I seem to have been tasting a lot of Huet recently (and there's nothing wrong with that!). Earlier this year in Angers I tasted through all the wines of the 2007 and 2008 vintages, and then much more recently I revisited the 2008s in a Richards Walford tasting, followed by a selection of demi-sec cuvées from vintages back to 1949, and I have only just written up these latter two tastings. Huet's not just for tasting though, it's for drinking too, especially with food, and so here are a couple of notes from young wines from a very recent and successful vintage, 2005, which I drank recently either as an aperitif or with dinner:
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Sec 2005: A great opportunity to try one of these at a visit to the recently opened 21212 restaurant in Edinburgh, home to Paul Kitching (restaurant review written long ago, but I haven't yet had a chance to get it online). The nose starts off in a very inorganic way with a number of novel aromas not noted with previous tastings of this wine. There is a cordite, gun-powder element, a little sulphurous in character; I think at least part of this, however, is an intense minerality perhaps exacerbated by being served a touch too warm by the sommelier. Once chilled a little more the wine shows a much more typical profile. Defined, quite pure in fact, clean but full and fairly weighty, this fabulous wine has great potential. I have half a dozen in the cellar, bottles which I should try to leave well alone for now! 18+/20 (August 2009)
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Sec 2005: Not ideal conditions to taste this, as it was poured at a colleague's house prior to then going out for dinner. One advantage though, is that with a large crowd in attendance, I had the opportunity to sample from a number of different bottles. The first taste from a bottle that had been open a little while showed a nose which was pure and defined, lifted, rich and minerally. The substance of the vintage comes through on the palate, which is weighty but very well framed by acidity and overall it is a a delight. Subsequent bottles were tighter - they were popped and poured - but just as wonderfully linear and defined, and clearly this is a wine with great potential (although also delicious now). 18+/20 (October 2009)
There are more notes to come, on older sec cuvées and more, and also I thought it would be fun to revisit the trio of recent very successful pétillant vintages of 2000, 2001 and 2002. Watch this space!