Domaine Patrick Baudouin - Les Coteaux d'Ardenay 2016

Patrick Baudouin worked a thousand different jobs before setting up shop as a bookseller in Paris. At age 40, he decided to return to the family estate, which was barely scraping by on one and a half hectares. His reading proved invaluable in rediscovering the essence of the great sweet wines of the Layon region, before beet sugar and the near-systematic practice of chaptalization began to smooth out these golden wines. As a purist, he chose the path of excellence, without compromise. When he started in 1990, he produced only sweet wines. Encouraged by François Raveneau, a renowned Chablis winemaker, he began producing dry white wines in 2001. With 14 hectares of vineyards (including 10 hectares of Chenin, with one hectare in Quarts de Chaume and 90 ares in Savennières), located on the most spectacular terroirs of the Anjou Noir (schist, sandstone, and volcanic rock) and cultivated organically, he crafts magnificent white wines alongside his trusted right-hand man, Christophe Durand (who joined in 2012). A model estate and a must-visit destination, it seeks to express the true identity of Chenin.

A red wine with good concentration, though it lacks structure on the palate. It benefits from being decanted. It’s a wine with a distinct character, as straight as an “i,” but unfortunately lacking in grace.

Patrick Baudouin, an energetic man in his sixties, fought to establish the production of natural sweet wines in Layon at the end of the 20th century. This former Parisian bookseller, who returned to the Anjou region of his ancestors in the early 1990s, has weathered many ups and downs. The arrival of a majority financial partner (Union Harmonie Mutuelles) enabled the estate to secure additional resources and achieve high quality standards. The hard work is paying off, and the wines have never been more accomplished, featuring fine reds but above all Anjou whites that showcase the diversity of the terroirs, and, among the sweet wines, an admirable Quarts-de-Chaume. More than ever, Patrick Baudoin plays an active role in promoting Anjou Chenin.