Moulin Touchais - Coteaux du Layon 1994

Add to Wish List

Decadent honeyed sweetness accompanies bright, green apple acidity in this elegantly balanced late-harvest Chenin Blanc. Possessed of compelling richness and texture, the wines of Moulin Touchais are all the more pure for their lack of botrytis.

Moulin Touchais Description

The adage, “a wine gets better with age,” never rang more true than for the wines of Moulin Touchais. Regarded as the most extraordinary of the Loire’s Coteaux du Layons, the vins moelleux from this historic estate are said to age well for 50 to 100 years. Jean-Marie Touchais is the eighth generation of his family to direct Moulin Touchais since 1787, working 150 hectares of vines—only 25% of which are devoted to AOC Coteaux du Layon. In the same tradition as Quarts de Chaume and Bonnezeaux, the other sweet Chenin Blanc-based appellations of the Loire Valley, the microclimate of the the Coteaux du Layon’s south-facing, schistous slopes are known to cause botrytis. Unlike the majority of its neighbors, however, the vineyards at Moulin Touchais are less subject to noble rot, yet enjoy a superb sweetness and freshness that sets them apart. The secret to the longevity of the wines is their unique picking schedule, stainless steel vinifications, and early bottlings. The grapes are picked in two waves: one small harvest 80 days after flowering and the second at 120 days. The grapes from the early harvest provide massive acidity and structure which is then blended with the bulk of the harvest that is picked at optimum ripeness for late-harvest Chenin. The grapes are pressed gently by pneumatic press and then are allowed to settle and clarify before undergoing fermentation in stainless steel. The residual sugar levels of the finished wines average 8.5% per liter and are generally bottled in April following the harvest. The bottles then age in their pristine cellars for ten years before release. The Touchais family is known for their tremendous library of old vintages, said to house over one million bottles.

Vinous: 92 Points

The 1994 Coteau du Layon offers an intriguing range of sweet tobacco, dried flowers, candied orange peel and earthy notes. Time in bottle has given the 1994 notable complexity, but it also retains a palpable sense of firmness that differentiates it from the lusher 1997 taste alongside it. Even though the 1994 has the depth and character of a 25 year-old Coteaux du Layon, it also has the sense of reserve that I find intriguing. It’s the sort of wine that demands the attention of the taster. The 1994 is a touch rustic, and yet immensely pleasing. Drink: 2020-2025. (Oct 2020)

Wine Spectator: 91 Points

Time has added a dry, taut edge to the core of mango, white peach and papaya flavors, with extra chamomile and honeysuckle nuances filling in liberally on the finish. Lovely green tea and white ginger echoes as well. Impressive for this rather modest vintage... 150 cases imported. (11/30/16)