Quarts de Chaume
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Terroir
Natural factors
- Brioverian schistose bedrock, rare on the right bank of the Layon; poudingues (eroded fluvial conglomerates) in the upper sections (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Very shallow, clayey soils with limited water retention; slope ensuring natural drainage
- The meander of the Layon generates autumn morning mists favorable to noble rot
- East/west-facing hillside, south-exposed, at 25 to 75 m elevation, approximately 40 hectares, entirely within Rochefort-sur-Loire (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
Human factors
- From the 15th century onward, tenants of the 'tènement de Chaume' paid the Abbaye du Ronceray with 'the finest quarters of the hanging harvest on the south-facing slope.'
- Overripeness and multiple selective harvest passes (tries) are a longstanding practice: Jullien (1816) already mentions 'several passes' through the vineyard.
Product characteristics
- Profile: powerful yet delicate, with great aromatic complexity, a harmonious balance of sweetness and vivacity, often with a hint of bitterness.
- Aging potential: remarkable capacity for cellaring; in 2024, insufficient weather conditions to achieve the required ripeness in Chenin Blanc.
Terroir / wine link
- The Layon meander → autumn mists → Botrytis cinerea → sugar concentration and aromatic complexity in Chenin Blanc
Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.
Sources
- Product specification (BO Agri, PDF), JORF 13 octobre 2022
- Official INAO text (show_texte)
- INAO product entry
- Official trade body site — InterLoire