Coteaux du Layon 2005 Moulin Touchais

Tasting Notes

Pouring the 2005 wine, the first thing you notice is its color. It is a deep golden color with an almost amber rim. The nose shimmers with notes of quince paste, dried apricot and beeswax, with a hint of saffron from bottle aging. On the palate, it's medium-sweet but not syrupy, with Chenin Blanc acidity coming through the sugar. The finish is long, with a hint of bitterness, citrus and minerals.

Grape Varieties

Coteaux du Layon is 100% Chenin Blanc by law, and the Touchais bottling is no exception. Why is Chenin used here and Sauternes uses Semillon? It's all about acidity. Chenin retains its tension even when the fruit is wilted or affected by noble rot.

Cellaring Potential

If you were drinking the 2005 today, it will be very nice. But this is a wine for the longer term, it will happily sit in the cellar until 2035 or even beyond. Store at 12-14°C. Over time, the apricots will turn to walnuts, barley sugar and dried mango.

The Producer

Most producers prefer to keep their wines on the market radar. Moulin Touchais is the exact opposite. After World War II, Joseph Touchais decided to create a domaine. For a minimum of 10 years. The cellars of the Doué-la-Fontaine hold about a million bottles dating back to the 1960s or earlier. It is one of the most unusual library projects in France. The Touchais family, now in its eighth generation, has run the business since 1787.

Terroir & Climate

The Coteaux du Layon site is located on a south-facing slope above the River Layon, a tributary of the Loire, south of Angers. The clay and limestone soils give the wine structure and mineral character. But the real magic lies in the microclimate. Cold, misty mornings from the river and hot, dry afternoons. This is the climate that fosters noble rot, which causes the berries to shrivel and concentrate sugar and flavor. Botrytis is less aggressive on the Touchais plot than in neighboring vineyards. This is why the wines are not syrupy and remain balanced.

Winemaking

The harvest takes place in four stages. First stage: grapes of normal maturity are harvested to obtain an acid base. Next stage: overripe and nobly rotten bunches are harvested to increase sugar and concentration. Soft pressing and spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts at controlled temperature. Fermentation can continue until January. The wine is bottled in late winter to preserve freshness and goes underground for a minimum of 10 years. No new barrels, no gimmicks. Just take your time.

Food Pairing

Sour-sweet wines open more doors than people realize. A few ideas:

• Pair with foie gras, classic Anjou.
• Roquefort and other blue cheeses.
• Spicy Thai or Vietnamese dishes.
• Tarte tatin: as a dessert.

Serve at 8-10°C. If the temperature is too low, the flavors will be muted.