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Val de Loire · Loire du Massif central · Red and rosé

Côte roannaise — terroir, soils & grape varieties

On the granite foothills of the Monts de la Madeleine, west of Roanne, Côte roannaise grows gamay at altitude. Fruity, easy-drinking reds and rosés, close in spirit to nearby Beaujolais but firmly of the Loire.

The Gamay of the Monts de la Madeleine

West of Roanne, at the foot of the Monts de la Madeleine, Côte roannaise spans fourteen communes in the Loire département, between 350 and 550 metres in altitude. Granted AOC status in 1994, it is devoted to gamay for its reds and rosés (whites from the area fall under other appellations).

Terroir and Style

The vines grow on granitic arena — sand formed from the disintegration of granite — complemented by volcanic tuff and microgranite. This crystalline bedrock, much like that of neighbouring Beaujolais, gives gamay reds a light hue and vibrant fruit, fuller-bodied from old vines (ageing up to five years), and dry, generous rosés.

The grape varieties of Côte roannaise

Gamay →sole variety ("saint-romain") — fruit and suppleness
Buy a Côte roannaise →
Sources: Wikipédia — Côte roannaise (AOC)