terroir terrier and pictures of soil

still, no high speed internet so the actual photos cannot yet be posted, i will do a new post with them.

we took the d4 to tavel this afternoon and then wen past the "back side" of chateau d' aqueria on our way to avignon. i did not have the gps on so i really cannot comment on the total elevation change but based upon the soils i think we saw every type of soil in tavel. it is absolutely amazing to drive less than a kilometer and go from galets to decaying limestone, to a slope wash mix. each soil contributes to different taste profiles in the grapes. looking at dirt and rocks as we drive has become a fascinating pastime.

on our way back the house we stopped at le cave des lirac/de saint laurent des arbres in st laurent des arbres to pick up wine for this evening and for our meal. (www.cavelirac.fr). this is the co-op for the commune and we have visited regularly for 6 years. the wines uniformly are very good and sometimes excellent. our choices today were: "arcane" 2009 blanc, a blend of grenache blanc, clairette blanche, and bourboulenc; lirac cuvee jean XXII 2007, grenache and mourvedre; and, monseigneur de la rovere, 2009, syrah and grenache with a small amount of mourvedre. le degustation, c'est gratuit. i think these wines will round out over the next several years and be exceptionally good.

after our out of body experience yesterday at gare de lyon, we are actually considering taking the tgv back to paris. the issue here is not what happens once one gets on the train but rather the process of boarding. paris was a confusing mess and i would hazard to say that amtrak keeps travelers more aware of the status of their trains. the electronic information boards were not working. the train was delayed by over 90 minutes and we were told to board the trail on voie 17 which turned out to be entirely wrong. in the end, we had a wonderful and efficient two and a half hour ride to avignon in spite of our trials and tribulations from 1045 until 1230. there was no information about the status of trains. i think this is an issue of infrastructure. once on the train it is amazing. the arrival in avignon was beyond easy.