Les Terres d’Ocre
The vineyards of Saint-Pourçain lie high up in the Loire Valley, some 150 kilometres upstream of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Unlike those vines gathered around Roanne and Feurs (the Côte Roannaise and Côtes du Forez appellations) they sit not on the banks of the Loire, but on one of its most significant tributaries in this region, the Allier (so significant in fact that some might argue that the Loire flows into the Allier, rather than the other way around). We are so far south here that the vines lie just as close to Mâcon, the heart of the Mâcon appellation in Burgundy, as they do to Sancerre. This much is reflected in the landscape, gently rolling hillsides rather like those of the Mâconnais, as well as the grape varieties planted here.
The vignerons of Saint-Pourçain occupy themselves with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay, all Bourgogne stalwarts of course. The one apparent exception to this is the local specialty, Tressallier, a variety which seems tied by its name to both the département and its main river, both of which are named Allier. I write ‘apparently’ though because Tressallier can also be found planted in the Yonne département, not far from Chablis, where it goes by the name of Sacy.
Please log in to continue reading: