From legendary Loire producer Moulin Touchais, we’ve bought every single commercially available vintage, from 2013 (the most recent release) back to 1964. The provenance is perfect – all these wines have been lying in Moulin Touchais’ cellars since the fruit was harvested.
Established in 1787 in the Coteaux du Layon appellation of the Loire, Moulin Touchais may have the largest, most impressive back-vintage offering on earth. Their 15km-long underground cellars house roughly two million bottles of long-ageing, late-harvest Chenin Blanc – with some wines dating back to the 1850s. These late-harvested Chenins make for excellent milestone wines (think birthdays, anniversaries – any celebration really) and will be the beginning of your love affair with the Loire!
The grapes are picked at various stages for concentration and freshness, and the wines are aged for at least 10 years before release. This is because Joseph Touchais walled up his cellar to protect his most valuable wines during the WWII occupation, then discovered that the wines were improving with age.
Upon release, most of the production is sold in France, leaving very little for the rest of the world. The wines are pure and vibrant, whilst the sugar levels are only around 80g/l. As they mature, they tend to taste drier as the high acidity balances the richness and sweetness.
