Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Sec 1985

After a very young Cour-Cheverny a week ago (although I think in truth it was two weeks ago – with various Loire salons and Wine Paris filling the gap), and plenty of young-ish red and white Bordeaux before that, I decided that this week I had to venture further into the recesses of the cellar for something a little older. Step forward the 1985 Vouvray Sec from Philippe Foreau of Domaine du Clos Naudin.

The 1985 vintage brought relief to the Vouvray appellation, or at the very least it brought an end to a run of lesser years. After 1976, a broadly successful vintage for the Loire Valley during which a long and warm summer brought forth a slew of rich and ripe wines (including reds, at that time making it a stand-out vintage), there came a run of less enthralling vintages. The 1977 vintage was marked by frost, and after rather ordinary results in 1978 and 1979 there came the horrors of the 1980 vintage, when six weeks of rain resulted in a washout harvest.

The 1981 vintage was better but blighted by frost in the opening stages, while the 1982 harvest started well but was then disrupted by persistent heavy rain. The hallmark of the 1983 vintage was acidity, and it developed a reputation for its sparkling wines, and it always looked good against the damp squib that was 1984. Then, thankfully, along came 1985, an important vintage for Philippe Foreau who, having worked alongside his father André Foreau in 1983 and 1984, was flying solo for the first time.

The early signs in 1985 were perhaps a little worrying, with some extremely cold weather in January and February, with temperatures as low as -20ºC in some inland appellations. This is far too early to damage the buds of course, but it is similar to the lows reached in Bordeaux in 1956 which killed thousands of vines. Fortunately this did not come to pass here, and after a good flowering in spring the vignerons saw their vines were carrying a rather handsome crop.

The warm summer conditions which subsequently arrived persisted right the way through to November – hurrah! As a consequence the Vouvray appellation turned out a broad range of styles, starting with ripe and rich sec cuvées, but also as the conditions remained favourable a significant number of sweeter demi-sec and moelleux cuvées were born. The drier conditions meant the preeminent style reflected passerillage (drying and concentration on the vine without the help of botrytis rot) but there is nothing wrong with that in Vouvray (passerillage also dominated in the great 1989 vintage). Notably, for many domaines this was the first time they had made any wines in the moelleux style since the 1976 vintage, bringing an eight-year moelleux drought to an end.

Nearly forty years on (perhaps I should have held this bottle back until 2025?) I thought I should take a look at one of those plumper, richer sec cuvées from this vintage. It seems to be the first time I have gone back to 1985 since drinking the Le Haut Lieu Demi-Sec from Domaine Huet more than sixteen years ago, so you could say this is an overdue return to this vintage. At this rate I might get around to featuring a 1985 from Domaine des Aubuisières, Champalou or François et Julien Pinon some time in 2040.

In the glass the 1985 Vouvray Sec from Domaine du Clos Naudin possesses a polished shimmering gold, appropriately rich for its age, but showing crystal clear. The nose takes just a few minutes to open up, and it is quite enticing when it does so, with layers of crushed minerals, cheese rind and chestnut mushroom, joined by little threads of bacon, smoked lanolin and a hint of wool. The palate is where it really comes into its own though, with a convincing texture from the start, which only builds more conviction through the middle, filling the mouth with a polished, harmonious, silky, umami richness. Despite its generosity this comes set within a delightfully fine-drawn frame, tightening up in the middle in preparation for a gently acid-washed finish which settles into a long and warming length. It feels gently grained, confident, and has great persistence. This is extraordinarily good, and at more than 38 years of age it is undoubtedly one of the best older dry Vouvrays I have had the pleasure to drink in recent years. 94/100 (19/2/24)

Read more in:

• My guide to Vouvray and the many Vineyards of Vouvray
• My detailed profile of Philippe Foreau
• My guide to Chenin Blanc

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