2020 Domaine Huet Haut Lieu Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Moelleux

The 2020 Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Moelleux is clear, pure, fresh and concentrated on the lemon and pineapple-scented nose. You wouldn’t guess this is sweet from the nose, as the bouquet is precise and fresh. Round and mellow but also refined and elegant on the palate, with a stimulating mineral freshness and lingering salinity and piquancy, this is a gorgeous, very delicate and perfectly balanced Vouvray to drink even young, but as experience tells me, this Chenin Blanc from the now 15-hectare Ur vineyard of Domaine Huet can also be aged for decades, even if the wine is not really dramatic in all its pristine beauty. Tasted as final sample in May 2021.

It might be delicate but the 2020 Le Haut-Lieu Moelleux is also rather succulent, coating the mouth with its sweet embrace. A combination of white flowers and nectarine creates an appealing perfume. There's a sense of energy that runs through the wine, providing a sense of direction and purpose. The core of sweetness (50–60g/L) doesn't tip over into lushness but is held together by its acidity and structure.