Terroirs

Domaine des Huats perrays vigne anou val de loire layon

       We can recognize many terroirs on Chaudefonds sur Layon by multiple reliefs, sun expositions, schist subsoil and a large range of soils.

      Proximity of Layon and Loire river influence climate, which brings low precipitations and the famous mists of Loire Valley. The perfect conditions are there for the development of Botrytis cinerea (noble rot) necessary to the elaboration of Coteaux du Layon. Wine region history has shaped landscapes and selected the best blocs to produce a large range of wines.

       We can identify different types of terroir on the estate :

    • On the right bank of Layon river : On the “Corniche Angevine”, a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site
      This terroir dates from the Carboniferous period (-300 Millions years). The subsoil is made of sandy schists, gres, grey-blue puddingstone and green schists degradations. On the surface, we find a clay-sand shallow soil (50 cm), very rich in carbon (coal, “sillon houiller”), characterized by a black colored land.

    • On the left bank of Layon River :
      _ Degradation of sandy-schist rock dating from Silurian - Devorian (-350 Millions years) in subsoil. On the surface and in the deep horizon, the texture is sandy-clay with a 60-80 cm depth. We produce on these terroirs our parcel cuvees “Les Herrines” and “La Gargouille”.

      _ The more recent (Cretaceous period : - 70 Millions years) clay-gravel sands terroirs with deepest soils (1.2m) give us grapes, which are very favorable for Crémants and Rosés production.

      _ Grey schists degradation terroir dating from Ordovician – Devonian (-400 Millions years) made from clay-sand loams with lot of pebbles on the surface provides a high quality Coteaux du Layon.

      _ Our “Quartz Vieilles Vignes” cuvée is produced on the oldest of our terroirs (Cambrian : -400 Millions years), result of green to grey-black schist degradation, very rich in quartz. On the surface, soil is a stony clay-sand loam with a 60cm depth.

These terroirs are demanding, with slope, poor soils, but give wines with great volume, combining length and finesse. Vintage after vintage, we learn more and more about these so complex terroirs.