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Sweet sweet
This is an exceptional collector’s Coteaux du Layon wine, showcasing the complexity and elegance that more than four decades of ageing can bring. The name Moulin Touchais is synonymous with long-lived sweet ‘Chenin Blanc’ wines, and the 1979 vintage offers a rare opportunity to experience how this style evolves over time. This is no longer a wine defined by youthful fruit; rather, it is an expression of maturity, subtlety, and harmony, where each layer of aroma and flavour tells its own story.
The bouquet reveals aromas of dried apricot, quince paste, orange marmalade, and chestnut honey. Extended ageing has brought forward notes of beeswax, dried flowers, toasted almonds, caramelised citrus peel, tobacco leaf, and delicate oriental spices. On the palate, the wine is remarkably smooth, silky in texture, and beautifully harmonious. Flavours of dried fruits, honey, candied citrus peel, and nuts are intertwined with vibrant acidity, which preserves balance and lends energy even after more than forty years of ageing. The finish is long, profound, and elegantly mineral.
The wine is produced from hand-harvested ‘Chenin Blanc’ grapes picked in several passes through the vineyard to capture different stages of ripeness while preserving natural acidity. Moulin Touchais traditionally combines earlier and later harvests, creating an exceptional balance between concentration and freshness. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks, after which the wine is aged for many years in the estate’s cellars before release. This patient ageing philosophy is one of the defining characteristics of Moulin Touchais.
Today, the 1979 vintage has reached a rare stage of maturity, where the primary fruit aromas have evolved into a complex tapestry of tertiary flavours and textures. Despite its venerable age, the wine retains the structure, vitality, and balance for which the greatest Coteaux du Layon wines are celebrated worldwide. It is a wine for collectors and lovers of mature sweet wines seeking an authentic, time-honoured experience.
Best served at 11–13°C. An excellent match for foie gras, blue cheeses, nut-based desserts, tarte tatin, and aged hard cheeses.
Moulin Touchais – A Legend of Coteaux du Layon and Master of Chenin Blanc
Moulin Touchais is one of the oldest and most respected wineries in the Loire Valley. The estate was founded in 1787 in Doué-la-Fontaine, in the Anjou region, and has been owned by the Touchais family for more than eight generations. It is a true example of tradition and longevity. The winery is renowned for its exceptionally long-aged sweet Coteaux du Layon wines made from Chenin Blanc grapes.
Moulin Touchais wines are aged for a minimum of 10 years in underground cellars before being released to the market, while the best vintages can age gracefully for 30–50+ years. This philosophy allows the wines to achieve remarkable harmony, complexity, and incredible freshness even after several decades.
Terroir and Vineyards
The vineyards are situated on the best slopes of Coteaux du Layon (in Tigné, Martigné-Briand, and Maligné areas) on clay-limestone soils. The autumn microclimate, with morning mist and sunny afternoons, creates ideal conditions for the development of noble rot (Botrytis cinerea). The winery works exclusively with selected plots and follows sustainable viticulture practices.
Winemaking Style
Moulin Touchais produces classic, elegant, and extremely long-ageing sweet Chenin Blanc wines. They are distinguished by a perfect balance between acidity and sweetness, along with rich notes of dried fruits, honey, nuts, and minerality. These wines pair beautifully not only with desserts but also with foie gras, blue cheeses, or as a meditative wine.
It is one of the few wineries in the world able to offer such an extensive collection of old vintages, perfectly illustrating the legendary longevity of Chenin Blanc and the greatness of Loire Valley terroir.
