2021 Domaine Donatsch – Unique Chardonnay Malans.
Following our recent exploration of Alpine excellence in Swiss wine, we now turn to a name revered by insiders and collectors alike: Domaine Donatsch. Their 2021 Chardonnay Unique, from the heart of Malans in Graubünden, is a wine that captures the sheer ambition and precision of Swiss viticulture at its most expressive.
If Swiss Pinot Noir has long been touted as a best-kept secret, the Unique Chardonnay stands as its white counterpart—rare, complex, and deeply compelling. Simply put, this is one of the most profound white wines made in the Alpine world today.
About the Winery
The name Donatsch has become synonymous with the qualitative ascent of Swiss wine over the past fifty years. The estate’s roots run deep—five generations of family history at the “Ochsen” in Malans, with a tireless dedication to crafting wines that are both site-specific and internationally relevant.
Much of this transformation is credited to Thomas Donatsch, one of the modern pioneers of Swiss winemaking. Inspired by Burgundy in the 1970s, Thomas defied regulations to plant Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc—grape varieties now considered benchmarks in the region. He was also the first to adopt traditional Champagne methods and Burgundian barrel aging in Switzerland. This spirit of innovation lives on through his son Martin Donatsch, who brings global winemaking experience from Bordeaux, South Africa, and Spain to the family’s Alpine terroir.
Today, Domaine Donatsch farms 4.5 hectares of vineyards spread across prized plots like Spiger, Halde, and Frassa. With a philosophy rooted in meticulous vineyard care and low-intervention cellar practices, their wines—especially the top-tier “Unique” bottlings—have developed near-cult status within Switzerland and beyond.
About the Wine
A Grand Cru spirit in an Alpine frame.
The 2021 Chardonnay Unique is Donatsch’s magnum opus in white. Crafted entirely from top-quality grapes grown on limestone-rich soils in the high-altitude vineyards of Malans, the wine is fermented and aged in 100% new French Burgundy barrels, echoing the vinification of iconic Côte de Beaune whites.
In the glass, the wine glows pale gold with a faint green shimmer—youthful and radiant. The nose is quietly profound, opening with crushed white stones, citrus zest, and white peach, gradually evolving into aromas of hazelnut, flint, fresh mint, chalk dust, and white flowers. It’s a bouquet that draws you in deeper with every swirl, offering Burgundian complexity shaped by Alpine clarity.
On the palate, the 2021 Unique is taut, mineral, and supremely structured. A saline acidity cuts through the rich, leesy texture, revealing layers of citrus peel, stone fruit, and toasted almond. There’s a vibrancy here—fresh and almost electric—balanced by creamy volume and depth. The mid-palate is marked by a distinctive chalky grip, giving way to a finish of remarkable length and finesse. Lemon oil, white tea, and a subtle smoky note linger long after the last sip.
Although already impressive, the wine is built to evolve. The precision and tension suggest a long arc of development, with even greater complexity to emerge after several years in bottle.
The 2021 Vintage in Context
2021 was a challenging year across Europe, and Switzerland was no exception. Rain and cool temperatures stretched out the growing season, but in Malans, this led to a harvest of unusually healthy, slow-ripened grapes. The resulting wines are dense, crystalline, and energetic, with exceptional aging potential. The 2021 Unique Chardonnay is a prime example: a wine of restraint and power, shaped by climatic adversity and vineyard resilience.
Conclusion
The 2021 Chardonnay Unique from Domaine Donatsch is not just a wine—it is a statement of intent. It demonstrates what Swiss white wine can achieve when tradition meets innovation, and when Burgundy-inspired craftsmanship is applied with reverence to Alpine terroir.
This is Chardonnay with the muscle of a Chevalier-Montrachet, the nerve of a Meursault Perrières, and a signature entirely its own. It deserves contemplation, a wide glass, and ideally, a few more years of patience.
We award this wine a 97-point DWA score—a standout Chardonnay that confirms Donatsch’s place among the elite white wine producers of Europe.
This review is written by our own Niels Aarts. We enjoyed this bottle at Restaurant Inter Scaldes in Kruiningen.
Price: ~€175,00
Taste Date: March 2025
Score: 97/100 DWA Score
Website: Domaine Donatsch