Coteaux du Layon Faye-d'Anjou wines are sweet white wines produced under the Coteaux du Layon appellation, specifically from the parish of Faye-d'Anjou in the Anjou district of the western Loire Valley.
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Faye-d'Anjou is a small village at the heart of the Coteaux du Layon area, between the southern banks of the Loire and the northern banks of the Layon river. Protected from the north and east by the Foret de Beaulieu and Foret de Brissac woodlands, the vines of Faye-d'Anjou enjoy a southerly exposure on the gently sloping gravelly banks above the river. The highly respected wines of the Bonnezeaux appellation are produced just two miles (3km) to the south-east, confirming the quality of the terroir.
The quality of the area's sweet wines is largely due to the local topography – itself due in no small part to the nearby rivers, including the the Layon. Over the millennia the river has carved out gentle south-facing slopes around Faye-d'Anjou, creating a sheltered mesoclimate that protects the vineyards from cold continental winds blowing in from the north and east. In late summer, the morning mists rising from the river promote the development of botrytis (noble rot), an essential ingredient in the best Coteaux du Layon Faye-d'Anjou wines.
The sweetest and most expressive wines from the village are sold with Selection de Grains Nobles mentioned after the appellation title. They are made from grapes harvested in tries successives – multiple passes through the vineyard, during which the pickers collect only grapes affected by noble rot. This title was brought to the Loire from Alsace to replace the former sweetness statements Demi-Sec, Moelleux and Liquoreux, although the tries successives harvesting method is credited to the top chateaux of Sauternes.
All Coteaux du Layon wines are made exclusively from Chenin Blanc grapes, which thrive on the schistous soils here. Chenin (or Pineau de la Loire as it is known locally) is by far the most widely used variety in the sweet wines of the Loire and is at its peak within the Coteaux du Layon catchment area.
