Coteaux-du-Layon
The wine region Coteaux du Layon is located in the Anjou and is therefore part of the wine-growing region Loire . This appellation only produces slightly fruity sweet wines. The zone has had the status of an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC for short) since February 18, 1950 ( decree amended on February 12, 2003 and October 7, 2003 ). The area has a vineyard area of approx. 1250 hectares and is located approx. 20 km southwest of Angers . The vineyards are on the slopes of 25 communities along the Layon River between Nueil and Chalonnes-sur-Loire .
The wine is 100% from the grape variety Chenin Blanc grapes. Fog forms on the Layon in autumn, which favors an infestation of the berries with Botrytis cinerea and leads to noble rot . The berries have to be collected manually in several harvest passes. Of course, this effort has its price. A bottle normally costs between 10 and 15 € / bottle (as of 2005).
Conditions are particularly good in the municipalities of Beaulieu-sur-Layon , Faye-d'Anjou , Rablay-sur-Layon , Rochefort-sur-Loire , Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné and Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay . The municipalities are allowed to write their names on the label.
The wines can be labeled with the quality label Beerenauslese ( sélection de grains nobles ) if the sugar content in the mash is above 294 grams / l. Normally, 221 grams are required for a simple Coteaux-du-Layon and 238 grams in the privileged communities.
The best locations in the area received their own appellations. These are the areas Bonnezeaux , Chaume and the south-facing areas in Chaume, the Quarts-de-Chaume .
The legal templates for the individual appellations differ as follows.
| AOC | Yield limit (hectoliters per hectare) |
minimum must weight (in grams / liter) |
Minimum alcohol content in the wine | Minimum residual sugar content in the wine (in grams / liter) |
Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coteaux du Layon | 35 hl / ha | 221 g / l | 11% | 34 g / l | |
| Coteaux du Layon + municipality name | 30 hl / ha | 238 g / l | 12% | 34 g / l | |
| Coteaux du Layon (+ municipality name) + designation Sélection de grains nobles | 294 g / l | No chaptalization allowed; The berry selection character must be confirmed in a sensory test. | |||
| Bonnezeaux | 25 hl / ha | 238 g / l | 12% | 34 g / l | The berries must be harvested when overripe and may be affected by noble rot (but do not have to) |
| Chaume | 25 hl / ha | 272 g / l | 12% | 68 g / l | The berries must be harvested in a partially rosinated state or be affected by noble rot. If the natural must weight exceeds 323 g / l, the minimum alcohol content of the wine is 11% instead of 12% |
| Quarts de Chaume | 25 hl / ha | 238 g / l | 12% | 34 g / l | The berries must be harvested when overripe and may be affected by noble rot (but do not have to) |
Storage of wines
The Coteaux-du-Layon wines have an amazing shelf life. Good vintages can stay in the cellar for 20 years without hesitation, the best vintages have a life expectancy of up to 100 years.
Individual evidence
- ^ INAO: Specifications of the AOC Chaume, last revised on April 27, 2007
- ^ INAO: Specifications of the AOC Coteaux du Layon, last revised on February 21, 2007
- ^ INAO: Specifications of the AOC Bonnezeaux, last time on October 10, 2003
- ^ INAO: Specifications of the AOC Qarts de Chaume, last time on October 10, 2003
literature
- Jancis Robinson : The Oxford Wine Lexicon . Gräfe and Unzer Verlag, 2003, ISBN 3-7742-0914-6 .
- Pierre Galet : Cépages et Vignobles de France . Lavoisier Publishing House, Paris 2004, ISBN 2-7430-0585-8 .
- Benoît France (ed.): Grand Atlas des Vignobles de France . Solar publishing house, Paris 2002, ISBN 2-263-03242-8 .
