Coteaux du Layon, Les Rouannières, Château Pierre-Bise
Les Rouannières, perhaps the finest, firmest, slowest-to-evolve and longest-lasting of all Papin’s moelleux, is from very meagre, superficial soil whose base is the volcanic rock spilite. The soil is so superficial it cannot be plowed: it would erode and disappear. So instead, the Papins plant grass, which serves to keep the soil from eroding, competes with the vine thus keeping yields low and provoking the vine to send its roots down into the bedrock, and, when it is turned, mulches the soil with organic matter. The effect of proximity to the Layon, the elevation and exposure to the wind, and the extremely meagre soil which dries up very quickly in the fall, is to produce very powerful, firm moelleux. This is in principle the Domaine’s single best site. Aged in vat only.
This shows the classic minerality of this vineyard with rich, honeyed aromas of candied orange peel. Very rich, though it maintains zesty acidity, this will drink well tonight with cheese or age for decades.