Domaine des Baumard Côteaux du Layon 2023

A genuinely lovely sweet wine from one of the Loire's most celebrated estates, and a beautiful introduction to what Chenin Blanc can achieve when left to its own delicious devices. The nose is all honey and ripe yellow stone fruit, with an almost tropical lift - mango, guava, pineapple - that gives it an unexpectedly exotic character for a wine from the northern Loire. On the palate, the sweetness is luscious and generous, but a bright, steely acidity keeps everything buoyant and alive. Serve well chilled alongside a fruit tart or a wedge of Roquefort.

Now one of the Loire’s most lauded producers, Florent Baumard has courted controversy by pursuing his own ideas and challenging the status quo. 

Domaine des Baumard is one of the Loire Valley’s benchmark estates, rooted in the heart of Anjou at Rochefort-sur-Loire. With family origins dating back to 1634, the domaine took on its modern form under Jean Baumard in the 1950s, whose scientific precision and vineyard acquisitions in Savennières and Quarts de Chaume helped elevate both appellations to global prominence. Florent Baumard has led the estate since the late 1980s, refining its style into one defined by clarity, balance and longevity. The focus is firmly on Chenin Blanc, expressed across dry Savennières and world-class sweet wines from Coteaux du Layon and Quarts de Chaume. Notably, the wines are made without oak, emphasising purity and terroir. Today, Baumard remains a reference point for both dry and sweet Loire wines, celebrated for their precision, ageing potential and quality.