Terres de Molignon - Sion

About the winery

Terres de Molignon clings to the hillside between Sion, Ayent and Grimisuat, where the gradient reaches 50% and no machine has ever set foot. Beneath its terraces lies Lias-era schistose limestone, formed on the seabed 160 million years ago. Here, the vines sink their roots into the cracks in the rock and draw up a taut, almost saline minerality – the indelible imprint of a land shaped by the passage of time. It is from this rock that their motto springs: Between sky and limestone.

These 2 hectares of hanging gardens are held in place by the charmuri, dry-stone walls skilfully hewn by their ancestors, the first written record of which dates back to 1341. For centuries, the Valais clergy have recognised the uniqueness of these hillsides; the Chapel of Sainte-Anne, built in 1663 by Canon Jean de Sépibus, still watches over the vines with its motto carved in stone: ‘Astra regent homines – Sed reget astra Deus.’

Here, everything is done by hand. The vines are left to grow wild, the soil is respected, and life is preserved. From the age of 13, Raphaël Crettaz learnt the art of winemaking from his father, who in turn had learnt it from his own father. This passing on of knowledge, through silent gestures and the shared experience of their first winemaking ventures, is today the soul of every bottle produced on their estate. For there is no great wine without great terroir, and they have never ceased to believe this.