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




Sunday 23 March 2014

Forez/Roannaise: 5th day – Côtes de Forez

Le Prieurie Romain de Saint Romain le Puy

Saturday was my last day in the Forez/Roannaise with just one visit to Domaine Pic et Vin (Laurent and Christine Demeure plus Pierre Rolle, who has replaced the now retired Daniel Mondon). We started by visiting Le Prieurie Romain de Saint Romain le Puy, where we tasted the three Viogniers made by the domaine. Later I saw the plot where the first Chenin Blanc in the region will be planted before tasting some of the other wines made by the domaine. 

The crypt
 


Eggs laid by a white owl in an opening 
on the way down to the crypt 




 Jean-Paul Lyonnet, président of the Association Aldebertus

 Pierre Rolle (Domaine Pic et Vin)
tasting Viognier in the Prieurie


I forgot to change the light balance 
before I started taking pictures of Pierre 
but like the effect of the blue tinge 


Some of the Viognier planted on the steep slopes 
of a now extinct volcano leading up to the Prieurie  



In two weeks time the first Chenin to be planted 
in the Forez/Roannaise sector 
will be planted here

Ici commence Le Chenin Blanc de la Loire@Boisset Saint-Priest!
This is about 120 kms north of the Loire's source@Mont Gerbier de Jonc

Pierre Rolle imagining future delights from 
their Chenin – fingers crossed!

vin & pic
 
A restrained range of wines from 7.5 hectares!!



The Loire@Nevers on the return journey back to Saint-Pierre des Corps



  








2 comments:

Luc Charlier said...

Was it a white owl? Not that I doubt in the least your competence as a bird watcher, but the "barn-owl" is callad "kerkuil" in Dutch ("church-owl), which would seem most appropriate. On top of that, our own churchtower, in Corneilla, hosts two barn-owls, to prove my point. Very nice set op pictures, Jim.

Jim's Loire said...

Merci Luc. Re-white owl this information came from Jean-Paul Lyonnet and I have no reason to believe that this is incorrect. Perhaps white owls have a particular affinity for basalt?