The Cote Roannaise is one of those off-Broadway French wine regions that’s particularly difficult to place on the map. It’s a region dedicated to Gamay just a stone’s throw away from Beaujolais but technically on the long and winding course of the Loire River. It’s tempting to think of it as Beaujolais-adjacent, but there are enough distinctions to make this a very different sort of wine. There’s a local clone called Gamay Saint-Romain that packs a little more punchy fruit than the stuff from Beaujolais. The soil here starts with sand and granite, but there are streaks of volcanic basalt that leaves Cote Roannaise wine with a rebellious streak of smoky minerality. Romaine Paire is among the leading lights of the region, and this cuvee’s name means The hills on fire, a nod to their volcanic roots. This wine shows a lush black cherry nose, with touches of clay, orange oil, and violets. The palate is surprisingly structured with long, silky tannins, flowers and dense-packed dark berry fruit flavors. A versatile wine for all sorts of meats, from poultry to sausage to delicate steaks.