What if we told you that Anjou is connected to four English rulers during the Angevin/Plantagenet era of the Middle Ages? We're talking about three kings and a queen: Henry II, Richard the Lionheart, John, and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Well, Anjou's Chenin Blanc tradition predates all of them by a few hundred years. Although Anjou makes some charming red wines, primarily with Cabernet Franc, the true star is Chenin in the form of legendarily unctuous Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux, Quarts de Chaume, as well as intense Savennières, and often bone-dry Anjou Blanc. The sweet wines are woefully underappreciated and gradually disappearing, so start with drier Chenin and work your way up some of the world's finest late-harvest wines, rivaling Sauternes and German Auslese. If you love the full spectrum of Riesling, then Chenin is your other go-to grape.
