Anjou Villages is the appellation for the finer red wines from the Anjou district of France's western Loire Valley wine region. Delimited in 1987 and brought into effect as of the 1991 harvest, this appellation is still young when compared to its neighbors. Its progress has been rapid, however, with the dry red wines representing a refreshing alternative amid a sea of sweet and dry whites.
Anjou Villages wines are made exclusively from Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, shunning less-prestigious local varieties such as Gamay and Grolleau Noir. They are relatively full-bodied – although not in the same way as their equivalents from Bordeaux and the south of France – and offer aromas of dark berries, red fruits and a trademark note of earthy spice.
The reason the Anjou Villages title was introducted was simply to provide a more restrictive, more location-specific complement to Anjou Rouge. The appellation covers the better plots of land around Anjou and is restricted to the prime south-facing slopes in 46 of the district's 150 communes. This corresponds roughly to the area covered by the Coteaux du Layon, Coteaux de la Loire and Savennieres appellations, so the vines are planted on land otherwise reserved for these better-known white wine titles.
In 1998, a further sub-division was made for the wines of Brissac (Brissac-Quince in full) and nine communes within a three-mile radius of it. These are sold as Anjou Villages-Brissac.
