Domaine Huët Masterclass with Benjamin Joliveau

A tasting featuring some of the current 2007 releases from dry Vouvray (Chenin Blanc at around 5 g/l residual sugar) through to demi-sec (17-20 g/l), Moelleux (30 g/l) and Cuvée Constance (220 g/l) and which is one of France's greatest desert wines. The tasting concluded with the legendary 1945 Haut Lieu Moelleux Vouvray 1945 which came straight from the Huet cellars.

• 2007 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Mont 93 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  The nose is a firm flinty and mineral affair with lashings of candied ginger and dried peach. The palette shows a great mineral and acid balance with a big juicy finish with grassy green apples and a savoury end.

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• 2007 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Clos du Bourg 94 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  The first notes on the nose are dried fruits with pear being the most dominant smell, but there are also delicate ginger and floral notes wrapped around it. The palette is delicate but structured with a backbone and the oily finish is perfect. At the end a nice gentle acid and mineral zing to cut through the residual sugar.

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• 2007 Domaine Huet Vouvray Demi-Sec Le Mont 96 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  The nose immediately hints at the residual sugar to come with honey and ginger-nut biscuits [cookies for Americans]. On the palette, the residual sugar is balanced with an acid component that isn't all forward, but that provides a big wide mouthfeel. Plenty of ginger lollies on the palette and a great long finish with the sugar providing a big body.

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• 2007 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux Clos du Bourg 95 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  The nose displays honey, orange cake and tangerine. The nose by itself after a few minutes of opening could be mistaken for a 10 year old Alsace Gewurztraminer, but the palette is less bitter, with a balance of the sweet heavy oily mouth feel and the soft acid finish that cleans out the sugar for a super long finish.

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• 2005 Domaine Huet Vouvray Cuvée Constance 97 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  The nose is an exciting mix of candied ginger, orange peel, mothballs, compost, marzipan and grassy flowers. The palette is a sweet honeyed marzipan start with a super concentrated expansive mouthfeel and a perfectly balanced acid of grapefruit that also adds a slight bitterness to the finish that really goes on and on and on. This really needs to be left for another 15+ years. A sensational Huët - I wish I could put away more of these, but you won't get much change out of $300 Aussie dollars for this puppy.

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• 1945 Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux Le Haut-Lieu 99 Points

  France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray

  Tasted at a Domaine Huët masterclass in Melbourne with Benjamin Joliveau. While the current stocks of this wine for sale by the Domain were all mostly re-corked and topped up (with the 1945 I might add) in 2005, the bottle we had was re-corked and topped up about 10 - 15 years ago. The cork was wet through two thirds and dry on the top third and was in good condition.
  
  The colour is amazing for a 65 year old wine. Not only was it a deep gold, but it even still had green tinges at the edge.
  
  The nose opened up quite quickly with a sublime melted butter dancing around delicate musky floral notes. Every type of citrus under the sun was present, with tangerine taking front row. Candle wax and soft peaches were right behind the citrus acid and were not taking a back seat.
  
  The mouthfeel was immense - fresh lively peaches with a crisp citrus acidity and a lingering buttery, almost petroleum ending. The concentrated, oily and waxy mouthfeel, bordering on a fatty texture left a coating on the lips that could still be felt long after the last mouthful.
  
  The first 10 minutes were spectacular - the colour and the acid made me wonder exactly how long this thing could be kept for. It almost feels like we are at the halfway mark, with another 65 years to go, but after 15 to 20 minutes, the wine started to dry and the palette became metallic, the crisp notes and acid falling away. We were lucky to get such a great bottle in such amazing condition and I would say that this should be drunk now if you have any. Bottles are now fetching up to AU$2,500 so I don't know how I'm going to see this one again.
  
  Incredible.

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