The Wine of the Côte Roannaise
 

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The little favourite of top Chefs: just as it is impossible to resist the friendship and atmosphere of the table at the world renowned Troisgros Restaurant, so the wine from the Côte Roannaise has spread its reputation across the world.

Wine from the Côte Roannaise area is exceptional in French gastronomy and the way of life; it is rare, famous... yet accessible in price.

Wine suitable for every season, it knows how to play its role as a delight to the palate or as a subtle harmony with gastronomic delights that have given the Roanne region its solid reputation.

At a moderate cost, with high quality, and grown on only 160 hectares (400 acres), it is rare, like a close friend.

It has earned its fame as prestigious restaurants, such as Troisgros, a 3-star Michelin restaurant and one of the top 10 restaurants in France, offer this rare wine to their most discerning diners.

The Vineyards

Present production capacity: about 400 acres

Geographic situation: situated to the west of the left bank of the Loire river on a series of hills oriented towards the rising sun.

The Grape type: the red wines and rosés are produced from a single Gamet grape called Saint Romain in this area; a grape which gives very good results although it is cultivated with a low yield.

The Wines

The red wines, produced by a process of semi-carbonic maceration, are wines that have a fruity taste (red berries, cherries...) and offer a fresh flavour.

It is worth nothing that certain vintages, produced from older vines planted on the best plots on the hills, give richer, stronger wines.

The rare rosés are generally made by a method known as "saignée" which gives a good colour and expresses the fresh characteristic of the grape variety.

The Wine Waiter's Advice

This red wine is generally drunk young within the year that follows the vintage. It should preferably be served cool but not cold (12-14°C).

It is the perfect choice with red meats, eggs with wine sauce or dried meats but also goes well with a local blue or goat's cheese called "cabrions".

Certain vintages with a high tannin content can be conserved from 2 to 3 years and accompany wonderfully local specialities.

The rosé, served at 8°C and consumed within the year it was bottled, can be savoured as a pre-dinner drink or as an excellent wine served with all courses during a summertime meal.

History

The earliest written records on the Côte Roannaise go back to the High Middle Ages when monastic orders set up at that time left behind documents mentioning the existence of a large vineyard and a vigourous wine trade. But it is mainly from the 13th century that the vineyards are mentioned with increasing frequency and in 1439 the first mention of wine prices is made.
The 17th century saw the vineyards develop considerably as their surface area doubled between 1620 and 1670. Navigation by boat on the Loire river allowed wine to be transported to Paris. Thus, shortly before the French Revolution (1789), 40-50,000 bottles of wine made their way to the capital.
The expansion of the vineyards, which continued after the Revolution, was stopped by the inevitable Phylloxera, a disease that attacks vines, which pushed growers to limit themselves to the sunny hillsides where they have remained ever since.

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Ecole des Trois Ponts, Château de Matel, 42300 Roanne, France