Pierre-Yves Tijou and his sons offer a wide array of wines – and from numerous vintages simultaneously – including many user-friendly and well-priced examples of both dry and sweet Chenin. Soucherie beat the vintage odds with a 2003 Coteaux du Layon Chaume that displays true botrytis character in its nose of honey, strawberry preserves, and mint candy. In the mouth, this wine is positively buttery in texture, yet not at all heavy, evincing heady floral and berry essences and creme brulee character, but no heaviness. It comes into its own in a finish of superb length, lift, and clarity, staining the palate with quince preserves, mint, black tea, and toasted nuts. This also demonstrates the degree to which these wines need time. The 2004 and 2005 will probably ultimately be better. The Tijous like to point out (and in this I am reminded of Willi Schaefer on the Mosel) that when it comes to triage, discretion is sometimes the better part of valor: too selective a picking in a vintage like this would have left no juicy freshness.Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990