Domaine des Forges, 2019 Update
In a little hamlet named Les Barres, just up the road from Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné, one of the half-dozen communes dotted along the course of the Layon which are eligible for the Coteaux du Layon appellation, are two unsung domaines that I have been following for as long as I can remember. One is Château de la Genaiserie, a source of classically styled Coteaux du Layon (as well as, in the typical Anjou manner, a gamut of other wine styles). The other is Domaine des Forges.
I think I have already written about the house style at Domaine des Forges, but in essence it is this; on the one hand we have sweet wines of stunning purity and value, classically styled blends of minerality, acidity, sweetness of fruit and bitter texture, not to mention surprisingly good reds, which I didn’t really get to grips with until a year or two ago (discouraged by a local courtier, they never used to show the reds to UK journalists, a mistake in my opinion). On the other hand, most of the dry whites tend towards a less inspiring combination of oak and weight, bolstered by malolactic fermentation in several of the cuvées (the notable exception being the Savennières Roche-aux-Moines). It is therefore a portfolio of wines which requires consideration, but time spent picking your way through it can be time well rewarded.
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