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. Tijou’s 2005 Coteaux du Layon Chaume will in fact be labeled merely as “Appellation Chaume” because of a short-lived elevation of this site to a self-standing appellation. (It will in subsequent vintages revert to “Coteaux du Layon Chaume 1er Cru.”) An effusively ripe and unusual nose of strawberry, mint candy, and banana is followed by a candied, surprisingly refined, polished palate. There is smoke, spice, and a hint of caramel from the wine’s brush with late botrytis, but the finish retains primary juiciness and elegance. The Tijou’s compare this to a blend of 1989’s desiccated-berry concentration and 1990’s botrytis. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990