Domaine des Griottes: Vineyards
As it currently stands, Domaine des Griottes has 8.5 hectares of vines which are scattered in a number of locations. around Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay. The little hamlet of Layon, which sits just to the north of Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay, right on the banks of the Layon, is something of a focal point. A number of the vineyards are located here, including some on the south bank of the Layon as it flows westwards. This is a fairly prestigious location; only a few hundred metres downstream is the renowned Bonnes Blanches lieu-dit, where both Vincent Ogereau and Pithon-Paillé have vines. On the opposite bank here are the vineyards of the Quarts de Chaume. Upstream lies the vertiginous slope of the Coteau des Treilles, again home to some Pithon-Paillé vines.
Schist naturally dominates, these vineyards being well within the region known as Black Anjou, where the soils and rocks are generally dark and volcanic. The vines are surrounded by woodland, a feature greatly valued by Pat, who has in the past purchased some of this land, helping to maintain local biodiversity. The trees also act as a buffer between his vines and the chemically-sprayed vines of his neighbours. He has also undertaken the planting of old-variety fruit trees, again to increase biodiversity.
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