Clos du Bourg sec 2023

A full, complex Chenin Blanc with power and a dancing lightness at the same time: delicate texture, plenty of underlying energy, dry at 13.0% ABV.

The Clos du Bourg lies above the church of Vouvray, six hectares enclosed by an old stone wall – hence the name. The plot was already mentioned in the 7th century and ranks among the oldest grand cru parcels in France. The flat soil of clay with flint and chalk inclusions sits on Turonian tuffeau limestone, which the vine roots reach after just one metre. Gaston Huet secured the site in 1963 and considered it the largest vineyard in all of Vouvray.

Chenin Blanc. In 2023, spotted wing drosophila hit the Vouvray vineyards hard, demanding rigorous quality management: during the already numerous picking passes, every single berry was inspected, and at least 25% of the harvest was discarded. The grapes were meticulously sorted, pressed and fermented spontaneously; malolactic fermentation took place only in exceptional cases and in individual barrels. The wine was aged in used demi-muids.

Precise and clear, with tension and pressure, yet juicy and carried by elegant, fresh acidity. Alongside quince, pear and yellow plum stand notes of tart apple must, a touch of Earl Grey and mineral notes.

Roasted pike-perch, poultry terrine, aged Comté, Sainte-Maure de Touraine or oysters.

Gaston Huet introduced biodynamics in the late 1980s; Domaine Huet, founded in 1928, has been Demeter-certified since 1993. Cellar master Benjamin Joliveau, a Vouvray native, has been responsible for the wines since 2020; the cellars are deep rock galleries with constant temperature.