The Domaine des Baumard Coteaux du Layon Clos St Catherine 2014 is a sweet Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley that leans on brightness rather than sheer weight of sugar. Grown on a single north-facing site just outside Rochefort-sur-Loire, it carries more lift and tension than the richer Layon wines made on southern slopes.

Quince paste, dried apricot and candied citrus peel lead the aromatics, with beeswax, chamomile and a touch of ginger sitting underneath. Time in bottle has drawn out honeyed and lightly nutty characters, though the fruit still reads as fresh rather than baked.

Sweetness arrives early and then narrows, the 2014 vintage having delivered ripe Chenin with acidity intact after a warm, dry spring and an even flowering across Anjou. That acid line runs the length of the palate, keeping the texture silky instead of syrupy and leaving a long, saline-edged finish with mandarin and apple skin at the tail.

Serve it lightly chilled with a fruit tart, poached pears or a crème brûlée, though it works just as happily against blue cheese, aged comté or a terrine. Roast pork with apple is another honest match.

Drinking beautifully now and with the structure to hold well into the 2030s, this Coteaux du Layon will keep trading primary fruit for honey, toffee and dried herb as it goes.