Moulin Touchais, Coteaux du Layon 750ml 1985

Moulin Touchais, Est. 1787, may possibly have the largest collection of vintage wines in the world; holding 2 million bottles dating back to the mid-19th century. With 15kms of underground tunnels in the Coteaux du Layon, they keep each vintage for 10 years before release. These long-ageing late harvest Chenin Blancs from schistous soils really need 2 decades to show their best and, remarkably, are guaranteed a century of life.

Tasting notes:
'There is a very relaxed sweetness here, with some suggestions of honey on buttered toast, although it is the toast and butter that is more prominent than the honey, with suggestions of ginger and toasty nuts notes in tandem with this. There is a touch of apple spirit here too. I also find a little seam of high-toned volatility to it, hiding behind the other aromas. Great substance on the palate, rather fat and more ponderous than the 1986 and 1988 tasted alongside. This is a more corpulent wine, although with a nice smoky energy coming in. Some botrytis here, cut through with a fine energy towards the end. Very big and impressive. Another long ager here.' – Chris Kissack, Wine Doctor, 17/20

'Sweet honied peach and citrus notes, caramelised orange peel and honey. Palate is vibrant and fresh, quite tart and pure with green apple purée, quince and grapefruit confit. Lovely length and finesse and a slightly tighter finish.' – Greg Sherwood, 95/100

'The Moulin Touchais 1985 Coteaux du Layon smells alluringly of baked apple, apple jelly, pink pineapple, and heady flowers. Lusciously rich on the palate, yet not lacking cut or clarity, it carries honey, baked apple and grapefruit into a long, rich, if not rivetingly complex finish. Heaven knows I would be delighted for the opportunity to sip a glass of either of these in a restaurant, whether as aperitif, with foie gras, or in lieu of dessert.' – Wine advocate, 90/100

About the estate:
Situated within the confines of the Loire’s Coteaux du Layon appellation, Moulin Touchais guarantees its customers a century of longevity. However impractical this guarantee may be, Moulin Touchais is renowned for being one of the world’s longest lived and most well-priced wines. Picked at various stages of maturity, this is a Chenin Blanc made in a sweet, late-harvest style where noble rot doesn’t play a large role. It is released a decade from vintage in order to benefit from tertiary complexity, but still possesses wonderful freshness and purity. The sugar level is around 80g/litre, but as the wines mature they tend to taste drier and the high acidity creates wonderful balance. The older and especially the tougher vintages show some nutty, almost rancio characters that, as Richard Kelley puts it, are for ‘proper’ Chenin lovers only! The great vintages such as 1971 and 2002 have many decades of maturation ahead.