Domaine Huet 2018 Vouvray "Clos du Bourg" Moelleux 1ere Trie 750ml

The 2018 Vouvray Clos du Bourg Moelleux Première Trie is fine, pure and vital on the remarkably complex nose, initially with white asparagus and mushroom aromas, but with more aeration, fresh toast, oak and flinty notes take over. The palate is sweet and lush but serious, vibrantly fresh and highly elegant, provided with fine and lingering tannins as well as a lovely touch of fresh oak. Still sweet but delicate and vital, it has a highly attractive juiciness that is structured but serious, along with firm tannins extracted from the oak barrels. The darker toned, Pinot-like Première Trie is perhaps even finer and saltier than the beautifully balanced and finessed regular Moelleux and needs more time to integrate all its components. Tasted in May 2019.

Score: 96 points -- Stephan Reinhardt, Robertparker.com, May 2019

***

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.