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Domaine Huet Update, January 2011
Domaine Huet
This update relates to wines tasted in
January 2011.
For more on this estate, including all my relevant tasting notes, see my Domaine Huet profile.
Clearly I have been in an Anjou frame of mind recently, publishing new notes and new or revised profiles for some of the biggest and most long-standing names in the region, names such as Pierre-Bise, Baumard, Ogereau and also the more recently discovered Yves Guégniard of Domaine de la Bergerie. Although there are many features that might form a common theme to connect these domaines, one that I will be building on in the coming weeks and months is Savennières, as I home in on those domaines which focus on this appellation; the 'Savennières Specialists', if you will. Expect new notes and reviews featuring Domaine du Closel, Domaine aux Moines, Damien Laureau, Nicolas Joly, Château d'Epiré and others.
In the meantime though, this seems like a good moment for an Anjou intermission and to bring out some other recently penned notes on one of the Loire's most important domaines, Domaine Huet. This is one of the few Loire domaines that seems to have crossed over into the realm of general semi-cultish appeal; rather like the wines of the late Didier-Dagueneau, you don't have to be a Loire-head to know, buy and appreciate these wines. Availability is good too; of all the merchant's offers that drop into my inbox every day, usually enticements to buy bottles from the latest 'dream cellar' or some 'good-value' ex-cellars release from a famed Bordeaux château, the only Loire estate I can recall seeing featured is Domaine Huet. A touch of Vouvray in amongst the Vosne-Romanée and Vega Sicilia.
I tasted the latest releases from Domaine Huet in February 2011 in the company of Noël Pinguet and Benjamin Joliveau, who is set to take the reins when Noël retires in 2015. Naturally the 2010 vintage was first up, admittedly after a quick look at the consistently appealing 2005 Pétillant. Noël reported that the 2010 vintage was not a difficult one, with a cool spring followed by favourable summer weather. The harvest began on September 27th, this first tri for a 2010 pétillant, followed by harvesting for sec, and a tiny quantity of demi-sec and moelleux première trie. There were three tries in total, with the final few grapes picked on October 12th.
Thus all three of the Huet vineyards yielding a sec cuvée, in each case bearing between 8 and 9 g/l of residual sugar. I tasted each in turn, starting with Le Haut Lieu which showed a lovely polished purity, followed by the Clos du Bourg which displayed a more substantial weight and substance. Completing the trio was Le Mont of course, again showing a significant substance and punch, making it easily the least approachable of these three wines on the day. Quality was high across the board, but whereas I preferred the latter two wines to Le Haut Lieu trying to differentiate any further was impossible. What is clear is that all will be long-lived wines.
The Huet vineyards yielded just one demi-sec in 2010, a wine carrying 24 g/l residual sugar from the vines of Clos du Bourg, which of course sits on the main côte behind the church. This was a beautifully composed wine, although I preferred the direct and more confident style of the sec cuvée I think. Finally there is a tiny amount of moelleux in 2010, in particular a première trie cuvée from Le Mont. Again, rather like the demi-sec this showed a very elegant and reposed style, but I think this is a vintage where the sec cuvées will reign supreme. It will be fascinating to taste the wines again once they are in bottle, and also to see how other critics - many of whom seem to score according to residual sugar rather than quality - view the wines. They should go into bottle between March and April this year (bottling during the spring after the harvest as the norm at Huet) and so these wines should start appear on foreign markets - featured in those 'buy-me' emails - sometime thereafter.
I then moved onto a few wines from other recent vintages, especially 2009 although there was one representative from 2008, the demi-sec from the Le Mont vineyard, proving once again what a fabulous vintage 2008 was for this very particular style of Vouvray. This stunning wine eclipsed almost all others present with its confident purity and great definition. Thereafter came a trio of moelleux cuvées from the Clos du Bourg, both moelleux and première trie moelleux from 2009 and a rather less exciting première trie from 2006. And after that little lot, there is no way to finish other than with a taste of the 2009 Cuvée Constance, a wine I have already visited several times, and it is perhaps no surprise that my opinion on this particular vintage of Huet's most exalted cuvée remains unchanged; it is a truly stunning wine. (31/3/11)
Domaine Huet Update, 2011 - Tasting Notes
The wines below were tasted in Angers at the Salon des Vins de Loire in January 2011.
All my notes on the wines of Domaine Huet, including those below, are collated under my
Domaine Huet profile. Click
to locate stockists.
The current release of this cuvée remains, for the moment, the 2005.
Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant 2005:
An attractively mineral nose here, all chalky and volcanic rocks, but with some
lemon-tinged stone fruits alongside. There is a lithe and youthful freshness on
the palate, which is supple and substantial at the same time, with lots of
freshness. The acid structure is good and bright, leading into a fine and sappy
finish. This is showing a very strong composition here, youthful and in need of leaving well alone. 18/20
A vintage yielding predominantly dry cuvées.
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Sec 2010:
Residual sugar 8.2 g/l, alcohol 12.85%.
Good fresh fruit, bright and slightly lemony. A lovely
stony presence on the nose, nothing to suggest softness or seduction here, but there
is a lovely purity of stone fruit. Very correct on entry, there is a light flesh
to it but it brings substance and breadth which is countered by the very
attractive acid. A good, substantial finish. Very balanced, polished and
approachable. It has a nice tingle from the acids though, even if the acid is rather subtle otherwise.
Tangible substance on the finish. 17-18+/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du
Bourg Sec 2010: Residual sugar 9 g/l, alcohol 13.5%. This is much more substantial than Le Haut Lieu, which seemed rather
more pretty on the nose. Instead there is polished limestone substance here.
There follows a lovely palate, forceful, and the acidity seems brighter even though the figures suggest it is very
slightly lower. Lovely brightness to the fruit overall. This is
a lovely wine, just brimming with potential. 17.5-18.5/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Sec 2010:
Residual sugar 9 g/l, alcohol 13.2%.
A polished and sweeter feel to the fruit here, gentle
with a beautiful purity to it. There is more substance on the palate though;
although it still maintains an elegant balance it has a substantial fruit character
with great substance and structure too it as well. It is perhaps the most severe of the
three sec cuvées, although I think Clos du Bourg comes pretty close in
that regard. Certainly showing bags of
structure and citrusy acidity on the palate, so from that point of view it
certainly is the least approachable. 17.5-18.5/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du
Bourg Demi-Sec 2010: Residual sugar 24 g/l, alcohol 13.2%. The nose here is very bright, elegant and defined,
showing some very pure, light-white fruit, with a floral, feminine style to it. The
palate is just lovely, not a powerful or substantial style but one of pretty and
floral fruit, as suggested aromatically, supported by a deliciously incisive acidity and the weight of the
residual which has a lovely presence through the middle. And on the finish there
is a twist of ripe, honeyed fruit. Quite long too. Stylish and elegant. 17+/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie 2010: Not finished therefore
these data are approximate, but this has residual sugar 85 g/l, alcohol 11.8%.
Beautiful perfumed fruit style here, all apples and pears but with a fresh rather than
autumnal or baked style. Still has a residua suggestion of fermentation on the nose. A lovely fruit presence matching the nose
on the palate. Still very embryonic right now but there is an elegant fruit substance and extract to it.
Great potential here but a very refined, straight, polished character. Very small
quantities this year - number of bottles in the hundreds rather than thousands. 17.5-18.5/20
Demi-sec, moelleux and première trie cuvées from 2009, 2008 and 2006. My notes are presented in the order in which they were tasted.
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Demi-Sec 2008:
Residual sugar 29.8 g/l, alcohol 13.2%.
A beautiful nose, showing huge development here, evolving Chenin
character, with evidence of early complexity, with a sweet and floral edge. The palate is no
disappointment, the style sweetening and evolving in the mouth, with notes of acacia, honey, all the
beauty of the evolving demi-sec style. Full of totally delicious, complex, savoury elements.
This is incredible wine which is showing better than ever. Further reinforcement
of what a stunning vintage this is for demi-sec. 18.5/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Moelleux 2009:
Residual sugar 55.5 g/l, alcohol 12.5%, and the total acidity is 5.12 g/l. Very light and elegant style on the nose
here, refined and reserved. A very seductive style on the palate though, supple and with a
very polished yellow plum and stone fruit character. Lightly honeyed, very
mellifluous but in a light, ethereal fashion rather than anything hedonistic.
Very appealing and showing only its baby fat at the moment. There should be fine
development here though as the balance and depth of structure and grip is
delightful. 18/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Moelleux Première Trie 2009:
Residual sugar 92.3 g/l, alcohol 13%.
This seems rather closed on the nose today,
although with a little air it shows a very elegant and stylish layer of honeyed
flower petals and light golden fruit. The palate is where it really has impact,
a greater substance immediately apparent here, the mellifluous sweetness mixed with a
tangible grip alongside a rather subtle acid layer. There is great promise of complexity
here though, a wonderful balance unfolds as the acidity shows more in the midpalate, and
there is such purity! This is really very, very lovely. 19+/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Moelleux Première Trie 2006:
Residual sugar 65.2 g/l, alcohol 12.14%, total acidity 4.43 g/l. The nose here shows why aging Vouvray is
essential as already it is displaying the deep, complex minerality swirled with honey and acacia and honeysuckle, all in a frame of crunchy golden fruit,
that more mature wines display. When
it comes together like this these wines can seem almost ethereal. And yet it is still so very
young! As you might expect it has a beautiful substance in the mouth, showing a slightly more
reserved drier style than some of the previous vintages, the effect of age plus
a slightly more restrained residual (for a première trie). Very
fresh and precise but well covered acidity, good purity, floral overtones too, a very
sweet and elegant style. A long, polished, substantial finish. This is delicious, although
it is not up with the greatest vintages. 17.5+/20
Domaine Huet Vouvray Cuvée Constance 2009:
Residual sugar 151.8 g/l, alcohol 11.4%, total acidity 5.26 g/l. Great purity here; although you might expect great
sweetness what it shows on the nose is a very pure, lightly polished, lightly
honeyed yellow fruit character. What differentiates it on the palate is the prodigious
residual with the amazing midpalate texture that broadens out to envelop the
whole midpalate. It has a very admirable presence, showing all the pure
substance but with more texture and a more crystalline feel to the acid backbone. It is
remarkable that such richness and its tinges of botrytis can be packaged within
such an elegant and freshly composed palate. It has great acidity, which keeps
it all very fresh. Yet another great showing for this cuvée. 19.5+/20
