Vineyards of the south-west: AOC Corrèze - Coteaux de la Vézère

Vineyards close to La Chartroulle.

Allassac was once famous for its vineyards until the phylloxéra epidemic arrived in 1876 . Though vineyards and livelihood disappeared, the centuries of cultivation had left their mark on the landscape. In the architecture of the wine merchant houses, with their presses and cellars. And in the terraces and wine cabanes still dotting the hillsides despite the new land-uses.

Slopes planted on terraces.

The vineyard Coteaux du Saillant - Vézère has replanted 21 hectares of the schistose slate soil of Allassac, Donzenac and Voutezac with Chemin, Sauvignon-gris, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet-franc. They were the first to plant the fragile and delicate Chemin variety in the South-West wine area (more usually found in the Loire valley).

Certified biological cultivation.

The modern approach is either biological or raisonnée cultivation. Raisonnée translates to integrated or sustainable agriculture. Compared to biological it’s a less emotional/dogmatic (more reasoned) break from the intensive agriculture. Keeping the soil covered to preserve the soil, limited artificial inputs, pruning, thinning , suckering and harvesting by hand. Though new parcels do now go straight into biological cultivation.

Bottling at the chai.

The chai uses modern metal tanks to produce wine from different grape varieties parcel by parcel. This allows the master wine maker to select particular qualities of the year, and create appropriate mixtures or varieties or wines of a single grape variety. Not using wooden barrels allows for the preservation of the ‘minerality’, in which the schistose slate soils contribute to the terroir.

Gamade wines on display.

The owner allows the public to hike over a trail and visit the vineyard unguided, best done walking down hill from the village of La Chartrouille towards Le Saillant. The views are spectacular and going this way has the added advantage of arriving at the chai for a little wine tasting afterward!

Chapel of Saillant

Chagall windows of the chapel.

Le Saillant is the starting point for hiking trails exploring the Vézère gorges and the series of small hydro-electric dams. The village has a small chapel build between 1620 - 1624, during the restoration of 1978 the stained glass windows were replaced with a series created by the famous artist, Marc Chagall. In 1982 the stained glass windows of the nave were installed, making them the last works by Chagall realized during his life. The second series originally had a yellow colour scheme which has not resisted time, but the dark blue, green, red and the rose window remain vivid. The chapel of Saillant is one of only four chapels with Chagall windows and was declared a national monument in 2008. Find out more about the hidden vineyards of the south-west of France through:

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