Château de Plaisance, Côteaux du Layon, Rochefort-Sur-Loire, Anjou-Saumur, Loire, France, 2023

Producer Profile

The Château de Plaisance is located on the ‘Butte de Chaume’, one of the most beautiful and only 1er Cru classified terroir of Anjou!

The vineyard has been run organically and biodynamically since 1995. Though the soils of Chaume are known for their beautiful sweet wines, Guy Rochais was the first to create a dry white: the famous 'Chaume sec de Guy Rochais'. His creation in fact earned him a penalty fine for non-compliance with the AOC body, hence he’s since renamed this dry white 'The insolent'. After 60 years at the helm of Château de Plaisance, the Rochais family have now sold the estate to a young winemaker, Vanessa Cherruau. Born and trained in Angers, she has learnt her winemaking skills both in France and abroad. Vanessa’s first visit to the terroirs of the Château de Plaisance was literally ‘love at first sight’ and in 2019 her very first vintage at Chateau de Plaisance was released!

Viticulture

This renowned sweet white wine appellation is from 100% Chenin Blanc grapes. Grown on the sun-soaked slopes along the Layon River where the soils are sand and puddingstone, the vines average age is 45 years old and the grapes benefit from noble rot (Botrytis cinerea), which concentrates their sugars and flavours.

Winemaking

Manual harvesting, sorting of botrytised grapes and fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Ageing for 7 months in stainless steel vats.

Tasting Note

Produced only in exceptional years, 100% sweet Chenin, a reflection of the incredible vintage, dried and candied fruits, honeycomb, honey and tea leaf.

Food Matching

Banana, apricot and verbena melt or a blue cheese from Avergne.