The Loire's Grand Cru
An enclave of some fifty hectares within the Coteaux du Layon, in the commune of Rochefort-sur-Loire, Quarts de Chaume is the only appellation to carry the 'grand cru' designation in the entire Loire valley — a distinction validated by the INAO. Its name is thought to derive from the medieval custom of reserving for the lord a quarter of the harvest, drawn from the finest plots.
The Terroir and Mesoclimate
The subsoil combines Brioverian schist and Carboniferous conglomerate, on sheltered slopes. Above all, a wide meander in the Layon generates autumn morning mists that ideally favour the development of Botrytis cinerea. This unique mesoclimate explains the wines' consistency and concentration. Yields are capped very low, at 25 hectolitres per hectare.
The Style of the Wines
Harvested through successive selective passes at overripeness, Chenin here yields a sweet wine of remarkable density and purity: candied fruit, citrus, honey and saffron, carried by an acidity that gives the wine tension and ensures a cellaring potential of several decades. It is one of the great sweet wines of the world.