Dear friends of Tschäpperli
The winter of 2022-2023 was warmer than average. With little precipitation and practically no snowfall, there were concerns about water resources in 2023 after the extremely dry summer of 2022. April and May were mostly humid, but with little precipitation. June brought above-average sunshine and was very dry. July was less hot than it was in 2022, but again with below-average precipitation. A heat wave rolled in at the end of August, with temperatures of up to 38°. The weather remained stable and dry until mid-October (the last harvest day in Tschäpperli was October 12, 2023). From the end of October, wet weather brought precipitation in line with the long-term average of around thirty inches a year.
An unexpected mildew infestation hit on May 11, which was before the first plant protection treatment. Thanks to the dry weather from the end of May and targeted biological plant protection intervention, the mildew was kept in check. The vines were already flowering at the beginning of June. The grapes grew quickly, and they were compact and larger than average. We had to regulate the quantity by cutting grape bunches in half or fully cutting them out.
The sugar content of the grapes was already high during the ripening phase. Due to the heat there was sour rot in some places, which, unlike noble rot, we want to avoid when processing grapes. As a result, the harvest of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir required a great deal of effort to remove the grapes affected by sour rot.
We harvested from mid-September to mid-October – mostly in the morning due to the heat – in order to bring the grapes to the cellar in a cool place. The cool nights contributed to a varied aroma. The quality of the grapes was consistently good to very good. After a rather small harvest in 2022, the 2023 volume was 10% to 20% above the long-term average for all varieties.
The harvest is developing very well in the cellar and we are looking forward to elegant, full-bodied wines from the 2023 vintage. Starting with the 2023 harvest and going forward, we will be working 100% organically in accordance with Bio Suisse guidelines.
Our wines were again awarded prizes at the Mondial du Pinot Noir 2023 (gold: Pinot Noir Rainli single vineyard site 2022; silver: Pinot Noir 2022; silver: Blanc de Noir Vin Mousseux 2021).
We will be holding various events in 2024 (https://tschaepperliweine.ch/agenda/).
We look forward to your visit.
Tschäpperli, March 2024
Ueli and Babara Bänninger-Zurflüh, Damian von Blarer, Steffi Wirth und Dieter von Blarer