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Response to these was amazing! So much so that we cleaned the distributor out of two of them. But there is more coming, and he has given us one last chance to speak for them. Vouvray producer Domaine Huet is widely considered the benchmark for Chenin Blanc, and one of the world’s greatest white wine producers. And yet, remarkably, their prices are ridiculous! For more info, check out the importer’s website - Domaine Huet Vouvray - Rare Wine Co. Alrighty… this is a long email… so let me divide it into sections. You can skip or scroll to where you want to dive in… Oh, and reply to order. Are these wines Dry? Sweet? Let’s first touch on the issue of “dryness” in a wine. And answer the question up front, “Are these sweet wines?” Answer: NO!
A “dry” wine is defined as one having less than 10 grams per liter (g/l) of residual sugar.
Vouvray uses a system that classifies wines as “sec”, “demi-sec”, “moelleux” and “doux”. It’s remarkably out of touch with modern times though, as consumers tend to gravitate towards “sec” since it translates to “dry” in language. “Demi-sec” is often ignored because people think the “semi-dry” translation means the wines are sweet.
In reality, most “demi-sec” Vouvray falls under the 10 g/l technical definition of dry.
But really, when you and I are talking about the “dryness” of a wine, we are referencing the perception of dryness. Rather than the technical measurement of sugar, our language focuses on how a wine tastes – the combination of actual residual sugar and how it is offset by acidity (predominantly), as well as tannins. Brut Champagne, for example, can have as much as 12 g/l of residual sugar. And yet, “Brut” Champagne is most people’s reference mark for a “dry” wine, because the acidity is so high the wine actually NEEDS some sugar to make it palatable.
Same goes for Chenin Blanc. Naturally sky-high in acidity, the grape begs for some residual sugar to balance. In fact, a great vintage in Vouvray is one where there is little to no “sec” wine produced! Because the wines NEED some sugar that comes from ripeness. They may have some residual sugar in them, but they do not "taste" sweet. Make sense?
And 2020? 2020 is not just a great vintage.. it is legendary! The earliest harvested vintage since 1556!
And the great Domaine Huet? Instead of three Sec wines, the domaine only bottled one! So today, we will focus on the Demi-Sec wines…
Huet’s Three Vineyards and their characteristics
From the importer, Rare Wine Company, comes this excellent breakdown of the vineyards from which Huet produces their wines.
“At their discretion, the estate produces Sec, Demi-Sec, Moelleux, or Moelleux 1ère Trie (“first selection”) from any of the three principal vineyards.
Le Haut-Lieu—The original Huet vineyard is nearly 9 hA. It has the richest soils of the domaine’s three crus—a deep limestone-clay—and the wines are generally the estate’s most approachable. In some vintages, small quantities from nearby estate parcels may be added to Le Haut-Lieu.
Le Mont—For many insiders, the argument over Vouvray’s greatest vineyard comes down to two sites: Le Mont and Clos du Bourg. Undisputedly a grand cru vineyard, Le Mont enjoys a choice site on the Première Côte. With less clay and more stone than Le Haut-Lieu, Le Mont yields young wines of intense minerality. With age, the wines develop great length and finesse.
Clos du Bourg—Gaston Huet believed this to be the greatest of all Vouvray vineyards. With the Première Côte’s shallowest, stoniest soils, its wines often synthesize Le Mont’s intense minerality with Le Haut-Lieu’s generous texture.”
The Wines – VERY LIMITED
In the same order as above then…
Domaine Huet Vouvray Demi-Sec le Haut-Lieu 2020 Sale $39.99 96 pts Wine Spectator / 95-96 pts Wine Advocate / 95 pts Vinous - "This broad, striking white is elegant and rich with complexity, featuring green melon, yellow fig, ginger and verbena notes, underscored with heather, stone, flint and spice details. Offers great energy and tension, showcasing expert craftsmanship. Drink now through 2036" WS
- “The 2020 Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Demi-Sec is clear, pure, subtle, deep and fresh, with highly refined chalky/sandy lemon aromas. Rich and intense yet silky textured and refined on the concentrated palate, this is a juicy, highly elegant, perfectly balanced, persistently salty and mouth-salivating Haut-Lieu with very fine tannins and a long, firm and pretty powerful but elegant and complex finish. Still more stringent than the Le Mont Demi-Sec in the beginning, but after aeration, this is not just a greatly finessed Chenin but one of the finest Haut-Lieu's I have tasted from Huet.” WA
- “The 2020 Le Haut Lieu Demi-Sec is made in a perfumed, floral style, offering aromas of pear, orange citrus, white flowers and agave nectar. There's a sense of effortlessness about this wine, like floating along on a cloud of Chenin Blanc with nowhere to be in any hurry. And yet there's a real tension and poise on the finish. While it's demi-sec, the pH is a low 3.16 and provides a line of acidity that anchors the wine, leaving a just off-dry impression on the precise finish. A very complete wine, in its diapers yet massively drinkable already (Haut-Lieu tends to be the domaine's earliest vineyard to get into its stride), although Domaine Huet fans will know this has an assured future.” VN
(Super Limited - Just 25 bottles remain) Domaine Huet Vouvray Demi-Sec le Mont 2020 Sale $45.99 95-96 pts Wine Advocate / 95 pts Wine Spectator / 94 pts Vinous - “Pure, fresh and limey on the deep yet bright and precisely flinty-chalky nose, the 2020 Vouvray Le Mont Demi-Sec is a Chenin full of crunchy energy and charm, thanks to its concentrated but round and lush fruit. This full-bodied wine is intense, tight and long but also finessed and vibrantly fresh on the finish, which reveals this crunchy flint stone structure and tension that guarantees an ability to age for decades, though the wine is already dangerously stimulating today.” WA
- "This refined white shows lovely purity, with persimmon, coriander, yellow apple and creamed peach notes, backed by vivid acidity. Elements of flint, marzipan and honeysuckle unwind on the long, alluring finish. A striking Chenin Blanc. Drink now through 2036." WS
- “Having tasted this as an unfinished sample and now in bottle, I can state that the 2020 Le Mont Demi-Sec remains pure, refined and easy to appreciate. The 14% alcohol seems a tad warmer than before bottling, which just takes the edge off. Sweet apple fruit and almond croissant speak of some old oak and lees. There is excellent weight, concentration and impeccable balance between the residual sugar and the acid making for a clean, pure, mouthwatering finish.” VN
Domaine Huet Vouvray Demi-Sec Clos du Bourg 2020 Sale $44.99 97 pts Vinous / 95-96 pts Wine Advocate/ 93 pts Wine Spectator - “Drinking the 2020 Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec is like taking your shoes off at the end of a long day of walking and soaking them in warm water: there's just satisfaction and relaxation. The 2020 has a sense of volume but not weight, filling the mouth with depths of pure fruit before the acid pours forth like a canal lock being opened. You can expect a hint of spice and crème caramel alongside apple and florals. I am utterly seduced.” VN
- “The 2020 Vouvray Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec is concentrated, deep and still somewhat untamed on the clear, fresh and lemon-fruity yet darker-toned nose compared to the Haut-Lieu. Round and refined yet still with a pretty firm tannin structure, this is a rich and powerful yet elegant and persistently salty Chenin with tension, grip and a sustainable, highly promising finish. The 2020 Clos du Bourg pairs juiciness with finesse and purity with complexity.” WA
- "This alluring white imparts both elegance and drive, with ginger, quince and marzipan notes edged with heather, mineral and peach accents. Lovely, with good tension. Drink now through 2033." WS
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