Cellar Raid #6: Three 1997s from Vouvray
Another cellar raid today, and an opportunity to fill in some gaps – albeit rather historical ones – in my body of tasting notes.
The years which immediately followed the superb back-to-back 1989 and 1990 vintages were rather meagre in Vouvray. The vineyards were badly affected by frost in 1991, the result a much-reduced crop of limited quality. The vines compensated with a bumper yield in 1992, but end-of-season rains hampered the ripening, leading to some rather tart wines now past their best. Happily things started to look up thereafter, and while the 1994 vintage was again beset with frosts, there were good wines in 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1997.
The latter three vintages are superior, and in terms of the top moelleux cuvées 1995 and 1997 probably come out on top (although the stunning 1996 Cuvée Botrytis from François Pinon is a reminder than there are no absolute rules in wine). Both 1995 and 1997 saw the arrival of a Cuvée Constance at Domaine Huet, and a Moelleux Réserve at Domaine du Clos Naudin. The 1996 vintage, while certainly of fine quality, saw neither. Despite this, while my profiles and body of tasting notes include opinions on both these cuvées in the 1995 vintage, both are conspicuous by their absence in 1997.
Until now, that is.
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