Côtes d'Auvergne

Grower Profiles

Marc Pradier
The Pradiers have been established in Les Martres for three generations, initially as apple growers, but the family has always maintained a few rows of vines for making wine for domestic consumption. It was immediately after the war that they made the switch to vines, with Marc joining his father and older brother in 1990. In 2005 however, Marc and Jean-Pierre decided to divide the domaine between them. Marc retains the old address, down a narrow lane in the centre of the town, keeping the house along with the ancient basalt and limestone cellar. From a combined 11 hectares, he now works 5.5ha, the majority of which is still worked as a fermage, from vines owned by his retired father. Of these, 2.20 hectares are on the Puy-de-Corent, split between the north and south facing slopes, where he makes a little Corent rosé, although he prefers to absorb the red wine into his generic Côtes d’Auvergne cuvée, where he has vines on the east facing slopes above Les Martres.

There are two white wines, one raised in tank, whilst the other is produced from barrel fermented Chardonnay, and there is a separate bottling of 1.7 hectares of Pinot Noir, planted in the early 1990s which he intends to declassify to Vin de Pays as the legislation changes.

These are good and consistent wines; honest and true to the appellation. In contrast to his elder brother, the diminutive and quietly spoken Pradier, enjoys a strong local market, without having to go in search of Auvagnats exiled in Paris to sell his wines.

Marc Pradier
9 Rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste
Les Martres-de-Veyre
T: + 33 4 73 39 86 41
F: + 33 4 73 39 88 17
P: + 33 6 86 81 40 84
pradiermarc@orange.fr

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