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Serge Roh (Cave les Ruinettes)

The Roh family has its origins in Alsace, having crossed the mountains into the Swiss Valais during the 17th century and settling in the town of Conthey.

The Roh family has its origins in Alsace having crossed the mountains into the Swiss Valais during the 17th century. They settled in the town of Conthey which eventually in 1862 was split into two communes: Conthey and its neighbor, Vétroz. It is in the latter village that the Roh family and its cave are located, essentially in the heart of the Valais.

Serge Roh’s father, Marc, began to vinify the grapes from his own vineyard parcels in 1950 and progressively added additional plots of land over the years. The domaine now encompasses ten hectare of vineyards. Serge joined his father in 1984 after having studied at the cantonal school of agriculture and at the prestigious school of oenology at Changins. Serge Roh took complete responsibility for the domaine, known as the Cave Les Ruinettes, in 1999. His wife, Patricia, works by his side handling all the administrative tasks for this distinctly family affair.

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The Roh family has assembled an impressive selection of vineyards and cepages, almost all of which are situated within the confines of Vétroz and Conthey. Their ten hectares include four white and five red grape varieties which allows them to offer one of the most complete lineups of traditional wines of the Valais and which are particularly representative of the Vetroz appellation. The white grapes are planted on the steep hillsides, most of which are formed into terraces, with a full south exposure. The soil is composed of schist and glacial moraine. All work is done by hand since the extreme slopes of this magnificent valley do not permit any mechanization. The red grapes are cultivated in a zone slightly lower in altitude where the soil is infused with round stones known as “galets” which have been rent smooth by years of alluvial action. The bulk of the vineyards are quite old, with the average age of the vines being 35 years (as of 2011).

Farming

Lutte Raisonnée

Treatments

Synthetic treatments when necessary

Ploughing

Annual hoeing of terraced vineyards. Annual ploughing of vineyards on plain

Soils

Granitic alpine moraines and black schists

Vines

Vines on slopes are head trained and staked, planted at 8,000-10,000 vines/ha and averaging 35 years old. Vines on plain are trained in Cordon de Royat

Yields

Controlled by avoiding fertilization, severe winter pruning, debudding, and green harvesting

Harvest

Entirely manual, beginning in mid-September and ending in December or January for sweet wines

Sourcing

Entirely estate fruit

Fermentation

Wines ferment with selected yeasts in stainless-steel tanks. Red wines are completely destemmed. Cuvaison lasts 10-15 days

Extraction

Red wines see punchdowns and pumpovers during cuvaison, depending on the vintage. White wins see bâtonnage only to counter reduction

Chaptalization

None

Pressing

Pneumatic, whole-cluster direct pressing for whites, pneumatic pressing for reds

Malolactic Fermentation

Occurs spontaneously following alcoholic fermentation in red wines, sometimes occurs spontaneously following alcoholic fermentation in white wines

Élevage

Wines spend 6 months in stainless-steel tanks

lees

Wines racked off their lees after 1-2 months of élevage

Fining and Filtration

Unfined, diatomaceous earth and cartridge filtration

Sulfur

Applied only at harvest, c. 35 mg/l free sulfur

Farming

Lutte Raisonnée

Treatments

Synthetic treatments when necessary

Ploughing

Annual hoeing of terraced vineyards. Annual ploughing of vineyards on plain

Soils

Granitic alpine moraines and black schists

Vines

Vines on slopes are head trained and staked, planted at 8,000-10,000 vines/ha and averaging 35 years old. Vines on plain are trained in Cordon de Royat

Yields

Controlled by avoiding fertilization, severe winter pruning, debudding, and green harvesting

Harvest

Entirely manual, beginning in mid-September and ending in December or January for sweet wines

Sourcing

Entirely estate fruit

Fermentation

Wines ferment with selected yeasts in stainless-steel tanks. Red wines are completely destemmed. Cuvaison lasts 10-15 days

Extraction

Red wines see punchdowns and pumpovers during cuvaison, depending on the vintage. White wins see bâtonnage only to counter reduction

Chaptalization

None

Pressing

Pneumatic, whole-cluster direct pressing for whites, pneumatic pressing for reds

Malolactic Fermentation

Occurs spontaneously following alcoholic fermentation in red wines, sometimes occurs spontaneously following alcoholic fermentation in white wines

Élevage

Wines spend 6 months in stainless-steel tanks

Lees

Wines racked off their lees after 1-2 months of élevage

Fining & Filtration

Unfined, diatomaceous earth and cartridge filtration

Sulfur

Applied only at harvest, c. 35 mg/l free sulfur

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