Anjou AOC

According to the INAO specification, a vineyard has existed in Anjou continuously since the 1st century AD. It developed throughout the Middle Ages under the monasteries on the banks of the Loire and around Angers, and gained its renown from the 12th and 13th centuries. INAO notes that Henry II Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, who became King of England in 1154, made Anjou wines known at the royal tables of medieval Europe. From the 16th century, the arrival of Dutch brokers drove a major expansion of production, and in the 18th century the Layon river was canalised to ease transport. Per the INAO specification, the vineyard covered 45,000 hectares in 1881, and 10,000 hectares remained in 1893, after phylloxera. INAO states that Anjou was recognised among the first French wine appellations in 1936.

• Vineyard present in Anjou continuously since the 1st century AD (INAO specification)
• Henry II Plantagenet, King of England from 1154, made Anjou wines known at medieval royal tables (INAO)
• Layon river canalised in the 18th century to ease transport of the wine trade (INAO specification)
• Anjou first recognised by decree on 14 November 1936 for still white wines (INAO specification)

The INAO specification places the zone across two major geological units: the Precambrian and Palaeozoic basement of the Armorican Massif to the west, and the Mesozoic and Cenozoic rocks of the Paris Basin to the east. The western part, marked by schists, notably slate, is locally called 'Anjou noir'; the eastern part, marked by tuffeau chalk (Saumur), is called 'Anjou blanc'. Vines occupy mainly river slopes and a few plateaus, on soils INAO describes as generally poor, with a moderate water reserve. The climate is temperate oceanic with fairly small temperature differences, moderated by the Atlantic, the Loire and its tributaries, and the hillside sites. North-west to south-east relief shelters the vineyard from damp westerly winds, and a foehn effect from the higher Choletais and Mauges keeps annual rainfall around 585 millimetres, against nearly 800 millimetres in the Choletais, per INAO. In the Layon valley, autumn mists rising from the river allow noble rot in favourable vintages, Decanter's Beverley Blanning MW wrote in April 2024.

• Two geological units: Armorican Massif to the west, Paris Basin to the east (INAO specification)
• 'Anjou noir': schists, notably slate, in the west; 'Anjou blanc': tuffeau chalk in the east (INAO)
• Temperate oceanic climate; around 585 mm annual rainfall against nearly 800 mm in the Choletais (INAO)
• Layon valley autumn mists allow noble rot in favourable vintages (Decanter, April 2024)

Under the INAO specification, still white Anjou comes from Chenin B (also called pineau de la Loire) as principal variety, with Chardonnay B and Sauvignon B as accessory varieties capped at 20% of plantings. Still red Anjou comes from Cabernet Franc N and Cabernet-Sauvignon N, with Grolleau N (up to 20%) and Pineau d'Aunis N (up to 10%) as accessory varieties. Anjou followed by the indication 'gamay' is a still red from Gamay N. Sparkling white Anjou has Chenin B as principal variety, and sparkling rosé draws on Cabernet Franc N, Cabernet-Sauvignon N, Gamay N, Grolleau N, Grolleau Gris G and Pineau d'Aunis N. The same specification governs the rosé appellations Cabernet d'Anjou, from Cabernet Franc N and Cabernet-Sauvignon N, and Rosé d'Anjou. INAO notes that the white wine is generally dry but can carry fermentable sugars and be described as 'demi-sec', 'moelleux' or 'doux'. Decanter (April 2024) reports that Chenin Blanc still remains in a minority in Anjou, and that dry Chenin is leading a renaissance.

• Whites: Chenin B principal; Chardonnay B and Sauvignon B accessory, up to 20% (INAO specification)
• Reds: Cabernet Franc N and Cabernet-Sauvignon N principal; Grolleau N up to 20%, Pineau d'Aunis N up to 10% (INAO)
• Sparkling Anjou is made in white and rosé (INAO specification)
• Cabernet d'Anjou and Rosé d'Anjou share the Anjou specification (INAO)

Decanter's Beverley Blanning MW calls Anjou a 'catch-all appellation' (April 2024). Anjou Villages, a red wine from Cabernet Franc N and Cabernet-Sauvignon N, was recognised on 14 November 1991 and carries a yield of 55 hectolitres per hectare, per its INAO specification; its wines are aged at least until 15 June of the year after the harvest. Anjou Villages Brissac comes from 7 communes about 15 kilometres south-east of Angers; INAO states that the Brissac name was added in 1998 for wines given extended ageing. Anjou-Coteaux de la Loire, a white wine from overripe grapes with a required minimum of residual sugar, obtained its appellation in 1946, according to INAO. InterLoire lists the appellations of the Anjou-Saumur vineyards, including Savennières, Coteaux du Layon, Coteaux de l'Aubance, Bonnezeaux, Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru and Coulée de Serrant, and notes that Crémant de Loire is produced in Anjou-Saumur and Touraine.

• Anjou Villages recognised on 14 November 1991; yield 55 hl/ha (INAO specification)
• Brissac name added to Anjou Villages in 1998 for wines given extended ageing (INAO)
• Anjou-Coteaux de la Loire, a white from overripe grapes, obtained its appellation in 1946 (INAO)
• Anjou-Saumur appellations include Savennières, Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru (InterLoire)

Decanter's Beverley Blanning MW wrote in April 2024 that Anjou is known more for its inexpensive semi-sweet rosés, and that many of the dry Chenins emerging from the Anjou appellation in recent years come from the valley of the Layon. Because these wines are not sweet, she notes, they cannot be labelled with the names of the sweet appellations. She named Château de Plaisance and Domaine Belargus as newcomers, and fifth-generation winemaker Emmanuel Ogereau among the longer-established Layon valley producers, in a shift toward dry wines. The same article notes that Antoine Pouponneau of Grange Saint-Sauveur produces his Anjou wines under the Vin de France label.

• Layon valley growers are turning from sweet to dry Chenin (Decanter, April 2024)
• Dry wines from these sites cannot carry the sweet appellation names (Decanter)
• Château de Plaisance and Domaine Belargus named as newcomers (Decanter, April 2024)
• Emmanuel Ogereau named among longer-established Layon valley producers (Decanter)

Primary sources (INAO and InterLoire): https://www.inao.gouv.fr/produit/anjou-blanc-24317, https://extranet.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/2-CDC-Anjou-PNO.pdf, https://www.inao.gouv.fr/produit/anjou-villages-23129, https://extranet.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/2.2-PNO--CDC-Anjou-Villages-modifié.pdf, https://www.inao.gouv.fr/produit/anjou-brissac-16967, https://www.inao.gouv.fr/produit/anjou-coteaux-de-la-loire-23130, https://www.vinsdeloire.fr/en/loire-wines/anjou, https://www.vinsdeloire.fr/en/loire-wines/anjou-villages, https://www.vinsdeloire.fr/sites/interloire/files/2024-10/vins-de-loire-livret-pro-210x210-fr-version-num-2.pdf. Secondary source: https://www.decanter.com/premium/anjou-chenin-blanc-a-long-awaited-renaissance-and-20-wines-rated-523826/. Last verified 2026-09-24