Domaine des Pothiers - Côte Roannaise N°6 2024

Romain Payre has become one of the finest ambassadors for Gamay from the Côte Roannaise, where he has been excelling for several vintages now on his 21-hectare estate. The flagship wine is best enjoyed for its youthful fruitiness. The Clos Du Puy and Intégrale wines, which are suitable for moderate aging, come from vines over 80 years old. This is a highly recommended and reliable estate, regardless of the wine.

Romain Paire, who has lived with his parents Georges and Denise since 2005, took over this long-established family estate in 2017. Founded in 1610 in the town of Villemontais, in the southern part of the appellation, the estate has been operated as a mixed farming and livestock operation (beef cattle) since 2010 and has been managed using organic and biodynamic methods since that year. Operated as a mixed farming and livestock operation (beef cattle), the estate—which comprises 23 hectares of vineyards—has been cultivated using organic and biodynamic methods since 2010. One of the (very) reliable choices in the Côte-Roannaise appellation.

Georges Paire, who came from a family of livestock farmers, began planting his vineyard in the 1970s. In 2005, his son Romain joined him, and planting continued; the winemaking facilities were modernized, and the estate transitioned to organic farming. Today, the estate maintains a small herd of Limousin cows. We appreciate these meticulously crafted, authentic wines: a modern and dynamic embodiment of the appellation.

Blackberries, and something that reminds me a little of sweet beet juice. And rhubarb. The Pothiers’ wines always seem to transport me to gardens, and this one is no exception. Soft tannins, like winding paths, leaving behind a sensation of gravel. Small fallen plums (slightly bitter), moss, lichen wet with rain on a rusty iron gate, camellias drenched by the rain on the gravel. A scent of aromatic herbs on the finish, right underfoot, mingling with the sweetness of the blackberry. It’s so lovely, yet also complex and intriguing—and it demands your full attention.