2018 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Clos du Bourg- France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray (9/15/2020)
Starts off with some very pronounced ginger and quince, quite exotic and perhaps a bit much in the early going. I served this too cold, as it warmed, more ‘Huety” stuff came out: mineral tension, saline misted acidity and an over all good focus. That being said, I don’t see this as a long term ager, one to enjoy in its first decade not two or three. (91 pts.)
I am coincidentally drinking this wine this week too. I’ve had it open for a couple days and am down to my last glass for tonight.
I’ve found it quite stony and tense and like it but it is lacking a little bit of extract / structure and excitement in the midpalate. While I’m loathe to write off any Huet in terms of long term potential, I tend to agree with you that this is not the vintage to go deep on this sec.
I decided not to buy 2018 Le Mont DS for the cellar either. On trying a couple bottles over the last couple months, I decided instead to backfill more 2016 and wait for 2019, here now. (At some point I should just stop buying the young vintages. Maybe 2019 will be it given the old guard there is now gone entirely.)
2018 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Clos du Bourg - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray (8/29/2023)
Is there a more chameleon of a wine than Chenin Blanc? From a pop and pour, we see a copious supply of spicy ginger, an acidic thrust of fresh squeezed lemon and a bit of the CdB pebbles on the finish. I saved a glass and about 3 hrs later, the spiciness had toned down a fair amount, and instead we have a palate of pure and concentrated Granny Smith apples with an almost honeyed quality that suggested a drizzle of honey - though this was bone dry through and through. It really was two different wines coming from the same bottle, both compelling, both delicious. I do think though I’m drinking my Huets on the younger side, and I’m ok with that. (92 points)
When I had this in 2021 it was fun to follow and watch it change quite a bit with air. I found I liked it best at 72 hours on. FWIW, I believe even the Huet Secs have a pinch of RS.
2018 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Clos du Bourg - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray (1/25/2021)
(Followed over 72 hours) This pours medium straw in the glass. The nose begins tight but over the course of a few hours gains in complexity and explodes from the glass by the third day. It aromas are of dry hay, chalk, ripe pear, honey drizzled red apple, honeycomb, and apple blossom. The nose is initially both moderate intensity and complexity, but gains both complexity and intensity over the time it is followed. The palate is quite nice featuring a lovely sweet entry of apple and honey, turning dry on the mid palate and tart on the finish. The acid is medium plus keeping this bright and fresh. The finish lingers pleasantly. medium plus in length showing some apple skin and a kiss of apple blossom. This is quite and spectacular in the end. Initially I was only 92 or so but as I followed this it opened significantly. I'd recommend plenty of air time if drinking this young. (94 points)
I just had the 2021 last week, as a matter of fact. I didn’t post a note in CT, but my experience was quote close to that of @Chris_V with the 2018. The '21 was very appley and honeyed on the nose to start with, but the wine really benefited from ~90+ minutes of air. At that point, even near room temperature, the complexity really grew with lanolin and minerality coming out. I don’t have a ton of experience with Huet CdBs, but I’d agree that there seems to be a little RS in them.
