Having tried a few of the Huet Vourvrays, from Sec-LHL, Demi-Sec Le Mont, from a couple of vintages (can’t recall which off the top of my head), i found that they all seem to have a bitter finish…
Is that normal? or am i having off bottles? If it’s ‘normal’… what is causing that bitter finish?
My experience is only with the _sec_s, however I also note some bitterness on the finish, less so if the wine is not too cold, and also less so on day two (never made it to day three). I might additionally note that I don’t mind the taste, just that I have noticed it.
I can see that. Is it like a bitter almond type of note? I find this in some gerwurztraminer, certain Italian whites, French alpine white (think Savoie)…I rather like it as long as it is not the only note in a wine.
With 2012 secs, yes.
what’s the cause? just from a wine-geeky perspective…
is it the grapes of the season?
is it fermentation with stems?
is it just chenin blanc in general? (are other vouvrays bitter?)
One obvious possibility, if it isn’t just acid, is botrytis.
Except you don’t really get botrytis in dry wines and I’d suggest you typically find the bitterness more in Secs, to a lesser extent Demi-Secs. Not to say that you never find it in the sweeties, but I rarely have, but I do agree it’s been due to botrytis in those instances.
I agree with Markus about it usually manifesting itself more as a green almond note than say a citrus pith note, though the '12s seem more of the later than the former.
I was going to say, “Calling Brad!”
I’m confused. Are you saying there isn’t in botrytis in the Huet secs, or in dry wines in general? I’ve certainly had some fat but dry chardonnays that had some, and I had a Closel Clos du Papillon Savennieres (2004?) last week that I’m pretty sure had some. I assumed it wouldn’t be unheard of for Huet, but you know the wines better than I do.
Are you saying that is botrytis or just acids?
Never say never, but it’s more the rare exception that there’s botrytis in Vouvray sec. The bitterness is typically a function of unripe Chenin.
Thanks for the clarification.
awesome. thank you…
dunno about Huet, but every Coulee de Serrant I have had tasted distinctly of botrytis
speaking of which (thread drift…)
what is this:
2004 Coutherau Clos de la Coulée de Serrant
I thought Coulee de Serrant was a monopole
The 2010s were so intense that it wasn’t even all that fun to put them in your mouth, and they were rather difficult to swallow.
If they don’t get premoxed, then it might take 20 years or more before the 2010s settled down and become pleasant to drink.
The 2002s, on the other hand, were very open when I first tried them, but sadly they seem to be dying of premox now [or so they say].