Lucas Madonia

Lucas Madonia
Ollon, Valais, Switzerland

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We met Lucas Madonia among his Savagnin vines, a small plot on the steep slopes of Ayent at 800 metres above sea level. The October sun was low in the sky, casting a soft light across the vineyards and illuminating the mountains beyond. Behind the expanse of forest at our backs, Lucas explained, lay some of Europe’s highest peaks. 

It was a magical atmosphere, surrounded by vineyards with the Rhône Valley below, and with the blue hour arriving we headed to the nearby cellar to taste the wines. Talking with Lucas, his passion and philosophy unfolded; for the unique terroir of Valais, and for living wines that carry the spirit of this place.

Lucas began making wine in Valais towards the end of 2021. Originally from Dijon, he trained with Marc Soyard at Domaine de la Cras, Burgundy, and Tony Bornard at Domaine Bornard in Pupillin, in the heart of the Jura region, before he fell in love with the landscape of the Swiss Alps.

Lucas works with 2.5 hectares of terraced vineyards in Ayent and the surrounding area, managing exclusively south-facing parcels on schist, limestone, loess, quartz, clay, and mineral-rich moraine soil, once carried by glaciers. The eight plots fall between 680 and 820 meters and all vineyard work, from organic treatments to grass management and the harvest itself, is done by hand. The wines are named after these individual plots, with an additional 5% made with fruit purchased from one or two neighbouring growers who work organically and with a deep respect for the environment. Lenny Mathé is the artist behind the labels, which represent the Valais mountains and bright sun against a backdrop of blue, a common yet ever-captivating sight from the vineyards.

Grapes are destemmed manually, with macerations lasting for 20 to 30 days and ageing carried out exclusively in old, 228l to 500l Burgundian barrels, before bottling in August. All of the wines are made without any additives, including sulphites.