Quarts de Chaume AC [kahr duh SHOHM]

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APPELLATION that encompasses the village of Chaume in the ANJOU area of France’s LOIRE region. As the story goes, its name stems from the fact that a former landowner required a quarter (quart) of the vintage be turned over to him as a form of payment. The climate in this area is perfect for CHENIN BLANC grapes to ripen to their fullest. The environment also creates the conditions necessary to attract the desirable mold BOTRYTIS CINEREA, which shrivels the grapes and concentrates the flavors and sugar. The YIELDS from the Quarts de Chaume AC vineyards are some of the lowest in France, and the crop is harvested several times so that individual grapes are picked at their ripest. The combination of climate and low yields produces RICH, HONEYED, golden wines that, thanks to the Chenin Blanc grape’s good ACIDS, can AGE for 30 to 40 years or more. These wines are generally at their best after 10 years of bottle aging.