Domaine Huet : Le Mont Sec 2017

An Age-Worthy, Biodynamic Vouvray with a Flinty Minerality

Domaine Huet was established in 1928 by Victor Huet in the Vouvray appellation of the Loire region. The estate has since then been extended to include 30 hectares, and is today run by Victor's son Gaston. Huet's vineyard is divided into three plots, each with its own unique micro-terroir: Mont, Haut-Lieu and Clos du Bourg. A pioneer of biodynamic vine cultivation in the Loire Valley, all three Domaine Huet vineyards are managed in a way that respects the natural rhythm of the planets. The wines of Domaine Huet are made with Chenin Blanc, the flagship grape variety of Vouvray. These wines are characterized by a remarkable subtlety and finesse on the palate, offering genuine expressions of their priveleged terroir. The Vouvray Le Mont Sec 2017 is a 100% Chenin Blanc wine produced from the 8-hectare Le Mont vineyard, purchased by the Huets in 1957. The Le Mont vineyard boasts a terroir with less clay (with a green tinge) and more stone and silica present in the soil. This results in an intense minerality in the wines of the vineyard. The grapes are harvested by hand, enabling picking by successive trials to ensure optimal maturity across the board. The fruit then undergoes temperature-controlled fermentation in large oak demi-muids of several previous uses. Malolactic fermentation is not encouraged and the resulting wine is rich in malic acid, contributing a great age-worthiness to its profile. The wine is matured in large demi-muids for 6 months.

The Vouvray Le Mont Sec 2017 from Domaine Huet shows off its gorgeous yellow color in the glass. On the nose, this wine is very precise and pure, with plenty of juicy citrus notes along with an elegant flinty minerality. The palate of this biodynamic Vouvray is quite complex, with the flint notes asserting themselves on a full-bodied and fine texture. The finish is quite long, revealing fantastic tannins. This wine is ready to drink now but will also evolve superbly in the bottle for the next decade or more.