From the atlas
Clos de la George
A walled Yvorne monopole within the Hammel group, making Premier Grand Cru Chasselas alongside Grand Cru Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
At A Glance
| Region | Vaud, Switzerland |
| Appellation | Yvorne Premier Grand Cru |
| Village | Yvorne |
| Main grapes | Chasselas, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Syrah and Merlot |
| Signature wine | Clos de la George Premier Grand Cru, 2023 |
| Defining feature | Walled monopole with a cellar cut into rock |
The Producer
Clos de la George is an eight hectare wine estate in Yvorne and part of the Hammel group. Its walls enclose the entire monopole, a single producer's named vineyard holding. Hammel describes the property as a Premier Grand Cru. The term identifies a classified site level on the label, while the 2023 bottle remains a varietal Chasselas.
The estate also grows Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Syrah and Merlot. Its range therefore moves beyond one white grape, with Grand Cru bottles in both white and red. The cellar includes a rock cut space furnished with large oak foudres.
Place
West of the commune of Yvorne, downstream in the Rhône valley, the vineyard faces the Dents du Midi. The vines receive sunlight from morning until evening, an exposure that supports full ripening across the terraces.
Yvorne appears directly in the Premier Grand Cru name and in the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir bottles. The place is carried through the range as a vineyard address, while the grape changes from Chasselas to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Soil And Site
The terraces stand on Alpine Rhône moraine with calcareous gravel. The Chasselas site description specifies that the gravel accounts for 30 to 60 percent of the soil. Moraine is mixed glacial ground, while coarse calcareous stones allow water to drain through the soil rather than remain around the roots.
The terraces and full day exposure work together. Sunlight supports ripening, and the gravelly ground keeps the site physically open. The Chardonnay Grand Cru carries a strongly mineral framework, while the Premier Grand Cru Chasselas has gunflint among its aromas.
Vineyards And Cellar
Environmentally respectful viticulture has been practiced throughout the estate for many years. Ripeness is monitored parcel by parcel before harvest, and yields are limited in the vineyard. Grapes are picked by hand and sorted into small boxes to preserve the integrity of the berries.
Individual parcels are vinified separately, with long fermentations and ageing on lees. For the Chasselas, pressing is gentle, followed by natural sedimentation and slow fermentation. The wine then matures on fine lees in oak casks and receives light filtration. Fine lees are yeast sediments left after fermentation; ageing on them can add texture and savoury detail without making the wine sweet.
The 2023 Pinot Noir undergoes approximately three weeks of maceration, followed by twelve months on fine lees in oak barrels. The 2022 Chardonnay spends about ten months on fine lees in oak barrels. These periods belong to their individual wines.
Wines
The documented range includes Clos de la George Premier Grand Cru 2023, a white varietal Chasselas, Clos de la George Chardonnay Grand Cru 2022, and Clos de la George Pinot Noir Grand Cru 2023. The vineyard also contains Gamay, Syrah and Merlot.
The three documented bottles cover different grape and colour combinations. Chasselas and Chardonnay bring two white wine expressions, while Pinot Noir supplies the red. The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are assigned ageing potential of at least ten years.
In The Glass
The 2023 Premier Grand Cru opens with vine flower, apricot, citron and gunflint aromas. Its palate is lively and dynamically shaped, with dried fruit, fine spices and grilled almonds leading into a long, silky finish.
The 2022 Chardonnay Grand Cru has a complex fruity and floral nose with hazelnut and toasted almond notes. The palate is round and broad, with intense aromatic persistence at the finish. Its strongly mineral framework keeps the wine firm beneath the oak matured texture.
The 2023 Pinot Noir is dark ruby in colour. Aromas include currant, raspberry, rose hip, rose petal, sour cherry, blackberry and violet. The palate is juicy and balanced, with abundant fruit, integrated acidity, fine tannins and a long finish. Vanilla, pepper and toast mark the lightly spicy close.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose the 2023 Clos de la George Premier Grand Cru. It is a varietal Chasselas from the walled Yvorne monopole under the Premier Grand Cru classification. The bottle places the estate's named site and its principal documented white wine grape on the same label before the range moves to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Its production path is clear: gentle pressing, natural sedimentation, slow fermentation, fine lees ageing in oak casks and light filtration. The bottle offers the most direct way to encounter the estate's classified Yvorne white wine before comparing the other grape varieties.
Final Word
Clos de la George joins a walled Yvorne vineyard with Chasselas, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, using hand harvesting, separate parcel vinification and oak ageing across the range.
Sources
1. https://shop.hammel.ch/frFR/products/clos-de-la-george-chasselas-1er-grand-cru-yvorne-2023 2. https://www.hammel.ch/fr/domaine/5/clos-de-la-george 3. https://www.guideduvin.ch/vaud/clos-de-la-george-yvorne/ 4. https://www.ovv.ch/producteurs/clos-de-la-george 5. https://shop.hammel.ch/frFR/products/clos-de-la-george-chardonnay-grand-cru-yvorne-2022 6. https://shop.hammel.ch/de_DE/products/clos-de-la-george-pinot-noir-grand-cru-yvorne-2023 7. https://www.falstaff.com/en/wines/hammel-terres-de-vins-2023-clos-de-la-george-pinot-noir 8. https://www.falstaff.com/en/wines/hammel-terres-de-vins-2023-clos-de-la-george-premier-grand-cru-yvorne-1