Domaine Sérol

The revival of the côtes Roannaises

For many wine lovers, the Loire Valley ends at Sancerre. However, it would be a mistake not to venture further afield, towards the Auvergne and the foothills of the Massif Central. It's in Roanne, at the foot of the Monts de la Madeleine, that we find the Domaine de Sérol, one of the most prominent vineyards of recent years. Stéphane and Carine Sérol were awarded their 2nd star in the Revue des Vins de France guide this year, proof if any were needed that they magnify the Côtes Roannaises like no one else.

The couple quickly established themselves as pioneers of roannaise viticulture in the late 1990s, when they took over the family business. Their arrival coincided with the birth of the Côte Roannaise AOC, which they helped in its quest for prestige. From the outset, they turned to agriculture that respected their terroir and ecosystem, opting for organic and then biodynamic methods. The estate's 35 hectares of vines are cultivated with the precision of a goldsmith, which serves the wines incredibly well: both reds and whites are deliciously digestible, right from their first years in bottle.

The estate's red wines

The domaine produces almost 90% red wines, the majority color in this corner of the Loire Valley. Only one grape variety is grown here: the emblematic Gamay Saint-Romain, a cousin of the Gamay "noir à jus blanc" found in Beaujolais. Its great advantage? It's indigenous to the granite soils of the Massif Central, a terroir where it can reveal its full potential, with anthocyanins (pigments) and a stronger tannic structure than you'd find in a Beaujolais.

The estate's entry-level range starts with "vins de soif" (thirst-quenching wines) that can be drunk young, with notes of fresh, crisp red fruit. Les Originelles and l'Eclat de Granite are not barrel-aged for long, preferring a short period in concrete vats to retain all the Gamay's deliciousness and fruitiness.

Next come the cuvées parcellaires, i.e. wines made from delimited plots of land isolated for their unique qualities. The vines are planted at high density (over 8,500 vines per hectare), so that each vine competes with its neighbors to produce the most concentrated grapes possible. The wines here are more complex, with longer maturation periods, sometimes in wooden rather than concrete vats. One of these cuvées, Les Blondins, is produced in partnership with the Troisgros house, which also runs the 3-star Michelin restaurant Troisgros.

Other estate wines

Although the majority of the domaine's wines are reds, the other two colors are not neglected, as the range includes two cuvées of whites and two cuvées of rosés. On the white side, a cuvée of Viognier, Condrieu's emblematic grape variety, and a cuvée of Chenin, the king grape variety of Anjou and Touraine, are sure to delight connoisseurs, who delight in the gourmandise of these unusual whites.

Disconcertingly straightforward, the rosés - one still, the other sparkling - are a fine alternative to the diluted cuvées found in Provence. Notes of small red berries and a lovely freshness will make these wines the perfect accompaniment to your barbecues all year round.