La Lagune co-owner Caroline Frey buys Swiss vineyard

Caroline Frey, of the Frey family that owns Château La Lagune in Bordeaux and Paul Jaboulet Aîné in Rhône, has bought a 'secret garden' vineyard in Switzerland.

Caroline Frey, an oenologist who runs La Lagune and who’s family also own Château Corton C – formerly Corton André – has bought a small parcel of land in Switzerland’s Valais region.

Describing it as her ‘secret garden’, she told Decanter.com that she wants to make late harvest Petite Arvine on the 2,000 square metre patch of land.

‘I have been thinking about this since 2002, when I graduated from the Bordeaux University of Oenology, and I would like to offer [professor] Denis Dubourdieu a case of the best Petite Arvine. I have always liked this grape,’ she said.

‘I like the Valais landscape and on the strength of doing my running in this area, I found a tiny parcel that suits me perfectly,’ she said.

• SEE: Decanter wine travel guide to Valais

The parcel is situated in the town of Fully, in the west of the region, the only place with granite soil in the Valais, near the parcels of Thérèse Chappaz, Benoit Dorsaz and Jean-Michel Dorsaz. ‘Ever since I started making wine in Hermitage, I have liked granite soil, and I want to produce a late harvest of Petite Arvine on this parcel,’ Frey said.

The vineyard was a mix of Pinot Noir and Chasselas when acquired by Frey, who is now moving over to Petite Arvine grapes and intends to follow biodynamic principles.

The first wines are expected to be ready in 2018.

• See Decanter’s score and tasting note for La Lagune 2015