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The Anjou region in the Loire Valley is home to the Coteaux-du-Layon Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) vineyards. This AOC protects sweet or syrupy white wines made from the Loire’s most famous grape variety: Chenin.
The international success of Coteaux-du-Layon
From the 16th century onwards, the vineyards of the Coteaux-du-Layon experienced a boom thanks to Dutch wine merchants. Indeed, the latter prefer wines with high alcohol levels, such as those from Coteaux-du-Layon (between 16 and 17% vol.), as they can be better preserved during transport. On the other hand, these sweet wines find an excellent audience in Northern Europe, which appreciates their roundness. Last but not least, the high export taxes levied by Brittany forced merchants to select wines with high prices and very high quality, which justified their preference for Coteaux-du-Layon.
AOC Coteaux-du-Layon harvests by hand to select the best grapes
TheCoteaux-du-Layon AOC vineyard extends over 1,700 hectares to the south-east of the Armorican Massif, at Bonnezeaux in Anjou. The vineyard soil is typical of the Anjou Noir terroir: mostly schist, shallow and dark brown. The vines planted on the hillside in the Layon basin benefit from excellent sun exposure, favored by the terroir’s temperate oceanic climate. These conditions allow over-ripe grapes to be harvested, giving the AOC wines their roundness.
This characteristic is accentuated by the fact that the Coteaux-du-Layon AOC requires manual harvesting, which means that only grapes that have reached over-ripeness are picked. Within the appellation, Coteaux-du-Layon wines are distinguished from Coteaux-du-Layon Premier Cru Chaume wines, whose appellation area covers 70 hectares.
A Coteaux-du-Layon offers fruity and floral aromas
Coteaux-du-Layon wines are characterized by their light, deep color, often a golden yellow with almost green highlights. Aging reveals a more amber color with bronze highlights. These wines have generous tears.
Coteaux-du-Layon wines have excellent ageing potential (up to 40 years for the greatest vintages), which means that their aromas can evolve considerably. During the first 5 to 10 years, they express themselves in a floral and fruity way, with aromas of white flowers and white fruits (such as pear and peach). Some AOC wines may complement this aromatic profile with hints of citrus, exotic or dried fruit. A minerality may sometimes appear. As they age, the wines reveal more mature and sometimes rare aromas. Primary aromas of flowers give way to tertiary aromas of wood and fruit, with notes of Indian wood, resin and dried or candied fruit. Aromas of honey and almond may also emerge. Finally, the minerality of these wines will develop over time, giving them structure.
The rich sugar content of Coteaux-du-Layon wines is perfectly balanced by their acidity, resulting in well-balanced wines. Tasting reveals round, unctuous wines with a fresh, lively finish.
We recommend decanting these wines and serving them chilled, at around 8°C, to appreciate their evolution and all their aromas.
Coteaux-du-Layon is ideal from aperitif to dessert
Coteaux-du-Layon wines are the perfect accompaniment to foie gras or blue-veined cheeses from the Loire Valley. However, the sweetness of these wines goes perfectly with desserts. They can be used to enhance citrus dishes such as orange pancakes, or fruity desserts like apple or apricot tarts. Gourmet desserts such as crème brulée or French toast also go wonderfully with these wines.
The best years of the Coteaux-du-Layon appellation
In the Coteaux-du-Layon region, 1959, 1989 and 2005 are consecrated as millennium vintages, while 1945, 1947, 1976 and 1996 are recognized as very great vintages.
Coteaux-du-Layon estates to remember
Domaine de Terrebrune
The Domaine de Terrebrune vineyard was created in 1986 by Alain Bouleau, estate manager, and Patrice Laurendeau, winemaking and marketing manager, who combined their know-how. The diversity of grape varieties they grow enables them to produce a wide variety of wines, but all belong to an AOP or AOC, as in the case of Coteaux-du-Layon.
Despite the scale of production (340,000 bottle equivalents per year), Alain and Patrice control the entire production chain on their estate, from vine cultivation to sales. It’s this mastery that enables them to produce exceptional, high-quality wines.
Château Soucherie
Château Soucherie is a Coteaux du Layon vineyard covering 28 hectares in Beaulieu-sur-Layon, south of Angers in the Loire Valley. Situated on south-facing schist slopes, it produces Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée wines from Anjou, Savennières, Chaume and Coteaux-du-Layon.
At the head of the Château, Pascale and Roger-François Béguinot pay particular attention to working the soil, with great respect for the terroir. The know-how of their teams enables them to showcase the richness of these terroirs through authentic wines. In 2019, Château Soucherie is taking steps to transition its production methods to organic viticulture.
In addition to cellar tours and tastings, Domaine de la Soucherie also offers day and night walks in the vineyards. The Château also offers the possibility of staying in the 5-bedroom gîte La Maison des Vignes or the 4-bedroom guest house La Maison des Amis. An exceptional opportunity to discover the estate’s wines and their origins.
