Le Figaro Lyon
Some bunches of grapes are worth their weight in gold. At the northern tip of the Rhône Valley, the town of Ampuis is well placed to know this as the Syrah vines of the famous AOP Côte-Rôtie spread out on its hillsides. It is therefore logical that among the plots, visible to holidaymakers from the A7 motorway, the town has decided to grow a small plot of land belonging to it on the place called La Viallière. The elected officials decided to rent these 587 square meters for the benefit of Stéphane and Michel Ogier. A rural lease against which the famous winegrowers will pay rent to the community, not in euros but in bottles.
The deliberation voted unanimously at the last municipal council of July 17, and spotted by Le Progrès, provides for an 18-year contract with rent exemption during the first six, explains the mayor, Richard Bonnefoux (DVD), to Le Figaro. Domaine Ogier will then pay 12 bottles each year as rent over the remaining 12 years, for a total of 144 bottles. A return to barter and justified by the presence of a drinking water pipe now unused on this very small plot, which adjoins a land planted by the Ogiers. "The Côte-Rôtie is important but the water resource even more and we wanted to preserve our interests by leasing, comments the edile. The operator undertakes not to plant near the pipeline and it is clearly specified in the agreement that the municipality will have access if we need it.
The arrangement is unprecedented in the commune but is sometimes practiced in other vineyards. "A classic rent would have brought in only a few hundred euros," slips the mayor of Ampuis, whose market attracts crowds every January in this town where the hectare planted is negotiated around the million euros. It could even be a good investment for the community since the bottles of the appellation – whose entry-level opens around 40 euros – can sell for up to several thousand euros. However, according to the mayor, they should not stay in the cellar for long. "We regularly have receptions as the capital of the Côte-Rôtie and instead of buying bottles for these occasions, we thought it would be interesting to have produced them on a communal plot."