Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Friday 21 March 2014

Côte Roannaise/ Côtes de Forez: 3rd day – equal split

Domaine de la Rochette – high parcel above the plain of Roanne
 
Third day in the Côte Roannaise and the Côtes de Forez. Here is another quick report before heading out to discover more on the Côtes de Forez today with visits to the Caves des Vignerons Forézien, the Cave Verdier-Logel, Domaine du Poyet (Jean-François Arnaud) and Domaine de la Madone (Gilles Bonnefoy). By the time I finish my visit to the area tomorrow afternoon I will have seen virtually all of the producers in Forez (150 hectares in production) unlike in the Roannaise where there are more producers. Although I saw a good number (13 in Roannaise), I wasn't, of course, able to see all 30 producers in three days! 

Yesterday I saw Olivier Néron (Domaine de la Rochette) and Romain Paire (Domaine des Pothiers) in the Roannaise before heading south to Forez with visits to Clos de Chozieux (Jean-Luc and Yves Gaumon) and Stéphane Guillot. The day finished with dinner at my chambre d'hôte – Le  Rezinet and the chance to taste some old vintages of wines from the Forez including a 2003 showing richness from this very hot year. 


 
 Olivier Néron
The domaine is justing starting its conversion to organic viticulture




Special attachment for tilling the soil between the vines


 
 On the hill opposite Vincent Giraudon's parcel of vines 
which I had seen in darkness the night before


 Romain Paire in the Clos du Puy planted with Gamay Saint-Romain 
Romain – 'Better quality variety than the more productive Gamay Beaujolais 



 Romain Paire



Côtes de Forez


Clos de Chozieux, Leigneux: Planting the vines

The Clos today 

 Chozieux: Vines@Marcilly-le-Chatel
Below the volcanic soil here – basalt

 
Marcilly-le-Chatel

 Yves and Jean-Claude Gaumon


Stéphanie Guillot

 François, her employee, checking posts in the vineyard



 The old vine vineyard for Guillot's Opéra

Stéphanie Guillot 



 




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