Weingut Donatsch Graubunden Pinot Blanc
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The Donatsch family has owned the ยซOchsenยป in Malans for over 100 years. That's five Donatsch generations of wine connoisseurs. The family-owned business philosophy is to produce true wines of outstanding quality, typical of their location. The Donatsch family runs a wine-growing estate in the Bundner Herrschaft (Grisons) - one of the leading Swiss wine regions - the wines of which belong to the best in Switzerland. Heidi Donatsch runs the ยซOchsenยป wine bar and manages wine sales, while her husband Thomas concentrates solely on the wine-growing estate. Thomas Donatsch, who is recognised as a pioneer of Swiss wines, started to raise the quality of his wines to an international standard early in his life. Inspired by Burgundy, he had already planted Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc in 1975, which, from a legal point of view, was not allowed at that time. In Switzerland he was the first to press a sparkling wine according to the Champagne method and to cultivate Cabernet Sauvignon (1983) in the region. Further, when it comes to pressing methods, Thomas was the first in Switzerland to experiment with wooden barrels. In 1973 the late Andre Noblet, a fellow winemaker from the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti gave his friend, Thomas, three used ยซLaTacheยป barrels, in which the first ยซSpigerยป was cultivated according to the classical Burgundy method. To achieve all of these innovations it took courage, as well as oenological skills and the helpful exchange of information with other wine making friends all over the world. During his vocational training as a vintner and winemaker with several wine-growing estates in Australia, South Africa, Bordeaux and Spain, Heidi and Thomas's eldest son Martin acquired many new ideas. After he returned home to Malans, he successfully integrated this in depth knowledge with tried and tested methods. Martin is convinced that the Bundner Herrschaft is amongst the best Pinot regions in the world and is sure that its potential is by no means exhausted. Martin Donatsch has won the 2010 competition for ยซChampion du Monde des Producteurs de Pinot Noirยป โ the world champion among the pinot noir producers. The Mondial du Pinot Noir 2011 brought the confirmation: Martin was ยซWORLD CHAMPION PINOT NOIR PRODUCERยป for the second time in succession!