Le Mont Moelleux 2015

A dark, enigmatic Moelleux that changes from minute to minute while always remaining true to itself. On the nose it plays with pineapple and mango, but is dominated by smoky, spicy notes: flint, smoked hay, damp stone, along with ginger, saffron, quince and mustard flour.

Le Mont lies on the Première Côte in Vouvray, with little clay and plenty of stones. Flint and tuffeau give the Chenin Blanc its minerality; the vineyard sits directly above Domaine Huet's historic tuffeau cellars. Gaston Huet secured the vineyard in 1957.

100 percent Chenin Blanc, 12.5% ABV. Gaston Huet introduced biodynamic farming in the late 1980s, and the estate has been Demeter-certified since 1993. Whether botrytis develops is decided by the weather rather than the winemaker, which is why the Moelleux is only bottled in suitable vintages. Ageing takes place in the deep rock cellars: constant temperature, neutral vessels, time.

Rich and extract-laden, with apricot, mango, greengage, kumquat and a touch of yellow English wine gum. The vibrant mineral acidity handles the sweetness with ease, while the bitter citrus notes heighten the refreshing quality. Balance, depth and length are exhilarating.

Sole with fried parsley in beurre blanc, sesame-crusted langoustine with ginger butter, or a date tagine with basmati, ginger and cardamom.

The potential of this Moelleux is forty years, if not more. Depending on the vintage, up to four bottlings can emerge from each vineyard, ranging from Sec through Demi-Sec and Moelleux to Moelleux 1ère Trie. Since 2020, cellar master Benjamin Joliveau, a native of Vouvray, has been responsible for the wines.