Le Haut Lieu Moelleux 2020

Le Haut-Lieu is the vineyard that forms the origin of the Huet estate. The Huet family first visited the village of Vouvray in 1928 and were so taken with the estate that now forms the winery and the five-hectare Le Haut-Lieu vineyard that they acquired both and founded the Huet winery. Le Haut-Lieu is located on the plateau of Vouvray and is characterised by deep brown clay with a little flint and chalk in the topsoil. The topsoil is locally called aubuis. The bedrock is yellow tuffeau limestone, and it is four metres deep.

The harvest of the grapes for the Le Haut-Lieu Moelleux took place in 2020 between 7 September and 25 September. As the vintage was strongly characterised by sun and warmth, mainly residually sweet wines were produced. As usual, the grapes were meticulously sorted, pressed and spontaneously fermented. Malolactic fermentation took place only in exceptional cases and in individual barrels. The wine was aged in used demi-muids. Moelleuxmeans between 45 and 55 grams of residual sweetness at Huet. 

medium straw yellow

If you put your nose in the glass, the 2020 would be Le Haut-Lieu Moelleux hardly get the idea that this is a wine with around 55 grams of residual sweetness. The Chenin Blanc seems almost tart and definitely very fresh, albeit somewhat firmer and darker than the Demi-Sec from the same site. Apple peel can be found here, as well as apple fruit flesh, some firm nectarine, citrus fruit, persimmon and a not quite ripe pineapple. In the background, the wine seems slightly smoky.

On the palate, the wine is characterised by an impressive extract spiciness. The Le Haut-Lieu Moelleux appears round and silky at first, but this irrepressible spiciness combined with tart citrus peel notes and stone quickly takes over and is then accompanied by an increasingly agile acidity. Of course, you can feel the sweetness in this Moelleuxbut it is completely integrated into the freshness, the clear acidity and the stimulating minerality. There is a lot of energy here and a wonderful tension that is only beginning to show and will continue to develop over the next few years or decades.