Coteaux du Layon

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The Coteaux du Layon vineyard covers, as of 2023, the territory of 13 communes in the Maine-et-Loire department, spread across the right and left banks of the Layon river.
• The soils are formed on a more or less degraded schist substrate, sometimes overlain by detrital formations of Cenomanian or Pliocene age depending on the topography.
• Certain plots present soils locally derived from rhyolites or spilites, gravelly soils on Carboniferous conglomerates and sandstones, or soils with intercalations of Silurian quartz and cherts.
• The slopes on the right bank are very steep, with gradients sometimes reaching 40%, often towering more than 60 metres above the watercourse, while the left bank presents generally gentler slopes whose summits rarely rise more than 20 metres above the watercourse.
• The Coteaux du Layon geographical area is a low-rainfall enclave, sheltered from oceanic moisture by the higher relief of the Choletais and the Mauges, with annual precipitation of approximately 550 to 600 millimetres compared with more than 800 millimetres in the Choletais.
• Mean annual temperatures are relatively high, around 12°C, some 1°C above the Maine-et-Loire department as a whole, and the mesoclimate has a southern tendency reflected in the flora, with the presence of holm oaks and stone pines.

• The Coteaux du Layon appellation was recognised by decree on 18 February 1950, with six communes permitted to append the appellation name to their own.
• The Chenin grape, probably native to the region, is traditionally harvested at an advanced stage of ripeness, a practice of late harvesting attested as early as Olivier de Serres in 1600.
• The additional geographical designation Chaume covers a south-facing slope of distinctive topography, situated at the heart of a meander in the commune of Rochefort-sur-Loire.
• The decree of September 2003 creating the Chaume-Premier cru des Coteaux du Layon appellation was annulled by the Conseil d'État in July 2005 on grounds of risk of confusion with Quarts-de-Chaume. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• The colour of the wines evolves from deep yellow with green highlights in young wines to golden yellow with amber highlights in older wines. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• On the palate, the wines combine suaveness and freshness, power and finesse, with complex aromas and a capacity for extended ageing.
• On the slightly north-facing slopes of Rochefort-sur-Loire, the wines show heightened minerality, while on the south-facing slopes of Beaulieu-sur-Layon, Faye-d'Anjou and Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné they are frequently marked by notes associated with the development of noble rot under the action of Botrytis cinerea.
• The wines from the gently sloping hillsides on the left bank of the Layon, in the communes of Rablay-sur-Layon and Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay, are powerful and harmonious.
• The wines bearing the mention Sélection de Grains Nobles display extreme concentration of the grapes, with power and aromatic persistence combining fruity, floral, dried or candied fruit, and honeyed notes.
• The wines bearing the premier cru designation completed by the additional geographical designation Chaume are characterised by their finesse, elegance, and great aromatic complexity in which notes of candied fruit and quince paste are often present.

• Shallow soils and a topography providing excellent exposure allow a regular but limited water supply, enabling Chenin to express its full richness.
• The southerly mesoclimate and the siting of the vineyard on sometimes steep slopes, combined with appropriate vine management, encourage concentration of the berries through withering or desiccation on the vine (on-vine raisining).

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

Dénominations géographiques complémentaires

• Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu-sur-Layon ou Beaulieu AOC (PDO)
• Coteaux du Layon Faye-d'Anjou ou Faye AOC (PDO)
• Coteaux du Layon premier cru Chaume AOC (PDO)
• Coteaux du Layon Rablay-sur-Layon ou Rablay AOC (PDO)
• Coteaux du Layon Rochefort-sur-Loire ou Rochefort AOC (PDO)
• Coteaux du Layon Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné ou Saint-Aubin AOC (PDO)
• Coteaux du Layon Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay ou Saint-Lambert AOC (PDO)

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 5 décembre 2025, JORF 17 décembre 2025
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — InterLoire