Mai & Kenji's prized cuvée made with 100% Chenin over schist and sandstone from a site in Montbenault (close to their friend Richard Leroy) which is part of the Coteaux du Layon Faye d'Anjou appellation, although they choose to denominate as 'Vin de France'. Kenji explained that the soil here is very hard and compacted, and doesn't drain as well as the shallow soils of the sites for Faia. This results in very densely concentrated fruit, capable of producing powerful, structured wines such as this.
As a broad stroke one could describe Les Aussigouins as a more amped-up sister to Faia - the production is the same, it is the qualities in the raw materials that make it unique. The fruit is opluent and richly textured, with beautiful, long acidity that points to this being a wine built to go the distance. A gem in any cellar and a future classic in the waiting.
Mai & Kenji have made a name for themselves for producing rare and expressive wines from 4 hectares of vines they took on in Anjou after a journey that started at a Japanese winery Kenji was interning at, via Vancouver (Kenji's home and where he and Mai met) then to the Loire where they impulsively bought land and set about establishing themselves. Over a relatively short period of time they have begun to produce distinctive wines of great quality, although they themselves admit they are still learning to understand the potential of the land they work on.
