Lovely to see a note from the golden age of Coulée de Serrant; I just wish they could make wine which recaptured what they achieved back in 1989 and 1990, but I just don’t think they see it.
I think unless you have tasted Huet demi-secs back many decades it is impossible to imagine how they age (they can be quite difficult to describe too!). I mean, if you taste one or two old St Juliens, or old Pomerols, you get a feel for how the wines evolve and how other chateaux might evolve. But there is nothing that develops like old Huet & Foreau demi-sec and moelleux wines. I tasted some attractive older wines from the appellation as part of their 90th anniversary celebrations back in February, largely from less familiar domaines back to 1947, and while a couple impressed but I don’t think any of them would have held a candle to Huet/Foreau.
Two decades ago I might have written something similar regarding drinking windows and evolution but it was a tasting with Noel Pinguet circa 20 years ago opened my eyes to what the wines were capable of, as we tasted demi-secs from the 1970s back into the 1940s. After that I tried to add some older wines to my own cellar but suffice to say I have had more luck finding and buying wines from 1971 (excellent vintage still on the way up) than I have 1947 (vintage of the century, arguably).
On prem-ox, I did see quite a bit of unexpected oxidation with Huet at the sec level in the 2002 vintage but nothing memorable in other vintages.
The 2008 demi-secs absolutely rock, I invested in Huet but also Foreau, Careme, Taille aux Loups and Chidaine. Last time I checked in on them was three years ago and they were all stunning, and all babies.
I didn’t lay down any sec but dumped pretty much all my 2002 Huet Demi secs and most of my 2002 petillants (the 2 of the case that held up were glorious however)
I thought I had read that sulphuric usage had been reduced since the 90s. I’d be happy to hear that isn’t true
Maybe this is a long shot question, but do you know how much the RS level fluctuates year by year for their sweeter labels? I guess they stop fermentation when the wine is “balanced” but even then, I see quite large variation in the RS level between cuvées and vintages. Is it that certain vineyards or recent vintages have more RS?
I had a 1938 Haut Lieu about 7 years ago that blind I would have said was fully mature but not close to the downslope. Huets are like people, you can be “mature” at 18 and mature at 55 but still not over the hill.
Sad to hear about the FMC, I’ve loved them aged, but at release they’re not for me.
If you are asking about the 2002 Sec, those were my friend’s bottles, so I don’t know. My 2002s Moelleux were original release, bought in the secondary market, 5 out of 6 were good, I have 1 left to open.
My experience is that the Moelleux, Moelleux 1ere Trie and Cuvee Constance are not affected, but the Petillant, secs and demi-secs all started showing premox around 2011-2012 and much more widespread around 2013-2014.
This tracks with my (albeit limited) experience with 2002 Huet. A couple of years back, we did a Huet vertical and the 2002 Le Mont Sec showed advanced and a bit sherried (though still drinkable) while the 2002 1er Trie CdB was stunning and in a great place.