Le Haut-Lieu demi-sec 2020

An off-dry Chenin Blanc from Vouvray whose 20 grams of residual sugar reads as juiciness rather than weight. The nose is open and fragrant: white and yellow flowers, nashi pear, yellow apple and fresh apple cider, alongside wet stone and herbs. Nothing heavy or opulent, but full of character and serious.

Le Haut-Lieu lies on the Vouvray plateau and is the vineyard with which the Huet family founded the estate in 1928. The topsoil, locally called aubuis, consists of deep brown clay with little flint and chalk, followed four meters down by yellow tuffeau limestone. The deep, calcareous clay of the nine hectares makes the wines approachable.

Chenin Blanc, harvested between September 7 and 25, 2020, the earliest start to harvest in the estate's history. The grapes were meticulously sorted, pressed and fermented spontaneously, with malolactic fermentation occurring only in individual barrels. Aging took place in used demi-muids. At Huet, demi-sec means 15 to 25 grams of residual sugar; here it is 20. Since 2020, cellar master Benjamin Joliveau has been responsible for the wines.

The balance of sweetness and acidity shows itself immediately: yellow- and white-fleshed fruit, round, juicy and creamy, carried by finely chiseled acidity and fresh minerality. Despite 13.5% ABV, the wine remains light-footed, with tension, precision and depth.

Blini with trout roe and crème fraîche, wild partridge pâté with quince marmalade and Sichuan pepper, and grilled prawn skewers.

Gaston Huet introduced biodynamics as early as the late 1980s, and the estate has been Demeter-certified since 1993. Maturation takes place in deep rock-cut tunnels at a constant temperature. 2020 was heavily marked by sun and warmth, resulting mainly in wines with residual sugar.