被遺忘的甜蜜
在云云的甜酒中，波爾多的秀丹，德國的超甜和冰酒，匈牙利的托卡兒，甚至是義大利弗留利瀕臨絕種的碧歌列，漸漸遠離新一代飲家的青睞，可能是由於酒體豐滿得有點兒膩，然而在舊大陸中，卻有一個身段稍為苗條卻又玲瓏的大美人被遺忘了：盧瓦河區的Coteaux du Layon。
年少時盧瓦河區的白詩南不論甜與乾都曾經一度流行過，對於我嫩齡的味蕾來說也不大吸引。三年前有機會嚐過一瓶1975年乾性的Vourray，而酒卻依然青春活潑。我想沒有其他萄葡更能證明神奇的高酸度，可使萄葡酒高壽。Coteaux du Layon距離Anjou區很近，他們產的白詩南萄葡只釀甜酒，大年份可陳百餘年。
天娜酒窖有幸搜羅到一批直接莊出的Domaine Touchais Coteaux du Layon 1979，色澤金黃，蜜味層疊，有股橙果醬的味。
寫於二零一三年
Forgotten Sweetness
Among all popular sweet wines like Sauternes from Bordeaux, Trocken beer enauslese or Eisewine from Germany, Hungarian Tokaji, or the close to extinction Picolit from Friuli Italy, young generation drinkers tends to avoid them because of its unctuousness. There is a forgotten big beauty in the old world with slimmer but curvaceous figure, Coteaux du Layon from Loire.
When I was young, both sweet and dry Chenin Blanc from Loire was once quite popular among British drinkers. Their high acidity at young age was not appealing to my young taste buds. I happen to have a chance to taste a bottle of 1975 dry Vovuray 3 years ago and it was still very youthful and vibrant. No other wines than Chenin Blanc can demonstrate better the amazing longevity due to its good acidity. Coteaux Du Layon is a village very close to Anjou. Their Chenin Blanc is always made sweet. Cellar potential of great vintage Coteaux Du Layon can be a hundred year.
Tina Cellar is fortunate to have a small parcel of Domaine Touchais Coteaux Du Lyon Reserve 1979 Direct ex-domaine. Its colour is golden with complex honey flavour and taste like orange marmalade.
Written in 2013