La Riva

A former sommelier, Benjamin Dupas had already learnt the steps of winemaking before venturing into bold new territory, and fell in love with a very particular site, dearer to him than most.

A close friend of his; Jordi Renard of Maison Vulpin whom we introduced two weeks ago, had decided on purchasing parcels within Valais, in the commune of Chamoson. This decision prompted Benjamin to lend a helping hand, in pruning and managing the vineyards, while working full time in Lausanne alongside it. When Jordi was offered a cellar and accompanying parcels in Villeneuve at the beginning of 2022,  a 1ha plot located on the other side of the river Tinière, situated in high altitudes above the Chillon Castle was too remote and of a very different soil composition for Jordi. As he believed the other 2ha would suffice, Benjamin would naturally come to acquire this quaint parcel, fully commiting to the future of winemaking with quite possibly the best view of the region.

A truly interesting aspect of Benjamins relation to his parcels, is his deep fascination and understanding of the history of the landscape. He tells us of how the two parcels which he and Jordi acquired are situated on two entirely different mountains - Mont d'Arvel and Rochers de Naye, of which both have significantly different compositions, with high contents of limestone. 

The location by the sea and unique to the local area nearby his parcel, is the trinity of sunlight, coming to effect from the reflections of the lake, simultaneously with the impressively high capacity of heat inherent ot the stones used for terracing parcels. In combination with the high altituted of the La Riva parcels, allowing for frequent regulation of temperature, his grapes grow under exceptionally great conditions.

There's no doubt Benjamin is a winemaker who's romanticized not only his craft, but the history and landscape which shape the foundation of his work. We're honored to represent his honest, eminent work - and look forward to share it with you.