Henri Badoux Aigle les Murailles Blanc, Chablais, Switzerland

This wine with its quirky Lizard label is one of the premier wines of the Chablais, if not the entire Vaud - and one of the most famous Swiss wines worldwide.

'Aigle' refers to the village in which the winery is based, on the eastern side of Lake Geneva. “Murailles”, meaning “fortified walls”, refers to the stone walls which support the very steep vineyards of Chablais. Such an atypical setting requires an army of pickers at harvest time as well as a helicopter to bring the grapes down to the winery! The lizard displayed on the label is a local resident which is frequently seen around the vineyards in the summer, basking in the heat during the day and hiding within the stone walls at night.

Aigle les Murailles Blanc is made from the indigenous Chasselas grape variety. The wine has a pale golden colour, with a rich and slightly spicy nose. A dry, complex wine, bursting with minerality and stone fruit flavours, and boasting a fantastic length. If you've never tried Swiss whites, this is the best place to start.