Pothiers La Chapelle

As you may know from the previous vintage, Domaine des Pothiers is without a doubt the reference point for the Côte  Roannaise.   The origins of Domaine des Pothiers can be traced back several centuries, as the family has been dedicated to polycultural farming for generations. Today, Domaine des Pothiers, is run by Romain Paire who biodynamically farms about 10  hectares of vines while retaining a small herd of limousine cows. Although technically Côte Roannaise is a part of the ’Upper Loire’, with it’s unique  granite soils this area is ofen considered the unofficial ”11th Cru of the  Beaujolais” (even though it’s at least an hour drive from Brouilly, and the  Gamay used here is a particular variety called Gamay Saint-Romain, which  is distinct from the Gamay in the Beaujolais).
The vineyards are set on hills overlooking the Loire on the foothills of the  Massif Central at about 400-500 meters above sea level.

As the vineyards of the neighbouring region of Beaujolais has gained notoriety in the last years and Gamay has attained the attention it deserves, the Upper Loire and Côte-Roannaise still remains an extraordinary find where outstanding expressions of Gamay can be found. La Chapelle is a single vineyard located on a hill at 520m. of elevation on granite soils. In 2020 after the harvest, the fruit was destemmed and followed a 18 days of maceration / fermentation. After alcoholic fermentation the wine was aged about 11 months in truncated wooden vats and large foudres.

This is one of the top wines to be found in the region of Côte-Roannaise, an exquisite expression of Gamay that already can provide great pleasure yet has the potential to age, develop and improve in bottle for at least ten more years. 2020 has a notch more of density and power than 2018 yet no lacking in finesse.
We enthusiastically recommend this wine as one of the best kept secrets in France.