Le Haut-Lieu demi-sec 2022

Over notes of yellow apples, nashi pears and yellow plums lie a touch of caramel, floral aromas, herbs and a dash of lemon. The wine feels both lively and dense at once: a demi-sec with richness and complexity that nonetheless remains easy to approach. The seducer of the 2022 vintage.

Le Haut-Lieu lies on the Vouvray plateau and marks the beginning of the estate: in 1928 the Huet family bought the property along with the five hectares this site comprised at the time. The topsoil consists of deep brown clay with little flint and chalk, locally known as aubuis, resting on yellow tuffeau limestone four metres below.

Pure Chenin Blanc. Heatwaves and drought made the grapes ripen very unevenly in 2022. Harvest began on 8 September, the second-earliest date in the estate's history, and stretched over six weeks, longer than ever before. 24 pickers sorted the grapes over numerous passes; pressing was gentle, fermentation spontaneous. Malolactic fermentation occurred only in individual barrels. The wine was aged in used demi-muids, with residual sugar at 18 grams.

The subtle sweetness sits within ripe, juicy fruit, while the acidity stays elegant. Beneath it lies a deep, bright-seeming minerality and a tannin that lends contour. The bitter-savoury edge is clearly pronounced, the texture silky and creamy.

Tarte Tatin with porcini, Peruvian salmon sashimi with togarashi pepper or spicy lentil pancakes with mango salsa.

Gaston Huet introduced biodynamic farming in the late 1980s; the entire estate has been Demeter-certified since 1993. Since 2020, cellar master Benjamin Joliveau, a native of Vouvray, has been responsible for the wines. The cellars are deep rock tunnels with constant temperature.