Ecolo
Romain Paire of Domaine des Pothiers has invested in a 500m2 ageing cellar with frugal energy consumption. Built last spring, it was officially opened during the 2011 harvest. The walls are made from an innovative material (poured concrete incorporating thermal insulation) and the structure is all timber. “We’ll be able to do without air conditioning in summer ”, says the grower. He has achieved another cost saving by installing a boiler fired by wood chips from the estate. The boiler heats the buildings, and also the vats during vinification. The new cellar also hosts twelve 70hl concrete vats, each weighing eight tons. Inside the vats, temperature variations occur slowly, thus restricting the need to cool or warm the crop. This upgrade is a logical move for the 13.5ha estate in the Côte Roannaise area, where the vines are farmed organically.