Le Mont Moelleux 2002

A sweet Vouvray that never feels heavy. The sweetness is present, but never overwrought, trailing off into a richness held in balance by acidity and minerality. After nearly twenty years, the wine shows no hint of fatigue.

Le Mont sits on the first Vouvray plateau with a south-facing aspect, directly above the estate's tuffeau caves, and ranks among the most prized vineyards in the appellation, known for its history and long-lived wines. Nine hectares of flinty, silica-rich soil and deep green clay lend intensity, minerality and a refined structure carried by vibrant acidity. Gaston Huet secured the site in 1957.

Pure Chenin Blanc, called the grape of moonlight in Vouvray. It is aged in neutral vessels within the deep rock-cut galleries that serve as the estate's cellar: constant temperature and time. In the vineyard, Domaine Huet farms biodynamically.

Sparkling golden yellow in the glass. On the nose, acacia honey and fruit bread, dried apricots and tarte Tatin, alongside clove, saffron, light tobacco and white pepper, candied pineapple, fully ripe yellow stone fruit and dried herbs. As it warms, earthy, mushroomy notes emerge, with a touch of Alba truffle. The palate opens cool and juicy, the aromatics lingering long on the finish.

Pan-fried turbot with creamed porcini and buttered potatoes, white Alba truffle risotto, or veal saltimbocca with morel cream sauce.

Domaine Huet only bottles a moelleux when the vintage brings botrytis; the weather decides. Depending on the year, each site can yield up to four bottlings: Sec, Demi-Sec, Moelleux, and in exceptional years, Moelleux 1ère Trie. Gaston Huet introduced biodynamics as early as the late 1980s, and the entire estate has been Demeter-certified since 1993.