Moulin Touchais Coteaux Du Layon 1996

The vineyards of Coteaux du Layon are situated along the banks of the River Layon in France's Loire valley. Here, some of the finest sweet wines of the world are produced exclusively from Chenin Blanc.

"They say that great vintages often come in pairs. This is the natural partner to the 1997, although not a botrytis vintage. One of the best value wines of all vintages commercially available.

Polished. Orange/bronze with some green hints to the rim. Broad and very open on the nose. Rich and concentrated.There is a hint of honeycomb on the nose and palate and shows real complexity. Very pure and clean on entry with a lovely fresh acid-sweetness balance. The wine builds nicely through to a persistent finish, with notes of old Cognac and a toasty, almost oak/vanilla like profile. This is drinking well now but continues to improve." - Richard Kelley, MW

Moulin Touchais traces its roots back to 1787, sharing a long, illustrious history that accounts for the estate's breath-taking collection of historic vintages. Speak to other merchants who remember the wines from old and they were viewed with a degree of suspicion. How was it that ‘unlimited’ amounts of pristine-looking stock could be so readily available?  The answer is innocently apparent, since each bottle is labelled to order and old vintages are checked and reconditioned (topped up with the same vintage and given a new cork) before they are despatched. The cellars here must contain one of the largest and oldest collections of any winery anywhere in the world, with the miles of underground cellars containing close to two million bottles at any one time, including a rare collection of ancient wines; the oldest dating back to the mid to late 19^th century.

This wine has been shipped directly from the estate's cellars, ensuring perfect provenance.