Log in for prices and ordering

Domaine Huet

Cream of the Crop: Biodynamic Vouvray from a Reference Domaine…
Domaine Huet

It’s hard to know where to start with this iconic producer, who will soon celebrate its 100th birthday. We could talk at length about Gaston Huet–widely regarded as the father of Vouvray–who founded the domaine in 1928 and was described as ‘méticuleux et maniaque’ by his son-in-law, Noël Pinguet, who took over running the domaine in 1976. Pinguet himself was no less meticulous or clear-eyed. We could talk about a domaine, certified biodynamic in 1990, that carefully hand-harvests all its grapes—even berry by berry—in an appellation where 90% of the harvest is done by machine. Or we could talk about the inspiring, close-knit family culture behind a domaine that has seen only four estate managers. And this is before we delve into three of the Loire Valley’s great limestone vineyards.
 
Having Huet’s Sarah Hwang in town has given us the perfect opportunity to rekindle our appreciation for this domaine’s wines. We have previously compared this iconic Vouvray grower with the greatest estates in Germany, and this analogy still works brilliantly. From our portfolio, Robert Weil springs to mind. We have that same confluence of purity and intensity, not to mention both producers fashion wines that, while delicious young, can live and develop for 50+ years. Like Weil, Huet’s three famous single vineyards can produce wines from dry to luscious in a single vintage. Such comparisons remind us that great Chenin is really a soul sibling of the finest Riesling.

Listening to Sarah talk about the domaine’s practices at harvest time was fascinating. Huet famously harvests in tries–or multiple passes–through the vineyards that can last for weeks, if not months. Instead of forcing a style of wine onto the vineyard, each vine is picked when ready. So, it is nature that ultimately determines what style is produced in the cellar. “When we are picking, we’re not thinking of what the wine type may be,” says Sarah, whose harvesters drop every bunch that does not look up to scratch. Harvesting only ripe, pristine fruit is Huet’s core tenet, handed down by Gaston Huet to Noël Pinguet and then onto Jean-Bernard Berthomé, who retired in 2021. The current vineyard manager and winemaker is Vouvray native Benjamin Joliveau, who was hand-picked by Noël Pinguet back in 2009. “We have large picking tables in the centre of the vineyards where a very rigorous selection takes place, even grape by grape,” he says. “And so, all the bunches brought to the cellar are perfectly healthy.”
 
No matter the style, all the wines of Domaine Huet are remarkably pure and focused. But there is one with which Huet is synonymous, and in a league of its own. Moelleux is to Huet what Auslese is to J.J. Prüm, and, like those wines, the step-up from the demi-sec wines is one of intensity and texture rather than sweetness. Despite the jump in residual sugar, these fantastically nuanced wines retain incredible energy and vibrancy and dance across the palate with zest and light-footed intensity. Even at this level, we find the wines too intricate to pair with desserts. At a dinner with Noël Pinguet at Three, One, Two in 2008, Andrew McConnell and Adam Foster paired Huet’s moelleux wines with ‘White cut chicken, guanciale, grilled prawns, baby leeks & crushed hazelnuts’. We wish you could all have been there!

The Wines

Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant Brut 2019

Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant Brut 2019

Only the best grower Champagnes have the kind of interest, sense of place and attention to detail this sparkling wine offers. Bottled at a low pressure of 2.5/3 atmospheres (most Champagnes are between five and six), this wine has a more delicate fizz than most. The fruit is all estate-grown (certified biodynamic) and comes from the youngest vines in Huet’s Première Côte vineyards. Crafted in a hybrid méthode ancestrale style (only natural sugar in the must was used for the second fermentation), it’s made in years that favour dry wine production.

Disgorged in October 2023 following 36 months on lees in the Huet cellars, the 2019 release has just over 1 g/L residual sugar and was dosed with the 2018 Le Haut Lieu Moelleux. To quote sparkling wine authority Peter Liem on the style: “It’s a magical, intensely expressive wine, and ridiculously inexpensive for the quality”. Let’s hear that again: ridiculously inexpensive for the quality. 2019 is a magical, fleshy mineral release for this benchmark Loire sparkling.

Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant Brut 2019
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Sec 2023

Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Sec 2023

Recognised since the 15th century as being one of the most distinguished sites in the appellation, Le Mont was also known locally as Perruches, a local name for the greenish-tinged clay soils flecked with perrons, fist-sized pebbles of flint. Purchased in 1957, the steep, rocky, eight-hectare vineyard lies on Vouvray’s esteemed Première Côte, part of a bank of limestone-rich hillside vineyards overlooking Tours. This block's argilo-siliceux soils (stony, with green, mineral clays and flint over limestone) provide the tight structure and pungent minerality Le Mont is renowned for. With less clay (and a different type of clay) and more stone than Le Haut-Lieu, this site typically produces the nerviest wines in the Huet stable, so this vineyard mainly produces dry and off-dry whites.

When young, these dry wines are pent-up, intense, mineral (chalky and/or smoky-fresh) whites that are wonderfully pure and racy. With age, the top examples mature at a snail’s pace to become some of the most intriguing dry whites on the planet. They go from the white flowers, citrus pith and crunchy fruit of youth to something deliciously honeyed, buttery, savoury and autumnal. The younger examples are go-to wines for anything involving seafood or white meat. For the technically minded, Huet’s secs have between 4 and 8 g/L residual sugar depending on the vintage, although the 2022 and 2023 wines dipped closer to the 3 g/L mark.

"The 2023 Vouvray Sec Le Mont is precise, upright and flinty. It's less immediately charming than the styles we've seen in recent warmer vintages, but it was only tasted three weeks after bottling - this is one to revisit. There's just the right amount of juicy, peachy flesh within this light-bodied yet concentrated wine. It has the potential to charm but does so without showing off. Flinty and tightly sewn together, it has curves in the right places, but you're just going to have to wait for it to take shape."
95 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
“One of the great dry white wines of the Loire. This dry chenin blanc is rich and concentrated, but also graceful and delicate. Full-bodied but so elegant and precise, with a wet stone minerality that builds in a spectacular manner in the very long, refined finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
96 points, Stuart Pigott, JamesSuckling.com
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Sec 2023
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Sec 2022 (375ml)

Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Sec 2022 (375ml)

Le Haut Lieu was the estate’s first vineyard, purchased in 1928, and is situated on the Première Côte. As the name suggests, the house and the vineyards are located on a plateau with a slight south-facing gradient at one of the highest points of the appellation. It’s a nine-hectare plot on deep, brown, chalky clay (known as aubuis). Here, the yellow limestone (tuffeau) bedrock lies up to four metres down, making for a richer soil that produces round, supple wines that tend to drink well young. It generally produces the earliest maturing of the three cuvées and the first ready for drinking, but, like Clos du Bourg and Le Mont, the wines can be extremely long-lived. We have enjoyed bottles from the ’40s that are still drinking very well!

When young, these dry wines are pent-up, intense, mineral (chalky and/or smoky-fresh) whites that are wonderfully pure and racy. With age, the top examples mature at a snail’s pace to become some of the most intriguing dry whites on the planet. They go from the white flowers, citrus pith and crunchy fruit of youth to something deliciously honeyed, buttery, savoury and autumnal. The younger examples are go-to wines for anything involving seafood or white meat. For the technically minded, Huet’s secs have between 4 and 8 g/L residual sugar depending on the vintage, although the 2022 and 2023 wines dipped closer to the 3 g/L mark.

“The 2022 Le Haut-Lieu Sec is a lithe, reductive style with floral character and talcum powder. Full of phenolic, lip-smacking texture woven through its core, lending a sense of satisfying grunt to this dry yet balanced style. Clarity, precision and harmony are keywords in this wine's execution. A little more fleeting on the finish than ideal. (5.5g/L).”
92 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Sec 2022 (375ml)
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Sec 2023

Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Sec 2023

Le Haut Lieu was the estate’s first vineyard, purchased in 1928, and is situated on the Première Côte. As the name suggests, the house and the vineyards are located on a plateau with a slight south-facing gradient at one of the highest points of the appellation. It’s a nine-hectare plot on deep, brown, chalky clay (known as aubuis). Here, the yellow limestone (tuffeau) bedrock lies up to four metres down, making for a richer soil that produces round, supple wines that tend to drink well young. It generally produces the earliest maturing of the three cuvées and the first ready for drinking, but, like Clos du Bourg and Le Mont, the wines can be extremely long-lived. We have enjoyed bottles from the ’40s that are still drinking very well!

When young, these dry wines are pent-up, intense, mineral (chalky and/or smoky-fresh) whites that are wonderfully pure and racy. With age, the top examples mature at a snail’s pace to become some of the most intriguing dry whites on the planet. They go from the white flowers, citrus pith and crunchy fruit of youth to something deliciously honeyed, buttery, savoury and autumnal. The younger examples are go-to wines for anything involving seafood or white meat. For the technically minded, Huet’s secs have between 4 and 8 g/L residual sugar depending on the vintage, although the 2022 and 2023 wines dipped closer to the 3 g/L mark.

"The 2023 Vouvray Sec Le Haut-Lieu is a pure, refined, seamless style with pear, pineapple and nectarine flavors. It boasts excellent clarity and refinement, with lovely freshness hailing from calibrated acidity that bursts through this blossoming wine. Considering this was only bottled three weeks before tasting, I'm very encouraged by the results."
93 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
“This stunning dry Vouvray has such an exciting energy on the simultaneously focused and creamy medium-bodied palate. I love the juicy core, then the way the wet stone character builds to an impressive intensity in the long, precise finish. Still really youthful and with great aging potential.”
94 points, Stuart Pigott, JamesSuckling.com
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Sec 2023
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Sec 2023

Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Sec 2023

Perched on the Première Côte just above the town of Vouvray, Clos du Bourg is a monopole and generally regarded as the greatest of the three Huet single vineyards. The domaine has farmed it since 1953 and purchased it in 1963. Clos du Bourg is arguably the greatest vineyard in the region, producing some of the most powerful, thrilling, long-lived white wines in Europe. With only one metre of topsoil over solid limestone, the vines tap almost immediately into the mineral resources underneath. The warmth of the site, combined with the mineral complexion of the soils, results in rich, super long-lived wines that seem to effortlessly combine intense minerality with generous texture and concentration.

When young, these dry wines are pent-up, intense, mineral (chalky and/or smoky-fresh) whites that are wonderfully pure and racy. With age, the top examples mature at a snail’s pace to become some of the most intriguing dry whites on the planet. They go from the white flowers, citrus pith and crunchy fruit of youth to something deliciously honeyed, buttery, savoury and autumnal. The younger examples are go-to wines for anything involving seafood or white meat. For the technically minded, Huet’s secs have between 4 and 8 g/L residual sugar depending on the vintage, although the 2022 and 2023 wines dipped closer to the 3 g/L mark.

“The aromas of floral honey, cashew nuts and butter are married to a brioche character reminiscent of good Champagne, but this is completely still. On the medium-bodied palate, the interplay of honeyed creaminess and elegant acidity is enchanting, the wine gliding over your palate. Long, supple finish.”
93 points, Stuart Pigott, JamesSuckling.com
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Sec 2023
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Demi-Sec 2022

Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Demi-Sec 2022

Recognised since the 15th century as being one of the most distinguished sites in the appellation, Le Mont was also known locally as Perruches, a local name for the greenish-tinged clay soils flecked with perrons, fist-sized pebbles of flint. Purchased in 1957, the steep, rocky, eight-hectare vineyard lies on Vouvray’s esteemed Première Côte, part of a bank of limestone-rich hillside vineyards overlooking Tours. This block's argilo-siliceux soils (stony, with green, mineral clays and flint over limestone) provide the tight structure and pungent minerality Le Mont is renowned for. With less clay (and a different type of clay) and more stone than Le Haut-Lieu, this site typically produces the nerviest wines in the Huet stable, so this vineyard mainly produces dry and off-dry whites.

Huet’s demi-secs typically fall between 18 and 25 g/L residual sugar (give or take a few grams), but the acidity makes the wines appear only just off-dry. These wines manage finesse and diamond-cut clarity, yet they are somehow open and welcoming at the same time. At the table, these wines pair beautifully with the spices of many Asian cuisines but are also brilliant with French or modern Australian cooking (from seafood through game and white meats to cheese).

“The 2022 Le Mont Demi-Sec is less fruity and charming than, say, Clos du Bourg; its tension and line come from its flinty terroir. Despite its 21g/L residual sugar, it retains a sense of tautness without being totally linear. Radish and pear notes linger on the long finish. This is grown-up demi-sec.”
95 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Demi-Sec 2022
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec 2022

Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec 2022

Perched on the Première Côte just above the town of Vouvray, Clos du Bourg is a monopole and generally regarded as the greatest of the three Huet single vineyards. The domaine has farmed it since 1953 and purchased it in 1963. Clos du Bourg is arguably the greatest vineyard in the region, producing some of the most powerful, thrilling, long-lived white wines in Europe. With only one metre of topsoil over solid limestone, the vines tap almost immediately into the mineral resources underneath. The warmth of the site, combined with the mineral complexion of the soils, results in rich, super long-lived wines that seem to effortlessly combine intense minerality with generous texture and concentration.

Huet’s demi-secs typically fall between 18 and 25 g/L residual sugar (give or take a few grams), but the acidity makes the wines appear only just off-dry. These wines manage finesse and diamond-cut clarity, yet they are somehow open and welcoming at the same time. At the table, these wines pair beautifully with the spices of many Asian cuisines but are also brilliant with French or modern Australian cooking (from seafood through game and white meats to cheese).

“The 2022 Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec is round and appealing, akin to a cozy night in with your slippers on; there's flesh and succulence, but it retains its shape and a sense of lightness on its feet. The ripeness of white stone fruit reminds me of nectarine and a heady floral character reminiscent of honeysuckle, even verging jasmine. And yet, it shows its pedigree in its fine texture and line. (RS 17.5g/L).”
94 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec 2022
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec 2022 (375ml)

Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec 2022 (375ml)

Perched on the Première Côte just above the town of Vouvray, Clos du Bourg is a monopole and generally regarded as the greatest of the three Huet single vineyards. The domaine has farmed it since 1953 and purchased it in 1963. Clos du Bourg is arguably the greatest vineyard in the region, producing some of the most powerful, thrilling, long-lived white wines in Europe. With only one metre of topsoil over solid limestone, the vines tap almost immediately into the mineral resources underneath. The warmth of the site, combined with the mineral complexion of the soils, results in rich, super long-lived wines that seem to effortlessly combine intense minerality with generous texture and concentration.

Huet’s demi-secs typically fall between 18 and 25 g/L residual sugar (give or take a few grams), but the acidity makes the wines appear only just off-dry. These wines manage finesse and diamond-cut clarity, yet they are somehow open and welcoming at the same time. At the table, these wines pair beautifully with the spices of many Asian cuisines but are also brilliant with French or modern Australian cooking (from seafood through game and white meats to cheese).

“The 2022 Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec is round and appealing, akin to a cozy night in with your slippers on; there's flesh and succulence, but it retains its shape and a sense of lightness on its feet. The ripeness of white stone fruit reminds me of nectarine and a heady floral character reminiscent of honeysuckle, even verging jasmine. And yet, it shows its pedigree in its fine texture and line. (RS 17.5g/L).”
94 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec 2022 (375ml)
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux 2022 (375ml)

Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux 2022 (375ml)

Recognised since the 15th century as being one of the most distinguished sites in the appellation, Le Mont was also known locally as Perruches, a local name for the greenish-tinged clay soils flecked with perrons, fist-sized pebbles of flint. Purchased in 1957, the steep, rocky, eight-hectare vineyard lies on Vouvray’s esteemed Première Côte, part of a bank of limestone-rich hillside vineyards overlooking Tours. This block's argilo-siliceux soils (stony, with green, mineral clays and flint over limestone) provide the tight structure and pungent minerality Le Mont is renowned for. With less clay (and a different type of clay) and more stone than Le Haut-Lieu, this site typically produces the nerviest wines in the Huet stable, so this vineyard mainly produces dry and off-dry whites.

Huet’s succulent moelleux wines (moelleux translates to ‘marrow-like’ and is pronounced ‘mweh-luh’) typically have between 40 and 60 g/L residual sugar. They are made mainly from grapes that have dried on the vine (passerillage) rather than those affected by botrytis. Huet’s moelleux wines can be remarkably fine and delicate—think of a great Mosel rather than a Sauternes for an idea of weight—and pair brilliantly with cheeses and a range of savoury meat dishes (only wines from the richest years work with fruit-based desserts).

Occasionally, in the top years, the sweeter première trie level is made from a berry-by-berry selection of the very ripest (often botrytis-affected) grapes. The balance is dumbfounding, and these mouthwatering, racy, transparent wines represent some of the greatest whites of France. The première trie wines can also work with desserts—but nothing too sweet (they’re better with cheeses).

“The 2022 Le Mont Moelleux is a medium-sweet, tender style that is just so welcoming and appealing. It is the quiet type that doesn't show off. It offers breadth without weight, which I always like about the Huet wines - they're like clouds of Chenin floating over your palate. A fine floral and fruity fragrance reminiscent of lilac, pear and pineapple lingers off the tranquil finish. While the acidity in 2022 is a little gentle, it still has enough tension to sweep up the wine and hold it all together. A little more length and line would elevate it further. (51g/L RS, in case you're interested).”
94 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux 2022 (375ml)
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Moelleux 2003 (Museum Release)

Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Moelleux 2003 (Museum Release)

Le Haut Lieu was the estate’s first vineyard, purchased in 1928, and is situated on the Première Côte. As the name suggests, the house and the vineyards are located on a plateau with a slight south-facing gradient at one of the highest points of the appellation. It’s a nine-hectare plot on deep, brown, chalky clay (known as aubuis). Here, the yellow limestone (tuffeau) bedrock lies up to four metres down, making for a richer soil that produces round, supple wines that tend to drink well young. It generally produces the earliest maturing of the three cuvées and the first ready for drinking, but, like Clos du Bourg and Le Mont, the wines can be extremely long-lived. We have enjoyed bottles from the ’40s that are still drinking very well!

Huet’s succulent moelleux wines (moelleux translates to ‘marrow-like’ and is pronounced ‘mweh-luh’) typically have between 40 and 60 g/L residual sugar. They are made mainly from grapes that have dried on the vine (passerillage) rather than those affected by botrytis. Huet’s moelleux wines can be remarkably fine and delicate—think of a great Mosel rather than a Sauternes for an idea of weight—and pair brilliantly with cheeses and a range of savoury meat dishes (only wines from the richest years work with fruit-based desserts).

Occasionally, in the top years, the sweeter première trie level is made from a berry-by-berry selection of the very ripest (often botrytis-affected) grapes. The balance is dumbfounding, and these mouthwatering, racy, transparent wines represent some of the greatest whites of France. The première trie wines can also work with desserts—but nothing too sweet (they’re better with cheeses).

“The residual sugar is 90 g/l, says Jean-Bernard Berthomé. The aromatics, despite the vintage’s reputation as a heatwave year, are spot on. This is classic evolving première tri Vouvray, a melange of limestone minerals drizzled with a a sweet honey caramel, intertwined with a wonderful citrus freshness and lift. It seems delightfully promising. The palate, I am happy to report, follows on from this first impression quite beautifully, the fruit and minerals resting on a bed of sweet caramel, and although this is not a vintage rich in botrytis I do detect a little note here too. The wine as a whole maintains a very fine balance too throughout. A very impressive, broad, imposing wine with a long and cleanly balanced finish. Delicious.”
18.5/20 points, Chris Kissack, Wine Doctor (January 2016)
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Moelleux 2003 (Museum Release)
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Moelleux 2023

Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Moelleux 2023

Perched on the Première Côte just above the town of Vouvray, Clos du Bourg is a monopole and generally regarded as the greatest of the three Huet single vineyards. The domaine has farmed it since 1953 and purchased it in 1963. Clos du Bourg is arguably the greatest vineyard in the region, producing some of the most powerful, thrilling, long-lived white wines in Europe. With only one metre of topsoil over solid limestone, the vines tap almost immediately into the mineral resources underneath. The warmth of the site, combined with the mineral complexion of the soils, results in rich, super long-lived wines that seem to effortlessly combine intense minerality with generous texture and concentration.

Huet’s succulent moelleux wines (moelleux translates to ‘marrow-like’ and is pronounced ‘mweh-luh’) typically have between 40 and 60 g/L residual sugar. They are made mainly from grapes that have dried on the vine (passerillage) rather than those affected by botrytis. Huet’s moelleux wines can be remarkably fine and delicate—think of a great Mosel rather than a Sauternes for an idea of weight—and pair brilliantly with cheeses and a range of savoury meat dishes (only wines from the richest years work with fruit-based desserts).

Occasionally, in the top years, the sweeter première trie level is made from a berry-by-berry selection of the very ripest (often botrytis-affected) grapes. The balance is dumbfounding, and these mouthwatering, racy, transparent wines represent some of the greatest whites of France. The première trie wines can also work with desserts—but nothing too sweet (they’re better with cheeses).

"The 2023 Vouvray Moelleux Clos du Bourg is a very peaceful wine, hushing the drinker. It reminds me of sitting on a pew in an empty church. Seamless, tranquil and un-showy, its sweetness lends silkiness to its core and allows it to bloom. Aromatically, there's not much going on here at the moment, but it is quite young and has ample length and purity. This is satisfying, calm and meditative, with fine texture and a cooling minty note on the long finish. It was only bottled three weeks ago, but I'm a fan already. The 2023 finished at 74 grams per liter of residual sugar, with a pH of 3.45."
98 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
“It’s hard to imagine a dessert wine that’s better balanced than this, because the acidity and richness seem to dance across your palate. It’s dense and complex, with myriad aromas of dried fruit, candied citrus, floral honey and fresh garden herbs, but the final impression is of incredible clarity and precision. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold”
96 points, jamessuckling.com
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Moelleux 2023
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie 2020

Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie 2020

Recognised since the 15th century as being one of the most distinguished sites in the appellation, Le Mont was also known locally as Perruches, a local name for the greenish-tinged clay soils flecked with perrons, fist-sized pebbles of flint. Purchased in 1957, the steep, rocky, eight-hectare vineyard lies on Vouvray’s esteemed Première Côte, part of a bank of limestone-rich hillside vineyards overlooking Tours. This block's argilo-siliceux soils (stony, with green, mineral clays and flint over limestone) provide the tight structure and pungent minerality Le Mont is renowned for. With less clay (and a different type of clay) and more stone than Le Haut-Lieu, this site typically produces the nerviest wines in the Huet stable, so this vineyard mainly produces dry and off-dry whites.

Huet’s succulent moelleux wines (moelleux translates to ‘marrow-like’ and is pronounced ‘mweh-luh’) typically have between 40 and 60 g/L residual sugar. They are made mainly from grapes that have dried on the vine (passerillage) rather than those affected by botrytis. Huet’s moelleux wines can be remarkably fine and delicate—think of a great Mosel rather than a Sauternes for an idea of weight—and pair brilliantly with cheeses and a range of savoury meat dishes (only wines from the richest years work with fruit-based desserts).

Occasionally, in the top years, the sweeter première trie level is made from a berry-by-berry selection of the very ripest (often botrytis-affected) grapes. The balance is dumbfounding, and these mouthwatering, racy, transparent wines represent some of the greatest whites of France. The première trie wines can also work with desserts—but nothing too sweet (they’re better with cheeses).

“The intensely yellow colored 2020 Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie is highly concentrated and complex on the nose that exhibits candied lemon zest and chutney aromas along with calcareous and walnut notes. Sweet (really sweet!) yet refined and elegant on the palate, this is a full-bodied, rich and generous yet piquant and firmly structured, greatly tensioned and salty 1ère Trie with pineapple flavors on the finely tannic and energetic, very sustainable finish. The 2020 has great aging potential, and I would never serve it too young. When will it really start to show its best? I don't know, but you can’t go wrong to check the wine again after 10 years.”
97 points, 97-98 points, Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate
“Showy but still elegant and refined, this beautiful wine binds together yellow fig compote, glazed white peach and crystalized ginger notes with details of green tea, blanched almond, verbena and honeysuckle. Harmonious, with tremendous length, kept lively by vivid acidity.”
97 points, GS, Wine Spectator
“Boasting 91g/L residual sugar, Le Mont's 2020 Première Trie offers additional sweetness as well as lower acidity compared with the Haut-Lieu Première Trie. As a result, this cuvée inevitably has a sense of additional richness and weight on the palate. It's balanced, but the richness means it has had to trade in some of its energy and finesse. Offering orange peel, apricot jam, floral essences and apple sauce, it's satisfying and nourishing, but I'd like more direction and purpose on the finish. That said, this is still a well-crafted and carefully made wine.”
94 points, Rebecca Gibb, Vinous
“The residual sugar in this cuvée is close to 90 g/l, and the fruit was concentrated entirely by passerillage, this being a vintage marked by very dry weather during the harvest period. The nose has a sense of polish, with sweetly grilled peach, apricot stone and honeysuckle, communicating a great purity. This is followed by a palate of fabulous density, with a seamless and polished core of fruit from the outset. Its velvety substance is filled with creamed orchard fruits, apricots and vanilla flower, but its density is nicely countered by its fresh acidity. A wine of great purity, fine acid lift and excellent potential, this is a classically styled cuvée with decades ahead of it.”
96 points, Chris Kissack, The Wine Doctor
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie 2020
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie 2022

Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie 2022

Recognised since the 15th century as being one of the most distinguished sites in the appellation, Le Mont was also known locally as Perruches, a local name for the greenish-tinged clay soils flecked with perrons, fist-sized pebbles of flint. Purchased in 1957, the steep, rocky, eight-hectare vineyard lies on Vouvray’s esteemed Première Côte, part of a bank of limestone-rich hillside vineyards overlooking Tours. This block's argilo-siliceux soils (stony, with green, mineral clays and flint over limestone) provide the tight structure and pungent minerality Le Mont is renowned for. With less clay (and a different type of clay) and more stone than Le Haut-Lieu, this site typically produces the nerviest wines in the Huet stable, so this vineyard mainly produces dry and off-dry whites.

Huet’s succulent moelleux wines (moelleux translates to ‘marrow-like’ and is pronounced ‘mweh-luh’) typically have between 40 and 60 g/L residual sugar. They are made mainly from grapes that have dried on the vine (passerillage) rather than those affected by botrytis. Huet’s moelleux wines can be remarkably fine and delicate—think of a great Mosel rather than a Sauternes for an idea of weight—and pair brilliantly with cheeses and a range of savoury meat dishes (only wines from the richest years work with fruit-based desserts).

Occasionally, in the top years, the sweeter première trie level is made from a berry-by-berry selection of the very ripest (often botrytis-affected) grapes. The balance is dumbfounding, and these mouthwatering, racy, transparent wines represent some of the greatest whites of France. The première trie wines can also work with desserts—but nothing too sweet (they’re better with cheeses).

“Despite its 125g/L of residual sugar, the 2022 Le Mont Premiere Trie Moelleux is balanced, fine and long. Yes, its sweetness fills the mouth and makes it blossom, but there's no suggestion of unctuousness or weight. It has a tranquility as if it has just finished a weekend on a retreat, calmly coating the palate with its curves. In 2022, its tender acidity makes for a gentle conclusion with a delicate floral fragrance. Nevertheless, the refined, chalky tension pulls this wine through, bringing line and length.”
95 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie 2022
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Moelleux Première Trie 2020

Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Moelleux Première Trie 2020

Le Haut Lieu was the estate’s first vineyard, purchased in 1928, and is situated on the Première Côte. As the name suggests, the house and the vineyards are located on a plateau with a slight south-facing gradient at one of the highest points of the appellation. It’s a nine-hectare plot on deep, brown, chalky clay (known as aubuis). Here, the yellow limestone (tuffeau) bedrock lies up to four metres down, making for a richer soil that produces round, supple wines that tend to drink well young. It generally produces the earliest maturing of the three cuvées and the first ready for drinking, but, like Clos du Bourg and Le Mont, the wines can be extremely long-lived. We have enjoyed bottles from the ’40s that are still drinking very well!

Huet’s succulent moelleux wines (moelleux translates to ‘marrow-like’ and is pronounced ‘mweh-luh’) typically have between 40 and 60 g/L residual sugar. They are made mainly from grapes that have dried on the vine (passerillage) rather than those affected by botrytis. Huet’s moelleux wines can be remarkably fine and delicate—think of a great Mosel rather than a Sauternes for an idea of weight—and pair brilliantly with cheeses and a range of savoury meat dishes (only wines from the richest years work with fruit-based desserts).

Occasionally, in the top years, the sweeter première trie level is made from a berry-by-berry selection of the very ripest (often botrytis-affected) grapes. The balance is dumbfounding, and these mouthwatering, racy, transparent wines represent some of the greatest whites of France. The première trie wines can also work with desserts—but nothing too sweet (they’re better with cheeses).

“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.”
96 points, Rebecca Gibb, Vinous
“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.”
96 points, 95-96 points, Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Moelleux Première Trie 2020
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Moelleux Première Trie 2022

Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Moelleux Première Trie 2022

Le Haut Lieu was the estate’s first vineyard, purchased in 1928, and is situated on the Première Côte. As the name suggests, the house and the vineyards are located on a plateau with a slight south-facing gradient at one of the highest points of the appellation. It’s a nine-hectare plot on deep, brown, chalky clay (known as aubuis). Here, the yellow limestone (tuffeau) bedrock lies up to four metres down, making for a richer soil that produces round, supple wines that tend to drink well young. It generally produces the earliest maturing of the three cuvées and the first ready for drinking, but, like Clos du Bourg and Le Mont, the wines can be extremely long-lived. We have enjoyed bottles from the ’40s that are still drinking very well!

Huet’s succulent moelleux wines (moelleux translates to ‘marrow-like’ and is pronounced ‘mweh-luh’) typically have between 40 and 60 g/L residual sugar. They are made mainly from grapes that have dried on the vine (passerillage) rather than those affected by botrytis. Huet’s moelleux wines can be remarkably fine and delicate—think of a great Mosel rather than a Sauternes for an idea of weight—and pair brilliantly with cheeses and a range of savoury meat dishes (only wines from the richest years work with fruit-based desserts).

Occasionally, in the top years, the sweeter première trie level is made from a berry-by-berry selection of the very ripest (often botrytis-affected) grapes. The balance is dumbfounding, and these mouthwatering, racy, transparent wines represent some of the greatest whites of France. The première trie wines can also work with desserts—but nothing too sweet (they’re better with cheeses).

“The 2022 Le Haut-Lieu Premiere Trie Moelleux is supple and fine with a high level of purity and finesse. It's delicate, light and precise despite its 95g/L of residual sugar.”
93 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Moelleux Première Trie 2022
Domaine Huet Vouvray Cuvée Constance 2018 (500ml)

Domaine Huet Vouvray Cuvée Constance 2018 (500ml)

The pinnacle of Huet’s production was named after Gaston Huet’s mother, Constance, and ranks among the world’s greatest dessert wines. It’s only made in the greatest sweet-wine vintages, and 2018 is certainly one of those (and only the third bottling of the previous decade). It’s a blend of the most concentrated botrytised fruit from all three of Huet’s big-ticket vineyards (Le Mont, Le Haut-Lieu and Clos du Bourg).

This was raised half in used demi-muid, half in stainless steel, and finished fermenting with around 160 g/L residual sugar and 11.5% alcohol. Stunningly pure, intense and ethereal, this nectar floats across the palate with crystalline flavours of gingerbread, spice and quince jelly, closing with an energetic, precise finish that belies its latent power. Tasting is believing. It will live for at least another 50 years, yet it is a joy to drink now.

In short, even if you rarely drink sweet wines, you will never regret having this in your cellar.

“The 2018 Vouvray “Cuvée Constance” from Domaine Huët is a stunning young wine. The bouquet is deep, pure and youthfully complex, offering up scents of sweet quince, honeycomb, barley sugar, heather, chalky soil tones and a topnote of orange peel. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a great core of fruit, lovely soil undertow and grip, zesty acids and a long, hauntingly balanced and refined finish. This is a puppy today, but also delicious to drink in its youthful guise. I would do my best to try and hold onto bottles for at least another decade and really let the fireworks unfold!”
97 points, John Gilman, A View From The Cellar
“A heavenly wine, with a beautiful earthiness rippling through decadent flavors of poached pear, stewed apple, honeycomb, pastry and spiced fig. Stealth power underscores the up-front fruit, with steely mineral, refreshing lemon verbena and crushed dried herbs adding balance and vibrancy. A stunner.”
96 points, Wine Spectator
“The white to golden-yellow colored 2018 Vouvray Cuvée Constance is deep, very clear, fresh and refined on the slightly smoky nose that is reminiscent of baby pineapples, stone fruits, lemon and quince aromas intertwined with a very delicate flintiness. Playful and finessed in all its richness, this is a full-bodied, highly elegant yet intense, saline and very sustainable Vouvray Chenin with an almost endless finish. The acidity is very finely grained but vital and savory, carrying this brilliant beauty to a very long, intense yet always delicate and stimulating finish. 11.5% stated alcohol.”
96 points, Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate
Domaine Huet Vouvray Cuvée Constance 2018 (500ml)

“No matter what the vintage or the wine style (including sparkling), the quality is always extraordinary and clearly reflects the excellence of their terroirs. The chiseled, contoured mouthfeel and precise minerality are unique in the Loire.” *** 2024 Guide Vert, La Revue du Vin de France (one of only eight domaines with the highest three-star rating).

“‘Domaine Huet’ means ‘I make the best damn Chenin Blanc on the planet’.” Mike Steinberger

“No matter the site or the sweetness level, there is an ethereal and elegant quality to these wines that defies scientific analysis.” Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous

Other Recent Releases

  • Bondar
    Bondar
    Having reached the point where they can stretch their wings beyond the Rayner vineyard,...
    Having reached the point where they can stretch their wings beyond the Rayner vineyard, we’re now beginning to see just how high Andre Bondar and S...

    Read more

  • Bannockburn
    Bannockburn
    The 2024 wines mark a golden milestone in Bannockburn’s history. Stuart Hooper, a Geelo...
    The 2024 wines mark a golden milestone in Bannockburn’s history. Stuart Hooper, a Geelong businessman, demonstrated impressive vision 50 years prio...

    Read more

  • François Chidaine
    François Chidaine
    Were the vineyards of the central Loire to be drawn up along Burgundian lines, and they...
    Were the vineyards of the central Loire to be drawn up along Burgundian lines, and they might yet be, François Chidaine would be one of the first i...

    Read more

  • Disznókő
    Disznókő
    I was recently fortunate enough to attend a wonderful tasting with Disznókő’s winemaker...
    I was recently fortunate enough to attend a wonderful tasting with Disznókő’s winemaker, László Mészáros. It was not a tasting I will forget...

    Read more

  • Cellier Saint Benoit
    Cellier Saint Benoit
    Luis Gutiérrez has got it right. Only in his late 20s, Benjamin Benoit is already a ris...
    Luis Gutiérrez has got it right. Only in his late 20s, Benjamin Benoit is already a rising star of the Jura. Born into a family of Pupillin winegro...

    Read more

  • Jo Landron
    Jo Landron
    We try never to get too carried away at Bibendum, but a bottle of Jo Landron’s single-v...
    We try never to get too carried away at Bibendum, but a bottle of Jo Landron’s single-vineyard 2021 Les Houx—a refreshing curveball of white peach ...

    Read more

  • Corzano e Paterno
    Corzano e Paterno
    It’s always fun visiting the cultivated crew at Corzano e Paterno. After working and st...
    It’s always fun visiting the cultivated crew at Corzano e Paterno. After working and studying abroad with David Croix in Burgundy and Mac Forbes in...

    Read more

  • Quealy
    Quealy
    Kathleen Quealy and Kevin McCarthy started something unique with Quealy Wines in 2003. ...
    Kathleen Quealy and Kevin McCarthy started something unique with Quealy Wines in 2003. With their son Tom McCarthy now el jefe chez Quealy, this pi...

    Read more

View All Offers

More Content

Read more about this producer