Coteaux du Layon

The best vineyards are generally located on the north bank of the Layon, where they enjoy a good sun exposure on roughly south-facing slopes.

[1] The wines of Coteaux du Layon are all made from Chenin blanc, locally often called Pineau de la Loire.

However, it has been claimed that since the late 1990s, fewer producers try to get the sweetness of their wines up to the very extreme levels sought by many "sugar hunters" during the 1990s.

[1] The village of Chaume is situated in the western part of the Coteaux du Layon area in the commune of Rochefort-sur-Loire.

Therefore, the decision was protested by some other Loire producers, and in 2005 the Conseil d'État annulled INAO's rules for the new appellation,[3] temporarily returning Chaume to its pre-2003 status.

[8] The AOC of Bonnezeaux is located in the eastern part of the Coteaux du Layon area, and has about 110 hectares (270 acres) of vineyards.

In comparison to sweet Vouvray, Coteaux du Layon wines tend to be more full-bodied, often sweeter, and slightly lower in acidity.