Côteaux du Layon 2021 – Domaine des Forges (500ml)

The grapes to produce Côteaux du Layon Domaine des Forges were gently pressed in a bladder press and the must was settled.
Fermentation took place with indigenous yeasts in temperature controlled tanks. A crossflow filter was used to arrest the fermentation, resulting in a lusciously sweet wine, which also helps to reduce the sulphur levels. Côteaux du Layon Domaine des Forges was aged in tanks to retain the purity of fruit.

Located in the commune of St Aubin de Luigné to the south of Angers in the western Loire Valley, the vineyards are situated on schist and carboniferous soils that mark some of the finest parcels of the region. The schist retains heat, which encourages ripening in this northern, cool climate. The vines have an average age of 40 years and the yields seldom rise above 25 hectolitres per hectare; resulting in grapes with concentrated juice and full of flavour. The vineyard is sustainably cultivated; the vineyards are grassed between the rows, with manual green harvesting and summer thinning to ensure the grapes are exposed to the sunshine to ensure ripening. The hand-harvest is picked in triages, in order to select only the ripest and highest quality fruit at the beginning at the onset of noble rot: botrytis cinerea. The misty mornings combined with dry sunny days create the perfect conditions for noble rot, which consumes the water from the grapes leaving a rich concentration of sugar, flavour and acidity in the berries.