Domaine Huet 2015 Vouvray "Le Haut Lieu Franc de Pied" Sec 750ml

 In 1985 Domaine Huet planted an experimental .20 hectare parcel of own-rooted Chenin Blanc in the Haut-Lieu vineyard (French patois for this is “franc de pied”). This micro-parcel had been bottled on its own in 2002, 2003 and 2007 and releases from 2014 and 2015 wait patiently in the wings. 

’09 was an extremely successful vintage for Huet overall, but the dry wines are benchmark and this is the most appealingly opulent dry Vouvray that I’ve ever had in my life. It’s got the affably gregarious aromas of Vouvray’s most exotic, pumped further by the unctuous texture of gangster-ass Savennières. This is a legend in the making and the best young dry Chenin that has ever passed my lips. Imagine how much it would cost if I was writing about the best young Chardonnay that I’ve ever tasted…

-- Al Drinkle, metrovino.com

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Domaine Huet is arguably Vouvray's most famous and greatest Domaine and is really, one of the greatest wine estates in the world. So, it might come as a surprise to some to find out that this estate was only founded in 1928 by the Huet family, Victor, and son, Gaston. Today the estate is under new management, but the devotion to the production of world class Chenin based wines remains unchanged. The estate vineyard holdings are composed of three main sites: Le Haut-Lieu, Le Mont and Le Clos du Bourg. In 1988 each of these sites was converted biodynamic viticulture. The range and style of wines produced by the estate varies from year to year and each vineyard site produces wines different from one another. These are wines destined for long life in the cellar. They really require at least a decade in the cellar to be fully enjoyed.