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Château La Varière Bonnezeaux 2015

This week I turn my attention to Bonnezeaux, one of the less commonly encountered sweet wines of the Loire Valley. Not quite as rare as last week’s Loire Valley Pinot Gris, but rare enough.

Bonnezeaux, situated on the banks of the Layon, has long been regarded as one of two crus within the Coteaux du Layon vineyards, the other being Quarts de Chaume. Despite being the older of the two appellations, Bonnezeaux having been signed off in 1951, three years before Quarts de Chaume (which was ratified in 1954 – I thought I would help you out with the maths) it is fair to say Bonnezeaux now lives in the shadows cast by its more renowned neighbour. This was exacerbated in 2011 when Quarts de Chaume was officially elevated to grand cru status, cementing this appellation’s position at the head of the Coteaux du Layon hierarchy.

Bonnezeaux, meanwhile, has continued on in near-obscurity, the Andrew Ridgeley of the Coteaux du Layon world, resigned to watching from afar as Quarts de Chaume ascended to George Michael levels of superstardom. Although I suppose this Wham! themed analogy only goes so far. After all, Bonnezeaux has never witnessed the arrest of the Quarts de Chaume appellation for ‘performing a lewd act’ in a Los Angeles public toilet, before going on to make a music video about it, and then get sued for $10 million dollars by the arresting police officer for mental distress.

Unless I missed those headlines in Drinks Business, that is. I mean, you never know….

The history of the Bonnezeaux appellation (back to wine – phew!) is dominated by one property, Château de Fesles, and the Boivin family, in particular the father and son team of Jean and Jacques Boivin. Given that the estate incorporates 20% of the appellation’s land, this is hardly surprising. The name remains significant today, even though the property has changed hands three times following the end of the Boivin family’s tenure in 1991.

Château La Varière Bonnezeaux 2015

Another leading property which has also changed hands in recent years is Château La Varière. Situated just outside Brissac-Quincé, this historic property dates to at least the 13th century, and from 1970 was run by Jacques and Anne Beaujeu. Their vineyards were extensive, and the range of wines unparalleled; every Anjou colour and style was available, although most noteworthy were the dry reds made under the Anjou Villages Brissac appellation which naturally featured Cabernet Sauvignon alongside or in place of Cabernet Franc (not unusual around Brissac-Quincé), and the sweet wines, from every appellation you can name, from Coteaux de l’Aubance right up to several cuvées of Quarts de Chaume.

And Bonnezeaux too, of course.

Sadly like the Boivins the Beaujeaus also sold up, as while their daughter was interested in a life in wine she didn’t want to take on the running of their huge 160-hectare domaine. She left to work in Champagne instead, and in 2015 the Beaujeau vineyards – which included the aforementioned Château La Varière as well as Domaine de la Perruche in Saumur – were acquired by the négociant house Ackerman. The wine featured here is therefore the first from the Ackerman era although as Jacques Beaujeau stayed on at the property – for a while, at least – I doubt much had changed.

The 2015 Bonnezeaux from Château La Varière, poured from a 500 ml bottle, presents a suitably rich and golden hue in the glass. At almost nine years of age it displays an attractively polished aromatic profile, rich with praline and toasted nuts, but lifted by brighter scents of preserved orange and lemon curd. I sense some botrytis here, and this comes across on the palate which swirls opulent veins of apricot, orange marmalade and toasted nuts with the freshness of lime and lemon curd, supported by a great phenolic grip and an attractive thread of acidity for balance. The botrytis comes through in the depth of texture but also a mouth-watering bitterness which adds a fine contrast to the sweetness in the midpalate and finish. It misses the mineral vein that I really like to see in the top sweet wines of the Loire (and this, rather than achieving prodigious levels of residual sugar, is perhaps Bonnezeaux’s secret weapon) but there is much to admire here. And it has plenty of life in it yet; this could easily be tucked away and drunk any time over the next few decades. The alcohol declared on the label is 11.5%. 93/100 (27/5/24)

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