Moulin-Touchais Coteaux du Layon 1985

95 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "You don’t come across many Coteaux du Layons with this much age and this much confidence;this has a really admirable character on the nose, with lots of golden fruits, grilled oranges and apricots on toast, but more significantly it is also carrying little notes of grilled grape pip and black tea, which Philippe Foreau (up in Vouvray) associates with deep-seated botrytis infection, along with a touch of liquorice and truffle. It has wonderful harmony on the palate, a mélange of confit apricot and orange, black tea leaves, toast and caramelised nuts, all underpinned by a vibrant acidity and energy. There is a lot of botrytis impact here, but also a very fine development, framed by wonderfully charged acidity, leading into a long, cleansed, peppery, black-tea finish. This is very good indeed, and to my surprise this bottle edges alongside the 1996 and the 1997 vintages. Excellent. (Feb 2018)"

94+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The 1985 Moulin Touchais is drinking brilliantly and has now reached its apogee of peak performance. The superb bouquet jumps from the glass in a blaze of honeyed apples, apricot, chalk, a touch of new leather, oranges and yellow plums. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep, complex and brilliantly focused, with great acids, outstanding focus and a very, very long, racy and honeyed finish. Just the essence of late harvest chenin blanc in the clay and chalky soils of the Coteaux du Layon. The 1985 Moulin Touchais is at its zenith, but clearly still has many decades of great drinking ahead of it and may yet improve with further bottle age! 2009-2060+. (Sep/Oct 2009)"

94 points Rebecca Gibb, MW (Vinous): "Hailing from a warm vintage that was one of the best in what would otherwise have been a fairly ordinary decade, the 1985 Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon is starting to take on a deep golden appearance, commencing to amber. It offers a gorgeous, suave texture and a very complex nose that's a touch oxidative but that adds a layer of additional intrigue: it's all nuts, raisins, walnuts, olives, warm pastry, cinnamon, cooked orange peel. It's round and sweet (95g/L) but not unctuous with richness on the mid-palate while retaining enough acidity to refresh the mouth on the long finish. A wine that is very comfortable in its own skin, providing a very relaxing experience. Drink: 2021-2035. (Apr 2021)"

94 points Wine Enthusiast: "[$72 list] This amazing wine, gold in color, is one of the treasures that appear from time to time from the underground cellars of this great producer. It is old, but its sweetness has not been impaired by age. Rather the sweetness has become intense richness and intense acidity. The wine, full and opulent, is, of course, ready to drink. Alcohol 13.5%. (Dec 2017)"

On the banks of the river Layon in the beautiful Loire valley exists one of the world's largest and oldest single wine stocks. Miles of underground cellars contain wines dating back to the 1800's. These are the sweet Chenin Blanc wines of Moulin Touchais, one of the Loire Valley's most legendary estates. Their vineyards are amongst the most famous in the Anjou area, lying in the heart of the Coteaux du Layon region. Like Huët, these wines are among the most ageworthy on the planet. In fact, Moulin Touchais is the only winery in the world we know of who gives a CENTURY LONG GUARANTEE ON THE LONGEVITY OF THEIR WINES.

These are by definition sweet wines, though not in the classical sense. Over time, the residual sugar melds with the acidity and fruit, leaving the impression they are much less sweet than they actually are. They are wines of great versatility, perfect harmony and among the great hidden gems of the wine world.

Unfortunately, the wines are seldom seen on the market. For one, the wine is only produced in great vintages. Secondly, they aren't released until at least ten years after date of harvest. When they are, the vast majority is quickly snatched up by locals, leaving very little for consumers here in the US. Wines of this quality, age and provenance simply don't exist in today's market, so we encourage you to take advantage of this unique buying opportunity while you can.