2020 Domaine Huet Haut Lieu Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Premiere Trie

The citrus-colored sample of the 2020 Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Moelleux Première Trie still shows a very fine CO2 perlage in the glass that opens with clear and concentrated but also lush fruit and floral and chalky aromas, with lemon confit and fig mustard. Very elegant and even playful on the palate, with finely vivacious acidity, this full-bodied, silky and salty-piquant Haut-Lieu is beautiful in its terroir expression that favors a fruitier, fresher and more elegant style that is impossible not to like. Some of our readers might find it too vivacious and salty (while looking for hedonistic sweet wines), but as a critic, I am totally fine with this style. The aging potential should be great. Tasted in May 2021.

The 2020 Le Haut Lieu Moelleux Première Trie is pretty gorgeous with its sweet embrace (71g/L residual sugar) caressing the palate like a silky-smooth velouté . It sits calmly in the mouth, showing the typical fruit-forward character of the site, all oranges, chamomile and violets. The deeply satisfying finish provides the merest of grips, and fresh acid makes your mouth water. Already delicious in its youth, this wine has the concentration, acidity and sweetness to age gracefully, as Huet fans will know well.