ELEVATED IN THE SOUTHERN RHÔNE
Romane and Le Pas de l’Aigle are two mountainous stretches of land at the precipice of the Gigondas appellation. When purchased by Pierre Amadieu in 1950, they were “definitely not” advantageous vineyard sites, says Pierre’s grandson Jean-Marie Amadieu, a winemaker at the family winery, Pierre Amadieu.
Upward of 1,300 feet in elevation, they are among the highest vineyards in Gigondas, an appellation better known for alluvial plains on the valley floor or low-elevation hills near its eponymous village.
Facing north and in the shadows of a craggy limestone outcrop known as the Dentelles de Montmirail, these high elevation, cool-climate plots were “a difficult place to ripen grapes,” he explains.
Still, in spectacular vintages, the blue marl and limestone vineyards could produce spicy, complex wines.
Climate change brings complex problems to wine regions around the world, but for the winery Pierre Amadieu, it brought unexpected blessings, too. With rising annual temperatures, once marginal vineyards flourished, ripening grapes fully and with
