Le Haut-Lieu demi-sec 2020

Wine description for Le Haut-Lieu demi-sec 2020 by Huet

Colour & Appearance

Medium straw yellow, clear and luminous – a wine that already promises freshness and elegance in the glass.

Nose

Open, fragrant and of beguiling lightness: white and yellow flowers, Nashi pear, yellow apple and fresh apple must form the aromatic foundation. Beneath shimmer notes of damp stone and herbs. An almost Moselle-like character – delicate, precise, never heavy. Despite the warmth of the 2020 vintage, there is nothing opulent or exhausting here, but rather a wine of dancing character and strength.

Palate

The balance is simply flawless: 20 grams of residual sugar meets a finely chiselled, elegant acidity that makes the wine seem featherlight despite its 13.5% alcohol – almost like a great Kabinett from the Moselle. The fruit is juicy and creamy, white and yellow-fleshed, carried by vibrant minerality. Tension and precision go hand in hand with genuine depth, without ever losing its lightness of touch. A demi-sec that carries its sweetness with dignity.

Finish

Long, fresh and mineral – the acidity holds the sweetness in perfect balance and provides an invigorating, clean finish with lingering fruit and stone notes.

Terroir & Origin

Le Haut-Lieu is the original vineyard site of Huet estate in Vouvray, Loire. The plateau terroir combines deep brown clay with flint and chalk in the topsoil – locally called aubuis – over a four-metre-deep foundation of yellow Tuffeau limestone. This limestone bed gives the wine its characteristic minerality and cool precision.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Pure Chenin Blanc, harvested between 7th and 25th September 2020 – the earliest harvest start in the estate’s history. The grapes were meticulously sorted, pressed and spontaneously fermented. Aged in used demi-muids; malolactic fermentation remained the exception. Residual sugar is 20 g/l, which gives the wine its characteristic demi-sec character.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Ideal with blini with trout caviar and crème fraîche, with elegant wild partridge pâté with quince jam and Sichuan pepper or with grilled prawn kebab. The sweetness-acidity balance makes it the perfect companion to dishes with subtle spice, saltiness or fruity components.

Special Characteristics

The 2020 vintage was exceptionally warm and sunny – and yet this demi-sec shows no heaviness. Huet achieves the feat of translating the heat of the vintage into freshness. A wine that seduces when young and will gain complexity with age. One of the most reliable reference addresses for Chenin Blanc worldwide.