation and aging in exclusively new Burgundy barrels, a typical Grand Cru type.

Tasting Notes: Bright golden yellow, large, intense Chardonnay pressed using the Burgundian method. Complex bouquet of peach and almonds, full, dense palate with great minerality.

Food Pairing: Good accompaniment to meals, goes well with fish, seafood, white meat, and light main courses.

2019 Reviews: “Yes, Switzerland does sophisticated chardonnay! Intensely flinty with excellent concentration and well-integrated, toasty oak, this is ripe and lively chardonnay with a neat combination of creaminess and herbal-mineral character at the long, salty finish. Drink or hold.” – 93pts, Wine Advocate

2018 Reviews: “The 2018 Chardonnay Malans “Unique” is Martin Donatsch’s Grand Cru, and its character is that of a great Burgundy. This is super clear, deep, fresh and complex on the bright and stony-chalky but also fruit-intense nose, which is only initially reductive but gets finer and fresher with aeration. This is a full-bodied, lush, ripe and elegant wine with remarkable finesse, fine tannins and mineral freshness that lifts the finish into stimulating heights. Very salty, and all the power is carried away by a highway built on salt. The finish is tight, intense and very complex. The “Unique” remains one of the finest Chardonnay from Switzerland. The 2018 is already accessible but shows a tight tannic and mineral grip that gives great hope for the future. A pity I couldn’t directly compare it side by side with the 2017, which I had several weeks before and published that review earlier this month, but it seemed to have even more freshness and tension. Tasted in January 2020.” – 95pts, Wine Advocate

Grape Variety: Pinot Noir

Classification: Malans, AOC Graubünden

Vinification: Smallest yields and top selected grapes from the “Selvenen” vineyard, classic must fermentation, rare top selection, aging in 100% new Piécen, Grand Cru type.

Tasting Notes: Intense Pinot red, spicy, smoky note, concentrated fruit, full, robust palate, noble wood note, very dense Pinot with a long lasting finish and great aging potential.

Food Pairing: Goes well with braised or roasted meat and game, cheese, and various main courses.

2018 Reviews: “Tasted from two different samples, one drawn before the filtration and one afterward, the unfiltered 2018 Pinot Noir “Unique” displays a dark color and opened with a deep, pure, fresh and intense, tart and concentrated, slightly toasty bouquet of black cherries and black berries intertwined with notes of dark chocolate, tobacco, cedar wood box, crushed slate and bloody hints of crushed iron and herbs. Generous on the intense yet elegant palate, this is a fleshy and concentrated Pinot with tart cherry and black berry flavors on the refined and promising, impressively tensioned finish. This full-bodied wine can currently give only hints about its talents, but the sustainable mineral grip and lingering salinity are highly promising.” – 96pts, Wine Advocate

2017 Reviews: “The 2017 Pinot Noir “Unique” is pure, deep and perfectly ripe yet fine and mineral on the terroir-driven nose. Lush and generous on the palate, this is an intense Pinot Noir with a silky texture, fine tannins and delicate juice. The tart, persistent finish reveals fine, ripe and crunchy tannins and mineral acidity. 13.5% alcohol. Tasted in Zurich in December 2019.” – 94pts, Wine Advocate

Grape Variety: Pinot Noir

Classification: Malans, AOC Graubünden

Vinification: Light, fruity type (village type), classic maceration and aging in used barrels.

Tasting Notes: Purple-red, traditional Pinot Noir, fine raspberry / blackberry aromas, dried spices on the palate, youthful, fruity Pinot with fine tannins.

Food Pairing: Goes well with dried meats, cheese, light meals, and Italian dishes.

2018 Reviews: “Pure and super fine on the intense and elegant nose, the 2018 Pinot Noir “Tradition” is a first herald of the great 2018 vintage in Graubünden. It is sweet and intense yet fine and elegant on the palate, with remarkable freshness, purity and mineral foundation. This is a serious and persistent wine with a long, long finish. Dress yourself warm enough, because this is only the beginning of Martin Donatsch’s Pinot world. 13% alcohol. Tasted in Zurich in December 2019.” – 91pts, Wine Advocate

Grape Variety: Merlot

Classification: AOC Graubünden

Vinification: Late harvest of the Bordeaux variety Merlot, classic maceration and aging in new and used barrels.

Tasting Notes: Dark ruby red, strong, tannic wine, aromas of dark fruits and a strong tannic structure. Can be aged well.

Food Pairing: Goes well with red meat, grilled steak, grilled foods in general, and hearty dishes.

Grape Variety: Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder)

Classification: Malans, AOC Graubünden

Vinification: Grapes from the elevated “Bovel” vineyard. Fermentation and aging in used barrels.

Tasting Notes: Light yellow, typical, fine pinot blanc with a delicate flint bouquet. Dry, fresh, white wine with a round, fruity finish and lots of minerality.

Food Pairings: Mild aperitif or as an accompaniment to fish, starters, and light main courses, very adaptable and a good companion to most dishes.

Grape Variety: Completer (ancient native grape)

Classification: Malans, AOC Graubünden

Vinification: Late harvest (mid-November).  Fermentation and aging in used barrels.

Tasting Notes: Dense, light yellow, aromas of green apples, quince, nuts and almonds, classy palate with an interesting interplay of sweetness and acidity, a rarity for lovers of old, acidic varieties. Develops amazing aromas of ripeness with aging.

Food Pairing: Goes well with seasoned, salty cheese and smoked meat, strong fish, shellfish (lobster), and Grisons specialties.

2018 Reviews: “For a late-ripening local variety (and rarity), Martin Donatsch’s 2018 Completer “Malanserrebe” displays a radiant golden-yellow color and reflects the warm vintage on the nose, which comes across almost as an Ermitage (Marsanne) from the Rhine. Deep, ripe and intense yet super mineral, refined and complex on the lemon-scented and floral nose, this is a full-bodied, round and lush, very concentrated but juicy yet fine, persistently firm Malanser that reveals excellent purity and elegance with sustainable mineral freshness, salt and grippy phenolics. Powerful yet fascinating. The 2018 is a mouthful of Completer. Bottled after one year in barriques with 14.5% alcohol. Tasted in January and February 2020.” – 93pts, Wine Advocate