Chasselas
A grape variety of tradition, both a great white wine grape and a table grape, chasselas reigns supreme on the shores of Lake Geneva, where it produces pale, light wines of deceptive discretion. Its aromatic neutrality makes it a formidable revealer of terroir, from Lavaux to the Loire.
The aromatic profile
Chasselas does not seek to seduce through power: its nose is discreet, delicate, showing apple, fresh pear and white flowers, sometimes with a touch of almond. Its pale colour and slight natural spritz make it above all a thirst-quenching wine, where minerality — flint, chalk — often takes precedence over fruit.
Structure and terroir
Precisely because it is not very aromatic, chasselas behaves like a mirror of the soil: planted on the terraced slopes of Lavaux, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it captures the light reflected off Lake Geneva and yields frank whites of measured acidity that vary noticeably from one cru to another. Vigorous and productive, it needs limestone soils and a temperate climate to give its full measure — known under different names depending on the Swiss canton (fendant in Valais, dorin in Vaud, perlan in Geneva).
At the table and around the world
Served chilled as an aperitif, it is a wonderful match for fondue and raclette, as well as lake fish and seafood. In France, it makes up the white wines of Pouilly-sur-Loire alongside sauvignon and Alsace's chasselas; it is also, under the name chasselas de Moissac or de Thomery, one of the most famous table grapes grown in Europe.
Key facts
Where to taste Chasselas?
This variety is part of the blend in these appellations: