Domaine des Forges Coteaux du Layon Saint Aubin 2023

Located in the commune of St Aubin de Luigne to the south of Angers in the western Loire Valley, the vineyards are situated on schist and carboniferous soils that mark some of the finest parcels of the region. The schist retains heat, encouraging ripening in this cool northern climate. The vines have an average age of 40 years, and the yields seldom rise above 25 hectolitres per hectare, resulting in grapes with concentrated juice and full of flavour. The vineyard is sustainably cultivated; the vineyards are grassed between the rows, with manual green harvesting and summer thinning to ensure the grapes are exposed to the sunshine to ensure ripening. The hand harvest is picked in triages to select only the ripest and highest quality fruit at the beginning of the onset of noble rot: botrytis cinerea. The misty mornings combined with dry, sunny days create the perfect conditions for noble rot, which consumes the water from the grapes, leaving a rich concentration of sugar, flavour, and acidity in the berries.