SAINT-POURCAIN AREA
HISTORY
The vineyard of Saint-Pourçain is one of the oldest of France.
In 62 A.C., under the Roman occupation, the vine farming was baned by the Emperor Domitien, and allowed again at the end of the century.
Christianism developed viticulture and improved wine-making. In the Middle-Age, when peace was back, this activity spread all over the country.
The registers of Saint-Pourçain, since the 12th Century, testify to the diffusion and the quality of the wines.
Thus :
- In june 24th, 1241, Saint Louis (King of France) is in Saumur and for a meal requests wines from Saint-Pourçain and Saumur.
- In 1313, a noble Lady, Countess Mahaut, complains about her nephew, Robert d’Artois, who has stolen, among other things, her barrels of Saint-Pourçain, Beaune and Auxerre.
During the following centuries, each very important person who was passing by Saint-Pourçain was receiving a barrel of wine.
The King of France Henri IV appreciated the wine of Saint-Pourçain.
Since 1413, the port of the region allows the trade of the wines towards all the center of the country and the region of Paris.
Until the end of the 18th Century, the vineyard increases greatly up to an acreage of 8 000 hectares.
During the first half of the 19th century the vineyard is progressively replaced by cereals and other farmings.
From 1894 to 1900, the phylloxera devastates the vineyard.
THE VINEYARD
Superficy : 600 hectares, classified AOVDQS in 1951.
Annual production (average) : 7 400 hl of white, 5 000 hl of rosé, 18 700 hl
18 independant winemakers
THE SOIL
The vines are planted on stony and sunny slopes, or on clay-limestone lands, all South-East oriented.
The vast majority of the appellation is based on a pool of collapsed soil created by rogenetic movements of the Alps ; this has created 3 different types of soil :
* Silicious soils in the south with a large amount of granite and metamorphic rocks.
* Limestone and clay soils in the middle section of the vineyard, gathered in the pool of collapsed soil of the Bouble, Sioule and Allier rivers. These soil are the heart of the appellation.
* Sandy soils
THE CLIMATE
The vineyard enjoys a continental climate with warm and dry summers and cold winters. The hot summer sun allows the grapes to ipen to their fullest extent and even into automn the sun is a constant warming presence.
Altogether the vineyard enjoys a remarkable average of 1 800 hours of sunshine during the year.
THE GRAPES
The white grape varieties make up a third of the vineyard : chardonnay, Sauvignon, and the indegenous variety, the Tressallier.
For the red varieties, there is the Gamay which produces amazing light and fruity reds as well as some amazing rosés ; and the Pinot Noir which gives very elegant wines.
THE WINES
WHITES
Blend of Tressaillier, Chardonnay and/or Sauvignon
REDS
Gamay or Pinot Noir
ROSES
Black Gamay with white juice
