Côtes du Forez
Grower
Profiles
Domaine
de la Pierre Noire
Christian
Gachet’s great-great grandfather used to make wine in the cellar of this
ancient Forézien farmhouse (the carving on the cross outside dates the
building to 1884), selling his production to the bistrots
and buvettes throughout the
region. But winemaking stopped on the farm once the co-operative was
formed in 1962. With the crop delivered elsewhere it allowed Christian’s
father to concentrate on running the family’s dairy herd. On taking over
from his father in the early 1990s, Christian decided to sell off the
dairy herd and concentrate on viticulture instead. He began planting new
vineyards in 1992 and pulled out of the co-operative a year later. Today,
he works a total of three hectares of Gamay, the average age of which is
seventy years old and planted on the migmatite soils around the commune of
Saint-George-Haut-Ville. A further one hectare of Chardonnay is planted on
the volcanic slopes of the Pic de Montsupt.
Along with
the Vin de Pays d’Urfé Chardonnay (two versions; wooded and unwooded),
they produce Côtes du Forez Rosé and three reds under the appellation.
The Cuvée Tradition is made from the vines planted in 1992 and is
designed for early drinking, Cuvée Spéciale, a fairly grippy and unknit
red with firm acidity (in the 2007 vintage) and Cuvée a l’Ancienne,
made up of some of the oldest vines and receiving a much more traditional
vinification.
The
Chardonnays and Rosé were both sold out and not available for tasting on
my visit, whilst all three of the reds were sound, if firm, tannic and one
dimensional. Other than demonstrating a degree of competence, there is
little to distinguish the wines.
Domaine de la Pierre Noire
9 Chemin de l’Abreuvoir
Saint-George-Haut-Ville
T: + 33 4 77 76 08 54
P :+ 33 6 80 17 31 88
domainedelapierrenoire@wanadoo.fr