Coteaux de l'Aubance

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The landscape consists of numerous small, gently sloping hillsides with varied aspects, at elevations of between 50 and 90 metres, to the south-west of Angers.
• The soils rest on the schistose or schisto-arenaceous bedrock of the Massif Armoricain; they are mostly shallow, have good thermal behaviour, and low water-holding capacity.
• In the western part, veins of acidic (rhyolite) or basic (spilite) eruptive formations occasionally outcrop, giving rise to very stony soils.
• The communes located in the northern part of the geographical zone rest on slate-schist formations that were quarried for several centuries to build the walls, roofs, and floors of local houses.
• The geographical zone is a relatively dry enclave that benefits from a foehn effect, sheltered from oceanic moisture by the higher relief of the Choletais and the Mauges, receiving approximately 585 millimetres of annual rainfall compared with nearly 800 millimetres in the Choletais.
• Mean annual temperatures are relatively high, at around 12°C — some 1°C warmer than the Maine-et-Loire département as a whole — with a southern character to the flora, including holm oaks and stone pines.

• The name 'Coteaux de l'Aubance' appears for the first time in 1922 on a harvest declaration, and the Syndicat des viticulteurs des Coteaux de l'Aubance was founded in 1925.
• Following the phylloxera crisis, which destroyed more than three-quarters of the Angevin vineyard, neighbouring growers from the Layon planted the traditional Chenin variety on phylloxera-free plots in the Aubance area.
• Grapes were historically vinified as dry or off-dry wines, before the adoption of successive-pass harvesting at over-ripeness, inspired by the neighbouring practices of the Layon, in order to produce a moelleux wine.
• The controlled designation of origin 'Coteaux de l'Aubance' was recognised by decree on 18 February 1950 for a white wine produced from grapes harvested at over-ripeness by successive passes.

• The still white wines contain fermentable sugars and display aromas of white fruit and citrus intertwined with floral notes and over-ripeness characters such as dried and candied fruits.
• On the palate, the wines show a balance between sugar richness, acidity, and structure; ageing, which can extend over several decades, enhances their finesse and complexity.

• The shallow, stony soils, the very gentle hillside slopes, and the air humidity maintained by the proximity of the Loire and the Aubance encourage the development of noble rot and the over-ripening of the grapes.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 5 décembre 2025, JORF 18 décembre 2025
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — InterLoire