Nice bottle; no oxidative notes; floral, peach, dried apricot, wool, baked lemon, some stone and grass. Good weight, but with lovely energy; there is some sweetness, but it is well balanced by the dry extract and the acidity. Very tasty.
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Gold color. A mix of Chardonnay and Riesling. As my 5yr old son said - pear, apple, peach, and melons. Nailed it! Throw in some hints of oak and butter and this wine has it all and is nicely complex. Medium plus depth and lovely finish. Wine is definitely under priced.
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Another Oxidized Huet. Poured the color of dark honey and tasted like cooked fruit. Much more advanced than it should be, advanced to the point of dead. Other bottles from the same order and vintage have shown well. Middle aged Huet has been a roll of the dice for me lately.
Purchased and cellared properly since release.
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When I first started really getting into wine 40 years ago, I had a Chenin which turned me off. Likely cheap. Likely Canadian.I do not recall the circumstances, but I managed to stay away from the grape for 4 decades. With this wine, and Huet generally, it would seem I've missed 4 decades of goodness! ( I guess drinking the rainbow has the benefit of discovery!)
This is a fabulous wine. And, between this, and it's 2019 Sec brethren, I could buy and drink more.
Chenin Blanc 100% 13% abv
There are many notes here, so I'll just mention that it's a golden ,unctuous wine, thickly so, which has the usual peaches and pears and green apples and more. Aligned lengthy finish ( much more than a minute).
This seems not to be a dessert wine, but as many have mentioned previously, it could be nicely paired with the usual appetizers( foie gras)and desserts( cheese). I'm more fond of Riesling TBAuslese, or Sauternes for those duties, but I could substitute this demi sec in a pinch! 🤣 I know, first world challenges! 😉
Buy it, and drink it. Though, apparently, you can save it for decades? But, I've had several wines go past their due date, so test/drink often, and without regret! Better to drink on way to it's best, or when it's plateaued for a few years, than to think it's gonna be great, forever! That, it's an expensive lesson every collector learns at some point, methinks.
PS- Drink the Rainbow
From Robert Parker -rated 91- drink too 2045.
Dressed in a golden-yellow robe and bottled with 18 grams of residual sugar, Huet's 2016 Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Demi-Sec offers a clear and aromatic bouquet of crushed chalk and ripe, tropical fruit aromas. Round, piquant and salty on the palate, with a delicate juiciness and stimulating mineral grip, this is a promising and tensioned Chenin Blanc that delivers more drama and piquancy to the palate than the Sec counterpart. Although it's already lovely to drink, I would keep it at least for five years. The 2016 is lovely, pure, straight and elegant. Tasted February 2018.
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28 months after the prior: this is developing beautifully. Pleasant suggestions of savory orchard fruit and pit. Lovely acidity backing up the inherent sweetness. Quite complex, and very enjoyable over two nights. Wish we had more.
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Killer high energy wine. Notes of apple, pear, lemon, honey, lychee, and flowers. High acid, sharp texture followed by sweetness on the mid-palate and finish. Demi-sec Vouvrays sometimes turn me off if the sweetness outdoes the acidity, but the the quality of the fruit and winemaking here is outstanding. If you're not into piercing acidity, let this age for another 3 to 5 years.
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Yellow with green highlights. Yellow apple and chamomile. Lemony citrus, peach, honey, very precise yellow apple, river stone mineral. Exquisite balance between sweet and acid, with creamy texture and medium body.
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Medium lemon colour. Medium (+) nose with apple, baked lemon, yellow plum, grilled pineapple and cheese. Pronounced taste of red apples, baked lemon and grilled pineapple. Long and medium sweet finish. High acidity and full body. A very good quality Vouvray that will get better by agening. Goes well with cheeses and foie gras.
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An extraordinary bottle and a top contender for WOTN during an evening in which French wine (and one Spanish) graced the table and meal shared by great friends. Pear, lychee, green apple, dry honeycomb, subtle citrus, lemongrass, wax, and mineral elements throughout. The wine touches every part of the palate, at once gritty and piercing. Time will serve it well. 94-95...96?
Medium golden. Bright, viscous, vibrant. The acid is in lovely balance with the sweet and slightly savory yellow fruit. Beautifully complex. A hit with blue cheese. Highly enjoyable meted out in small pours over five nights.
Higher pitched and leaner than the same vintage Le Mont Demi-Sec at present, though not to imply the wine lacks character or substance. Indeed, it seemed that this tightly wound, testable offering might outlast and outpace the Le Mont...after three decades. It features piercing energy on another level. Probably best to bury these bottles for at least a decade. 94-95...96?
Takes some time to open up. Subdued aromas of quince, apricot, honey and lime zest. Layers of ripe fruit are offset with uplifting bright acidity. Richly textured and cloying. Surrounds the palate providing long clinging finish. Good now but should show much better with some time. Re-visit this in 3-5 years or beyond.
Lovely acidity and minerality with orchard fruits and nicely balanced with the RS. Not as complex as I'd hoped for, but 1) I do realize it is very young, and 2) it's the first Huet Demi-Sec I've ever had, so take this all for what it's worth. From a 375.
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Dönnhoff Eiswein (2009-11) et al. (Chicago, IL): I really wanted to like this more than I did, but I just didn't find it too convincing, especially with this coming on the heels of the 2015 vintage. This is obviously extremely tight, and frankly, not the most expressive wine right now. Like the 2012 Champalou, this is coming off a little high-toned with the aldehydes right now; I suspect the remedy to this is just some time.
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Enjoyable, reminds me of a well balanced Kabinett Riesling. On the sweet side, not quite "off dry" I would say. Excellent acidity balance. Good minerality, Overall, I think a well made wine that should age well. Very good QPR
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Young of course, but curiosity got the best of me and it was only a half. Still, this is beautiful. Sappy Chenin green apple, pear with smoke, mineral, and honey notes. Nicely balanced on the palate. I was pleased that this galvanized the group to plan a visit to the Domaine.
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This is showing fairly one-note at present. On the first night, sweetness dominates, to the exclusion of most everything else. In fairness, I drank it too cold and without enough air, which was my fault. It was a little more balanced on the second night, but the soil and grip that arrives at the very tail end was too late to make much of a difference. But it's there, and it's just not ready to come out. If you open one now, I recommend letting it warm up and giving it quite a bit of air.
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Light yellow. Some pear. Lively, rich entry with moderate upfront sugar. Better mid-palate and concentration than the range of 2016's I tasted a few weeks ago, but still not as caressing as the best wines from here. Bright, lemony finish full of stone.
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Huet 2016 Horizontal (San Francisco, CA): From a 375. Aromatic, a bit of quince, apple; off-dry, white peach, medium to medium-plus acid; finish is short. This seems a bit more muddled than the sec, which had much more minerality and freshness. 88
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Huet 2016 horizontal (Ashish's): Expressive nose - slightly oxidative yellow browned apple, slight honey - slight botrytis. Lightly sweet - around 20g. Slightly elevated alcohol - 13%. Medium body, medium alcohol, high acid. Long finish of fresher apples and slight parmesan rind (lees?).
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10/24/2023 - jnewman77 wrote:
Nice bottle; no oxidative notes; floral, peach, dried apricot, wool, baked lemon, some stone and grass. Good weight, but with lovely energy; there is some sweetness, but it is well balanced by the dry extract and the acidity. Very tasty.
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4/23/2023 - David_K wrote: 93 Points
Wasn't sure what to expect as this can be a bit of an awkward age for these but it was singing tonight. Youthful and fresh. A great demi-sec.
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4/11/2023 - jmoon Does not like this wine: 88 Points
For my taste too sweet
Good for 1/2 glass
The sec is good not the Demi sec unless you want a dessert wine
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3/2/2023 - PMJak11 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Gold color. A mix of Chardonnay and Riesling. As my 5yr old son said - pear, apple, peach, and melons. Nailed it! Throw in some hints of oak and butter and this wine has it all and is nicely complex. Medium plus depth and lovely finish. Wine is definitely under priced.
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1/19/2023 - pa1966stang wrote: flawed
Another Oxidized Huet. Poured the color of dark honey and tasted like cooked fruit. Much more advanced than it should be, advanced to the point of dead. Other bottles from the same order and vintage have shown well. Middle aged Huet has been a roll of the dice for me lately.
Purchased and cellared properly since release.
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9/19/2022 - Sagan99 Likes this wine: 92 Points
When I first started really getting into wine 40 years ago, I had a Chenin which turned me off. Likely cheap. Likely Canadian.I do not recall the circumstances, but I managed to stay away from the grape for 4 decades.
With this wine, and Huet generally, it would seem I've missed 4 decades of goodness! ( I guess drinking the rainbow has the benefit of discovery!)
This is a fabulous wine. And, between this, and it's 2019 Sec brethren, I could buy and drink more.
Chenin Blanc 100%
13% abv
There are many notes here, so I'll just mention that it's a golden ,unctuous wine, thickly so, which has the usual peaches and pears and green apples and more. Aligned lengthy finish ( much more than a minute).
This seems not to be a dessert wine, but as many have mentioned previously, it could be nicely paired with the usual appetizers( foie gras)and desserts( cheese).
I'm more fond of Riesling TBAuslese, or Sauternes for those duties, but I could substitute this demi sec in a pinch! 🤣 I know, first world challenges! 😉
Buy it, and drink it. Though, apparently, you can save it for decades? But, I've had several wines go past their due date, so test/drink often, and without regret! Better to drink on way to it's best, or when it's plateaued for a few years, than to think it's gonna be great, forever!
That, it's an expensive lesson every collector learns at some point, methinks.
PS- Drink the Rainbow
From Robert Parker -rated 91- drink too 2045.
Dressed in a golden-yellow robe and bottled with 18 grams of residual sugar, Huet's 2016 Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Demi-Sec offers a clear and aromatic bouquet of crushed chalk and ripe, tropical fruit aromas. Round, piquant and salty on the palate, with a delicate juiciness and stimulating mineral grip, this is a promising and tensioned Chenin Blanc that delivers more drama and piquancy to the palate than the Sec counterpart. Although it's already lovely to drink, I would keep it at least for five years. The 2016 is lovely, pure, straight and elegant. Tasted February 2018.
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1/16/2022 - Deaddeadwine Likes this wine:
Neither as acidic or as sweet as previous notes state.
From 375
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11/30/2020 - Deux Chevaux wrote:
28 months after the prior: this is developing beautifully. Pleasant suggestions of savory orchard fruit and pit. Lovely acidity backing up the inherent sweetness. Quite complex, and very enjoyable over two nights. Wish we had more.
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5/3/2020 - scotty_b wrote: 95 Points
Killer high energy wine. Notes of apple, pear, lemon, honey, lychee, and flowers. High acid, sharp texture followed by sweetness on the mid-palate and finish. Demi-sec Vouvrays sometimes turn me off if the sweetness outdoes the acidity, but the the quality of the fruit and winemaking here is outstanding. If you're not into piercing acidity, let this age for another 3 to 5 years.
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5/1/2020 - Daltond333 wrote:
Yellow with green highlights. Yellow apple and chamomile. Lemony citrus, peach, honey, very precise yellow apple, river stone mineral. Exquisite balance between sweet and acid, with creamy texture and medium body.
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8/28/2019 - SuperSomm wrote:
Medium lemon colour. Medium (+) nose with apple, baked lemon, yellow plum, grilled pineapple and cheese. Pronounced taste of red apples, baked lemon and grilled pineapple. Long and medium sweet finish. High acidity and full body. A very good quality Vouvray that will get better by agening. Goes well with cheeses and foie gras.
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7/18/2019 - Motz wrote: 94 Points
An extraordinary bottle and a top contender for WOTN during an evening in which French wine (and one Spanish) graced the table and meal shared by great friends. Pear, lychee, green apple, dry honeycomb, subtle citrus, lemongrass, wax, and mineral elements throughout. The wine touches every part of the palate, at once gritty and piercing. Time will serve it well. 94-95...96?
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7/31/2018 - Deux Chevaux wrote:
Medium golden. Bright, viscous, vibrant. The acid is in lovely balance with the sweet and slightly savory yellow fruit. Beautifully complex. A hit with blue cheese. Highly enjoyable meted out in small pours over five nights.
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7/8/2018 - englishman's claret wrote: 91 Points
Potent nose and palate; loads of green melon, somewhat reminiscent of Comte rind. 17gm residual sugar.
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7/1/2018 - Motz wrote: 94 Points
Higher pitched and leaner than the same vintage Le Mont Demi-Sec at present, though not to imply the wine lacks character or substance. Indeed, it seemed that this tightly wound, testable offering might outlast and outpace the Le Mont...after three decades. It features piercing energy on another level. Probably best to bury these bottles for at least a decade. 94-95...96?
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4/12/2018 - norsktorsk wrote: 90 Points
more sweet than I like
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4/6/2018 - SouthernStateofMind wrote:
Takes some time to open up. Subdued aromas of quince, apricot, honey and lime zest. Layers of ripe fruit are offset with uplifting bright acidity. Richly textured and cloying. Surrounds the palate providing long clinging finish. Good now but should show much better with some time. Re-visit this in 3-5 years or beyond.
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3/2/2018 - SeaWine wrote: 90 Points
Lovely acidity and minerality with orchard fruits and nicely balanced with the RS. Not as complex as I'd hoped for, but 1) I do realize it is very young, and 2) it's the first Huet Demi-Sec I've ever had, so take this all for what it's worth. From a 375.
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1/15/2018 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Dönnhoff Eiswein (2009-11) et al. (Chicago, IL): I really wanted to like this more than I did, but I just didn't find it too convincing, especially with this coming on the heels of the 2015 vintage. This is obviously extremely tight, and frankly, not the most expressive wine right now. Like the 2012 Champalou, this is coming off a little high-toned with the aldehydes right now; I suspect the remedy to this is just some time.
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12/30/2017 - srh wrote:
JUST noted: I moved the TN that was formerly here to their '16 Demi-Sec Le Mont, which was ACTUALLY the wine I tasted & later purchased.
BIG time apologies. (Blushing...)
srh, 5/7/20
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11/25/2017 - gpritsch Likes this wine: 90 Points
Enjoyable, reminds me of a well balanced Kabinett Riesling.
On the sweet side, not quite "off dry" I would say.
Excellent acidity balance. Good minerality,
Overall, I think a well made wine that should age well. Very good QPR
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11/8/2017 - englishman's claret wrote: 91 Points
Young of course, but curiosity got the best of me and it was only a half. Still, this is beautiful. Sappy Chenin green apple, pear with smoke, mineral, and honey notes. Nicely balanced on the palate. I was pleased that this galvanized the group to plan a visit to the Domaine.
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11/8/2017 - David_K wrote:
This is showing fairly one-note at present. On the first night, sweetness dominates, to the exclusion of most everything else. In fairness, I drank it too cold and without enough air, which was my fault. It was a little more balanced on the second night, but the soil and grip that arrives at the very tail end was too late to make much of a difference. But it's there, and it's just not ready to come out. If you open one now, I recommend letting it warm up and giving it quite a bit of air.
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10/21/2017 - drwine2001 wrote:
Light yellow. Some pear. Lively, rich entry with moderate upfront sugar. Better mid-palate and concentration than the range of 2016's I tasted a few weeks ago, but still not as caressing as the best wines from here. Bright, lemony finish full of stone.
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10/15/2017 - aagrawal wrote: 88 Points
Huet 2016 Horizontal (San Francisco, CA): From a 375. Aromatic, a bit of quince, apple; off-dry, white peach, medium to medium-plus acid; finish is short. This seems a bit more muddled than the sec, which had much more minerality and freshness. 88
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10/15/2017 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 88 Points
Huet 2016 horizontal (Ashish's): Expressive nose - slightly oxidative yellow browned apple, slight honey - slight botrytis.
Lightly sweet - around 20g. Slightly elevated alcohol - 13%. Medium body, medium alcohol, high acid. Long finish of fresher apples and slight parmesan rind (lees?).
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6/14/2017 - Lord of the Bottles Likes this wine: 92 Points
Domaine Huet with Sarah Hwang (Armit Wines): Sweet apricot, stone fruit. Long finish, very nice and balanced already.
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