The Layon Valley
Southwest of Angers, the appellation follows the slopes bordering the Layon, a left-bank tributary of the Loire, across twenty-seven communes. It is the heart of Anjou's sweet wine production, with village designations (Beaulieu, Faye, Rablay, Rochefort, Saint-Aubin, Saint-Lambert) and a 'premier cru' designation for Chaume.
The Terroir and Noble Rot
This is 'Anjou Noir', the southeastern part of the Armorican Massif, with predominantly schistous soils — brown, dark and shallow. These well-exposed, well-ventilated slopes favour early ripening and overripening of Chenin. Hand-picked in successive selective harvesting passes, the grapes are concentrated by Botrytis cinerea (noble rot) or by raisining on the vine.
The Style of the Wines
Coteaux du Layon is a golden-hued sweet white, with aromas of candied fruit, quince and honey, kept from heaviness by Chenin's lively acidity. This balance between sugar and freshness gives it exceptional cellaring potential: the best vintages keep for around twenty years, or even a century for the greatest wines.