Guide
to the Loire regions
Saint-Pourçain
Grower
Profiles

Christophe
and Nathalie Courtinat
Christophe
Courtinat
The domaine is situated on the
road to Louchy-Montfand and was created around a 16th Century convent,
complete with its own Bourbonnais dovecote. Christophe Courtinat, with his
wife, Nathalie, represent the third generation to have made wine here, but
it was Christophe’s father who started bottling their production in 1982
when he realised that the wine they were then selling en-vrac was less
profitable than simply sending their crop to the cooperative. The family
took the next logical step and withdrew from working their 71 hectares of
cereals in 2001 - the year Christophe’s father retired. At this point
they had six hectares, but have since doubled their holdings in the decade
following.
The vineyards are mostly in and
around Saulcet, although Courtinat has recently purchased a parcel of
vines in Briailles on the opposite bank of the Sioule. The plantings are
split into 8 hectares of reds (70% of which are Gamay) and 4 hectares of
white (65% Chardonnay, 25% Tressallier and 10% Sauvignon). He has also
established 28 ares of Pinot Gris and is making a little late harvest wine
from this.
Christophe Courtinat is another grower who is openly flaunting the
regulations of the new appellation as he is continuing to bottle three of
his wines as a single variety. The (also illegal) Blanc
Tradition is a 70% Tressalier/30% Chardonnay blend and is raised in
tank. What used to be labeled as Blanc
Chardonnay is now simply referred to as Saint-Pourçain,
although the wine remains a 100% Chardonnay even with the 2009 vintage. Cuvée
Selection is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, and almost certainly the only
example of its type produced in the appellation (but for how long ?).
The Rosé is a combination of pressurage
direct and maceration and currently accounts for 20% of their
production. Of the reds, the Rouge
Tradition is raised in stainless steel and from 100% Gamay, whilst the
wine labeled as Saint-Pourçain is the counterpart to the white and used to be
called Rouge Pinot. It is 100%
Pinot Noir raised in ancient 33hl foudres which were originally coopered
in Nancy for the fermentation of the local famous beers of Lorraine. The Cuvée
des Pérelles – takes its name from the lieu-dit
in Briailles and is a 60/40% Pinot Noir/Gamay, aged for 12 months in
second and third fill barriques. Finally there is a token amount of
sparkling wine produced as Blanc de
Blancs and Pétillant Rosé.
It’s hard not to like the softly spoken Christophe and the wines here
are some of the best of the appellation. I think his decision to bottle
wines that fall legally outside the appellation is as much naivety as
anything else, and he hardly looks or speaks like an antagonist. With 70%
of their wines being sold from the cellar door, they have a sound and
profitable business and one that turns over their stock. If anything that
is my only real criticism; that the wines could do with a little longer
ageing (either in tank or bottle) to allow them to express themselves
better, but I suspect commercial reality means that this is unlikely to
happen.
Christophe Courtinat
Cave Courtinat
11 rue de Venteuil
Saulcet
T : + 33 4 70 45 44 84
T : + 33 4 70 45 44 75
F : + 33 4 70 45 80 13
cavecourtinat@wanadoo.fr
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