DOMAINE DES POTHIERS

The history of Domaine des Pothiers

The estate takes its name from the Pothiers family, who have farmed it for centuries. The farm has always been divided between vineyards and cattle breeding, with parcels too wet for vines reserved for cows. In 1916, Blaise Pothiers was killed in action. His sister took over the business with her husband, Claude Paire.

In 1949, when their son, Benoît Paire, inherited the farm, it was almost entirely devoted to livestock, and the vines represented no more than 2 hectares. He set about modernizing the estate.

In 1974, his son Georges took over. Passionate about viticulture, he decided to rebuild the vineyard with the help of his wife, Denise. The vineyard grew to 5 hectares. In 2005, their son Romain joined them and continued to develop the vineyard. Domaine des Pothiers now covers 22 hectares, cultivated organically and then biodynamically. The winery was also modernized. The Limousin cows are still raised, but have become a minority in relation to the winegrowing operation.

The Domaine des Pothiers vineyard

The Domaine des Pothiers vineyard extends over the southernmost part of the Côte Roannaise in the Loire Valley, quite close to the source of the river. The vines are planted on the slopes overlooking the Loire and forming the foothills of the Massif Central. The soil at Domaine des Pothiers is predominantly granite. It is sandy and draining, ideal for the Gamay Saint-Romain grape variety. Chardonnay is grown on the more clayey plots.

Domaine des Pothiers is farmed organically and biodynamically. Where necessary, green manure is used. Cattle breeding produces natural compost for fertilization. The soil is ploughed under the vines to encourage deep rooting. The grapes are harvested by hand to preserve their quality.

The wine is bottled on the estate, after a natural vinification process. The grape varieties for the red wines are 98% Gamay Saint-Romain and 2% Négrette. White grape varieties are 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot gris.

The wines of Domaine des Pothiers

Domaine des Pothiers offers a wide variety of wines, classified into 5 ranges: Le Fruit, Les Terroirs, Les Parcellaires, Les Bulles and Les Confidentiels.

Le Fruit - Granit Rose

The rosé wine in the Le Fruit range, Granit Rose, is 100% Gamay Saint Romain. Its color is pale pink. The nose is fruity, dominated by white fruits such as peach. The palate is equally fruity, always very fresh. Ageing potential: 3 years.

Les Parcellaires - Fou de Chêne

Les Parcellaires - Fou de Chêne is a white wine made from Chardonnay grapes. It belongs to the IGP Urfé blanc. It has an intense color and a powerful nose. It is a well-structured wine that improves with age. It can be kept for 10 years.