Le Domaine des Balisiers
since 1982
The techniques
Always in search of innovation
The successes and passion of the Balisiers team result from a spirit of permanent innovation; the search for new concepts to improve the efficiency of the winemaking process and to obtain original vintages is always ongoing.
Limit the yield
Only 3,300 to 4,000 vines are planted per hectare, which allows for yield control and increased concentration of the grape juice. The productivity of each vine is limited annually during green harvesting in July.
The breeding
Our wines are aged on their fine lees for 18 to 24 months in a specially constructed underground cellar. Our winery contains barrels and amphorae.
winemaking
We vinify our wines as close to nature as possible. The indigenous yeasts, naturally present in our regions, work to develop the purest aromatic bouquets possible.
From biology to biodynamics
From the first vine planted, from the first barrel filled – in short, since the founding of our first estate, Domaine des Balisiers – we have always given absolute priority to organic commitment.
It's important to remember that in 1980, Swiss vineyards were suffocated by total herbicides, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides. BioSuisse didn't exist, the environmental movement was barely emerging… and we were the laughingstock of the Geneva vineyards!
Some 30 years of organic viticulture later, the terroir of our estate is healthy, regenerated to the point that the addition of fertilizers (manure, compost) is almost no longer necessary, and the doses of copper and natural sulfur protecting against mildew and powdery mildew are halved.
The amphora
We had long dreamed of aging our wines with the positive influence of the barrel – micro-oxygenation – and without the "woody taste" that too often masks the fruity notes of the grape varieties. That's why we researched how the Romans made wine in their clay and natural concrete amphorae before adopting the Gallic barrel.
And then in Burgundy we met Marc Nomblot, a passionate craftsman capable of shaping containers of all shapes (truncated conical, elliptical, pyramidal) in the old style; using spring water, without metal armature, binder or chemical additive.
Our amphora prototypes are inspired by Ptolemy's Golden Ratio, reiterating the perfect geometric shape of the egg:
τ = ½(√5 + 1) = 1,618033989
The open lyre
Visually, the vineyards of Domaine des Balisiers are unlike any other in Switzerland. As a pioneer, the 30 hectares of vines are trained with a double vertical trellis: the open lyre.
The open lyre was invented in 1976 by Professor Alain Carbonneau at INRA Bordeaux. This original design doubles the vine's sun exposure with a shape resembling an ancient lyre, hence its name. The improved leaf efficiency (photosynthesis) accelerates the ripening and development of aromas in the grapes, and therefore in the wine.
Furthermore, the upright and ventilated growth habit of the bunches reduces the risk of rot (botrytis) and facilitates the organic cultivation of the vine in terms of treatments and soil maintenance.
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Discover our wines
The exacting standards of our techniques, the richness of our expertise, the quality of the vines… this is the spirit of the entire Domaine des Balisiers which is reflected in each of its wines.