All about Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru
AOC Quarts de Chaume grand cru is a sweet wine, made from the Chenin Blanc grape variety, produced in the Layon valley in Anjou. Situated on chalky-clay slopes, this appellation is renowned for its rich, complex golden wines, with notes of candied fruit and honey.
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Key figures
Figures based on average harvests over the last 5 years
.30
Ha400
Hl53k
Bottles17
Producers
Origins
History
The AOC Quarts de Chaume grand cru, located in Rochefort-sur-Loire, produces sweet wines made from Chenin Blanc on 50 ha of schist soils.
Unique Grand Cru in France since 2011, it offers complex aromas of candied fruit and honey, with balanced acidity.
| XI | Les abbesses de l'Abbaye de Ronceray d'Angers | L'Abbaye du Ronceray (a women's abbey in Angers) became the owner of the Chaume vineyard in the commune of Rochefort-sur-Loire. The abbey takes its name from a bramble growing in the crypt, which tried to kiss a statue of the Virgin Mary. The Abbey had seven priories, including one in Saint-Lambert du Lattay, one of Anjou's most important wine-growing communes (Coteaux du Layon). |
| XV | A bargaining chip | The lords of La Guerche, tenants of the Chaume tenement, paid the nuns with " the best quarters of the harvest hanging on the reverse of the side facing south ". Their château (burnt down after the French Revolution, and of which only the ruins remain today) is located on the opposite bank of the Layon. Their winery is located at l'Echarderie, on the edge of the hamlet of Chaume. |
| XVII | Dutch brokers | These wines were much sought-after by Dutch brokers, who made the vineyards on the banks of the "Layon" their preferred place of supply |
| XX | Quality work | The appellation continues to make a name for itself, since it was the famous Pâtissier Gaston Lenôtre who was attracted to Bonnezeaux, to the point of acquiring a property in the appellation area. Another emblematic figure of this appellation was René Renou, former winemaker from Thouarcé who, when he was president of the INAO, propelled the appellation into the pantheon of France's great wines. |
| 1954 | Creation of the AOC | The Quarts de Chaume appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) was officially recognized in 1954. It was on this date that the decree establishing the appellation was published, marking the official recognition of this unique terroir for its exceptional wines. |
| 2011 | Obtainment of Grand Cru status | Quarts de Chaume becomes the first and only appellation in France to obtain "Grand Cru" status for its sweet wines. This decision underlines the excellence and uniqueness of this appellation. |
Presentation
The Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru appellation area is located on a small part of a single commune on the right bank of the Layon: Rochefort-sur- Loire.
The vines are located in the "tènement de chaume" parcel production area, notably the lieux dits "les quarts" "les rouères" and "le veau".
Soil and climate
The AOC Quarts de Chaume lies on slopes with schist soils and exceptional geological complexity (brioverian schist and pudding sandstone), offering excellent drainage capacity and a minerality that favors grape quality. This unique terroir, located on the right bank of the Layon river, benefits from an exceptional microclimate. The morning mists created by the proximity of the river, followed by sunny days, are ideal for the development of noble rot (Botrytis cinerea). This combination of soil and climate produces sweet wines of great richness and aromatic complexity.
Cultivation methods
The growing methods of the AOC Quarts de Chaume grand cru are specific to guarantee the quality of its sweet wines.
Yields are strictly limited (20 to 25 hl/ha) to maximize quality.
The winemakers practice hand-picking in successive selections to select grapes affected by noble rot (Botrytis cinerea), essential for sugar and aroma concentration.
In addition, particular attention is paid to soil management, often worked without herbicides, with environmentally-friendly practices to preserve biodiversity and the quality of the terroir.
Terroir and wines
Schist and sandstone terraces of the Armorican basement: shallow brown soils (outcropping parent rock) of Anjou noir.
Soils develop on pudding sandstones of the Carboniferous, but also on volcanic rock (spilite) and Ordovician schists.
The mesoclimate favors over-ripening and botrytization of the grapes.