Domaine des Pothiers: Vineyards
Domaine des Pothiers is located in the commune of Villemontais, in the southern quarter of the Côte Roannaise appellation, to the southwest of the city of Roanne. It is located on the foothills of the Massif Central, and all around it are dotted little parcels of vines. Today viticulture and winemaking dominate life here, but as I have already mentioned in my history of the domaine in parts deemed unsuitable for the vine they also keep some Limousin cattle.
From tiny acorns oak trees do grow, and from the 2 hectares of vines tended by Blaise Pothier one hundred years ago, today the Paire family have about 18 hectares of vineyard to work with. Of these, 15 hectares are planted to Gamay Saint-Romain. The name of this variety originates from the village of St-Romain-la-Motte, which lies just to the northwest of the city of Roanne. Locals (including all the vignerons) will tell you that this village was the location of the vine nursery that supplied all the local growers, so it is perhaps not surprising that the vine took the name of the village. These same locals will also assert that Gamay Saint-Romain is a precious variety distinct from others bearing similar names, and that it is particularly well suited to the granite soils of the region. Ampelographers, however, do not seem to place great weight upon this distinction.
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