Le Haut Lieu Moelleux 2022

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 began in 2022 on 8 September and ended six weeks later (the harvest workers, 24 of them this year, have never harvested for so long). As heatwaves and drought led to very heterogeneously ripening grape material, all varieties of Chenin Blanc could be produced, from the base wine for pétillants to 1er Trie. As usual, the grapes were meticulously sorted, pressed and spontaneously fermented during the many harvest rounds. Malolactic fermentation only took place in exceptional cases and in individual barrels. The wine was matured in used demi-muids. Moelleux 2022 means 48 grams of residual sweetness for Huet.

light golden yellow

The Le Haut-Lieu Moelleux smells of tart bitter orange, but also picks up a little of the sweetness of bitter orange marmalade. The wine is also reminiscent of ripe, juicy stone fruit with a cool note of vanilla ice cream. As you would expect from a Chenin Blanc, there are also hints of lanolin, pears, apples and above all apple peel. There is a very slight smoky, stony note in the background.

The key concept for the Vouvrays from the Huet winery is balance. Balance is everything, especially with the sweet wines. The 2022 Le Haut-Lieu Moelleux has 48 grams of residual sugar but at the same time so much acidity that a great harmony is achieved. The wine is round, silky, drinkable and timeless. The tannins nestle delicately on the palate. The spicy-spicy flavour of herbs, blond tobacco and zest only becomes apparent in the long finish, where it blends with a slight saltiness. Of course, you can feel the sweetness of the 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.