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Domaine Huet Update, 2010
Domaine Huet
This update relates to wines tasted in February and July 2010.
For more on this estate, including all my relevant tasting notes, see my Domaine Huet profile.
Having noticed a number of offers concerning the latest vintage from Huet last week, including UK merchants Bibendum and The Wine Society, I realised it was about time I published my most recent notes on the wines of this domaine. These tasting notes include another look at some wines from the 2008 vintage, but also my first taste of the 2009s currently being offered. Unfortunately I haven't tasted all that is on offer in 2009, but if I have tasted it then the notes are here. Hopefully, I will be able to fill in what gaps remain within the next few months.
The tasting notes below originate from two Huet tastings, the first from a tasting with Noël Pinguet at the annual Salon in Angers in February, the second from a visit to the domaine in July. In each case the wines were tasted according to residual sugar as is the norm, starting with the pétillant cuvées and then progressing through sec, demi-sec and moelleux in turn. I have maintained this order of tasting for my notes below in order to preserve some context of how the wines were tasted, although in my Huet profile I naturally present my notes ordered by vintage, and this approach also seems sensible for my discussion here.
Kicking off with 2009, it is already clear that this is an excellent vintage at Huet, facilitating the production of the full range of styles from across the famous trio of lieux-dits, although with a focus on sec and moelleux rather than demi-sec, as well as the exalted Cuvée Constance. Le Haut Lieu provides us with the only demi-sec, this vineyard topping out with a straight moelleux, whereas both Le Mont and the Clos du Bourg forego the demi-sec in favour of moelleux and moelleux première trie cuvées. There are sec cuvées from all three vineyards, and I suspect in future years we will see a 2009 pétillant, although for the moment the latest release in this style is 2005.
The sec wines in 2009 are delicious, with Le Haut Lieu seeming a touch more vibrant than Le Mont on this first tasting, later on in the year le Haut Lieu again showing very well although without another sec alongside this time, so no comparisons on this tasting. I have not yet tasted the only demi-sec, but I have certainly availed myself of some of the moelleux cuvées, the straight moelleux from Le Mont showing nicely this summer but the crème de la crème being the two première trie cuvées from Le Mont and the Clos du Bourg. Tasting the two in February I found it very difficult to drive a wedge between them in terms of quality, but later on in the summer, the wines now firmly in bottle, the Clos du Bourg just edged it for me, displaying an extra nuance of minerality and a grain to the wine's structure which Le Mont could not quite match.
As for 2008, it is always a pleasure to return to these wines, especially when the demi-sec cuvées are included in the line-up. This was certainly the case in February, with both Le Haut Lieu and Le Mont looking to be in fine fettle, and again during the summer when tasting at the domaine; these wines display not only superlative quality but also reassuring consistency from one tasting to the next. Although in this vintage there is a danger that we might overlook the moelleux cuvées in favour of the fine demi-secs, 2008 did yield a straight moelleux from Le Haut Lieu and première trie wines from Le Mont and Clos du Bourg; these are all very fine, but not quite up to the finesse and purity offered in 2009.
Other wines tasted in February included the 2005 pétillant (my tasting note already published in my recent review of Huet sparklers) and which I retasted during the summer, and also the 2007 Le Mont Demi-Sec. There are other new releases of course, including reserve bottlings of two of Huet's recent pétillant vintages, the 2002 and the 1998; in each case these wines have spent four years on their lees rather than the two years that was the case with the original releases. And coming back to 2009, we must not of course overlook the Cuvée Constance, in this vintage a supreme exercise in precision and finesse, married with fine concentration; this will be the eighth vintage of Cuvée Constance, and it is a worthy wearer of the title. (17/8/10)
Domaine Huet Update, 2010 - Tasting Notes
The wines below were tasted in Angers at the
Salon des Vins de Loire in
February 2010, and during my visit to the domaine in July 2010.
All my notes on the wines of Domaine Huet, including those below, are collated under my
Domaine Huet profile. Click
to locate stockists.
Wines tasted at the Salon des Vins de Loire in Angers, in February 2010.
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Sec 2009: The aromas here are reminiscent of fine
pears, aromatic, very pure but with finesse rather than power. A very fine
character on the palate, slightly sappy, and a good texture. Floral, delicate,
as these wines can be in their youth. Delicate and balanced, but fanning out
into a lovely broad finish like the proverbial peacock's tail. Excellent
potential here. 17.5-18.5+/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Sec 2009: A very floral nose here, tighter and more
concentrated than Le Haut Lieu in this vintage, and not so expressive. A fine,
stone fruit style, lovely texture, firm and finely balanced. There is a lot of
good substance here, great built-up structure and a fine length too. This is an
impressive
wine with plenty of promise. 17-18+/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Demi-Sec 2007: The nose here has lovely sweet fruit on
the nose, typically floral character, elegant, rather much as I found it in
February last year. A lovely style on the palate, creamed white fruit, quite
minerally too. A fine tension, fleshy but not overtly sweet, beautifully tender
and composed. A very good wine indeed. 17.5+/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Demi-Sec 2008: The third time with this wine which
I tasted in February and September last year; it is showing a consistent and
delicious style. A beautiful essence of white peach and spring flowers on the
nose, with a lovely seam of stony minerality too. A finely composed palate,
textured, with appealing substance. A great and vibrant style, overall a super
wine which is surely one of Huet's greatest demi-secs ever. 18.5+/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Demi-Sec 2008: Another pop at this superb wine, today
showing a great expression and wonderful depth. Floral and rich in citrus fruit,
minerally and displaying good tension. A fine presence on the palate, finely
balanced, great substance underpinned by vibrant acidity. Deeply mineral as the
nose suggested, structured, with very fine potential. Superb. Although on my
last tasting I just preferred the demi-sec from Le Haut Lieu on this
tasting I just can't separate them. Lovely wines. 18.5+/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie 2008:
Residual sugar 62.7 g/l, alcohol 12.42%, total acidity 6.14 g/l. A third time to taste this
wine. A very expressive wine here, finely mineral, quite intense. Beautifully
pure on the palate, very nicely poised, with a fine acid core. Very broad, but
also linear, defined, elegant in terms of structure and flavour. A brilliant,
quite tense composition. This is a superb effort that should age for decades.
18+/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Moelleux Première Trie 2009: Residual sugar 92
g/l. This is vibrantly
aromatic with the intense, sweet pear fruit that these wines display in their
youth. The palate has gorgeous purity, fine composition with great acidity. A
honeyed texture, vibrant flavour and great purity. A vinous tour de force,
with marvellous tension behind the sweetness and wonderful balance. Great wine.
18-18.5+/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie 2009: Residual sugar 94.8 g/l. This vineyard has also
given a première trie wine in this most successful of vintages, and on
the nose it displays a pure, minerally, pear and apple fruit character. The
palate has wonderful harmony, a very balanced, fresh and floral style, with a
fine linear substance. A perfectly composed wine, ethereal and lifted. This is
wonderful, a grand vin with the potential to age for decades if not a
century. Wonderful. 18.5-19+/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Cuvée Constance 2009: This is Huet's top sweet cuvée, first
introduced with the 1989 vintage, this being (if I have my sums correct) the
eighth release since then. Residual sugar 153 g/l. This has a mouth-watering nose, with concentrated and
sweet stone fruit, with a powerful autumnal, appley character, juxtaposed
against a fresh vibrancy. Wow - the palate has an amazing start, showing
vibrantly precise acidity, with lots of gentle, creamed, honeyed fruit.
Brilliant precision and vigour, a broader midpalate, so rich and also so well
balanced. A truly evocative wine, superbly appealing, and an invoker of deep
contemplation for sure. 18.5-19.5+/20
Wines tasted at the domaine in Vouvray, in July 2010.
Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant 2005: Tasted once at the domaine, and a
second bottle at leisure subsequently. Chalky and minerally on the nose, suggesting a dry character. Dry
on the palate too, a good structure, with a nice firm pétillance. Very firm
fruit too, overall a very good character, crisp apple skin with a mouth-watering
sourness. Classic style. Having said that, the subsequent bottle showed much
less pétillance than the first, although it had all the same succulent, sour-fruit and minerally
flavour - perhaps just a cork-related variation? 18/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant Réserve 2002: A fine, honeyed-straw nose here,
with a good presence of minerals and honeycomb. Still showing a very good
pétillance. Great structure on the palate, lots of aromatic character, lots of
substance and structure too. Fresh and well held together by a frame of acidity.
A fascinating evolution compared to my recollection of the early-release 2002; I
look forward to comparative tastings in the future. Excellent. 18/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant Réserve 1998: This reserve release has
a lovely, lemon-zesty, mineral and honeycomb character on the nose, with a very
fine and persistent pétillant mousse in the glass. Rich substance on the palate,
certainly more wine than sparkle, with a rapidly fading pétillance here. Good
length to it though. Very nice development here. 18/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Sec 2009: A finely floral nose here, full
of youthful apples and pears, and on the palate a broad and attractive flesh. It
seems dry although certainly rich, in keeping with the fairly high residual
sugar in Huet's sec cuvées these days, backed up by good acidity. Delicious for
drinking now, although no doubt cellaring will bring benefits. 17.5+/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Demi-Sec 2008: A great vintage for
demi-sec, and I have been intent on adding some to the cellar. Intense
character, honeyed richness, broad and fleshy on the palate, grippy with plenty
of structure. Although it is packed with substance there is also elegance here,
and as usual this wine shows in a very impressive fashion. Great potential.
18.5+/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Demi-Sec 2008: The nose
here is floral, with elements of rich beeswax and certain complexity. Great
composure, supple, with spicy elements behind the ripe layer of fruit. This has
a very fine grip; what a superb wine this is. Another wine which will be
delicious to drink at all stages in its evolution, which will slowly unfold over
the coming half century (and perhaps beyond). 18.5+/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Moelleux 2009: A beautiful nose here,
youthful and floral, and there is a fine palate to follow on from this first
impression. Exotic, rich, well defined, well-layered with wonderful flesh from
the residual sugar and good fruit complexity too. A very fine effort for the
standard moelleux. Lots of length in the finish too. 17.5+/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux 2009: A lovely nose here, deeper and
more reserved than the Haut Lieu, although still fresh, youthful and floral. On
the palate a very bright character, substantial and fleshy, with a wonderfully
floral composition. A very fine effort at this level. 18+/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie 2009: This wine has a
very pure and intense nose, with fine aromatics, with nuances of yellow plum,
star fruit and vanilla. The palate is similarly fabulous, broad and elegant,
very persistent and pure and polished. An excellent wine with huge potential for
the cellar. 19+/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Moelleux Première Trie 2009: Great
minerality here, more so than the Le Mont I think. This comes though on the
palate especially, which although broad and impressive like the Le Mont also
has a fine-grained character surely reflecting the wine's terroir. Incredible and a must
for the cellar for all long-term Huet fans. 19-19.5+/20
