Question for the peeps who have been there/live there. Is Huet a respected winery in the Loire? The reason i ask is that two friends of ours, who are NOT wine geeks but enjoy it casually, we’re traveling there last week and asked for my recommendations for wineries that they should visit. I told them, hands down, that Huet should be at the top of the list. Apparently, they were told by ‘multiple people’ there (Including a ‘wine shop’), that they could do much better than Huet, and that it was similar to Kendall Jackson in that it’s massed produced and low quality.
I’m a HUGE Huet fan as i know many here are, so I was almost personally insulted by this, ha! So i wanted to ask…is Huet looked at differently there vs. Here in the states? Any feedback would be much appreciated!
Very interested in this discussion since I was just about to press “send” on an email requesting a tasting at Huet over the Summer.
I’ve found in the past, albeit with a limited number of experiences, that some “you have to go to X” wineries are underwhelming in terms of the visit experience (a post on this board a few years back noted the “transactional” nature of many of those) and/or often overpriced compared to others right down the road who aren’t as well-known who don’t export much. One local waiter in a certain French region responded when I asked about local perceptions that certain superstar producers were good, but seemed overpriced when placed next to nearby competitors.
In terms of Huet, I haven’t yet tried their wines so far, but I’ve found some pretty good value from lesser-known producers in the area; just had an outstanding 2008 Moelleux from a Domaine that appears to have never been mentioned on this board for $30 and a Coteaux du Layon for $14. Given that comparable Huet prices seem to be considerably higher, I’ll be curious to find out if they’re worth it.
I think Huet’s wines and track record speaks for itself.
What Huet isn’t, is a part of the new wave of small producers that has been popping up everywhere over the last decade(+) in Loire. The style is often different at these wineries, and maybe some people think that those wines are superior and more to their liking…
But calling Huet’s wines low quality is honestly ridiculous.
Thanks all - i appreciate all the feedback and it’s exactly what i was thinking/expecting. I have no idea who my friends talked to over there or what ‘wine shop’ they visited…but comparing Huet to KJ really triggered me, ha! So i had to run it past the larger group here
More tongue in cheek comment scoffing at the idea that Huet isn’t Vouvray at the highest level. The most that could be said is that the domaine was sold (over 20 years ago now) and the old guard have now left us or retired fully as of Jean-Bernard Berthomé‘s retirement after the 2019 vintage. Given the legendary track record for the entire existence of the domaine, I’d give them the benefit of any doubt.
But this 1947 is an insane wine. Lucky to have this bottle. Drink now and for another 30 years.
Is there anyone in Vouvray/Montlouis making wine in the trendy new Anjou style? Genuinely curious. I suspect if we don’t know about any now, it’s coming.
Huet is also a good-sized domaine. They make a decent amount of wine. So folks dedicated only to smallish growers with limited sourcing and production, thought of as “artisanal,” may have views of making wine at the Huet scale in the region. But it’s far-fetched to suggest this is factory wine. That’s a crazy take.
Anyone interested in the history of the domaine can find a lot on the internet. .
I am not that up to date/paying enough attention at the moment. But it feels like every danish importer are getting new loire producers into their portfolio every week at the moment … so I am sure there are these days.
To compare it to KJ is outrageous. There has been some controversy in the past with regards to ownership and vision. It’s been owned by Anthony Hwang, a Chinese American businessman, since 2002. Then recently Pinguet who has lineage to the original family, retired early, apparently because Hwang has wanted to make more in the dry style.
FWIW, when I was in the Cave de Touraine-Amboise last year, the very knowledgeable host spoke highly of Huet even though he was understandably more interested in promoting the local AOC’s wines (which I enjoyed very much, both the reds and the whites).
… so I am sure there are these days.