It is 1983, and Valais has produced nearly 80 million liters of wine! This is a new record that will never be equaled again. The profession is resolutely turning its back on quantity-driven viticulture to focus on quality-driven viticulture. In Sierre, on the Colline de Géronde, Jean-Bernard and Dominique Rouvinez envision a wine that will mark a milestone in the history of Valais viticulture; a blend aged in oak barrels that will be christened in 1985 after twelve months of aging in barrels. The Tourmentin is born, and the origin of its name will undoubtedly remain the best-kept secret in the entire wine history of Valais. The legend is underway.
Initially, there was only Pinot Noir, the emblematic grape variety of Valais in those years. Cornalin and Petite Arvine did not yet hold the coveted title of ambassadors of Valais wines. The Rouvinez brothers dreamed of a wine where finesse and elegance would vie with power and structure. For this, impeccable quality grapes and winemaking in oak barrels were required. They had excellent grapes but no oak barrels. Disregarding the apprehensions of industry specialists who claimed that Swiss wine could not withstand wood aging, Dominique went to Bordeaux to acquire the fundamentals of winemaking in wood.
In 1988, Jean-Bernard and Dominique took another step in the development of this vintage: they blended Cornalin, Humagne Rouge, and Syrah with 50% Pinot Noir. Tourmentin is thus one of the first barrel-aged blends in Valais. Even today, thirty years later, this vintage remains a blend of extraordinary finesse and elegance.
