Small commune of Amigny, part of the commune of Sancerre, and just to the west of the town 

Series of photos taken on the evening of Thursday 22nd September in a soft, warming light.

 Amigny and some of its vineyards

 Amigny with more vineyards

 Le Cul de Beaujeu  

Although the Côte de Monts Damnés is better known, Chavignol has another equally good and equally steep vineyard – Le Cul de Beaujeu. Similarly terres blanches (clay and limestone), it lies just to the south of the village and like Les Monts Damnés towers over Chavignol. Cul de Beaujeu wines from the Cotats and Gérard Boulay are often amongst the top Sancerres – powerful but with a strong minerality.         

 Vines above Chavignol, Hotel Côte de Monts Damnés and the Monts Damnés

 Looking east from above Chavignol (south of the village) towards Sancerre

Western part of Sancerre with Saint-Andelain in the middle distance   

 Vineyards and the railway viaduct at Saint-Satur

Looking down Les Monts Damnés to Chavignol: Sancerre's steepest slopes – in parts a rival to the Mosel but on a much smaller scale

Les Monts Damnés and Chavignol

Light and shade: Chavignol and over to Amigny

Down to Chavignol

Patterns of vines down Les MD



East along Les MD towards Sancerre

Looking west along Les MD

Vines mainly on the caillottes between Chavignol (right) and Amigny (left) with Grand Côte in background (?)

From Sancerre towards Verdigny

Across the vineyards of Verdigny and Sury-en-Vaux with nuclear power station near Cosne in background

 From Sancerre looking towards Chavignol  – taken fairly early in the morning?

It's another grey day here in Epeigné-les-Bois. I don't think we have come close to seeing the sun so far in 2011 – not even a glimpse of blue sky! So I'm spending some time today sorting out photos. Initially I file them under date and then later on sort them more precisely into places, portraits etc. That's the theory anyway but I'm always behind.

Although it takes time, it is worth doing otherwise I lose track of where pictures are filed. Also in sorting I find pictures that are worth posting – others need to be binned. Will be adding more during the course of the day.

The slopes between Amigny and Chavignol (part of village on right)

Sancerre: September 2007

Since starting to post the grey gloom has lifted and now there are a few glimpses of blue sky even a ray of thin sunshine from time to time.

  View near Badia di Morrona, Terricciola, Italia (November 2006)

Philippe Germain (Château de la Roulerie, Anjou) in full flow@RSJ Restaurant's 25th anniversary celebrations: July 2005

Thierry Germain (Domaine des Roches Neuves, Saumur)@same event

Santiago (Chile): reflections – above and below