Le Mont Moelleux 1ère Trie 2020

Wine Description for Le Mont Moelleux 1ère Trie 2020 from Huet

Colour & Appearance

Luminous golden yellow in the glass, already heralding the concentration and maturity of this exceptional vintage.

Nose

An impressively powerful nose shaped by botrytis: browned apples with skin, orange zest, apricot jam and mango chutney merge into an opulent aromatic profile. Joined by preserved quinces, walnuts, tobacco and a spicy herbal note, underpinned by mineral hints of the stony terroir.

Palate

Opulent yet noble: the wine unfolds a dessert-like sweetness (91 g/l residual sugar), perfectly balanced by saline and piquant notes as well as a smoky minerality. The fruit is dense and concentrated, the extract remarkable. The acidity acts with restraint but precision, lending the Chenin Blanc an elegant bite. A wine of great finesse that has its full grandeur still ahead of it.

Finish

Long, complex and carried by fine minerality, with persistent fruit and spice notes.

Terroir & Origin

Le Mont, the single vineyard site prized since the 15th century on the Première Côte of Vouvray, lies south-facing above the tuffeau caves. The nine-hectare vineyard in sole ownership of Huet (since 1957) captivates with its several-metre-deep topsoil of siliceous flint (locally called perron) in deep green clay over Turonian tuffeau limestone.

Grape Variety & Vinification

100% Chenin Blanc, harvested between 7th and 25th September 2020 – the earliest harvest start in the estate’s history. The grapes, shaped by sun and warmth, were meticulously sorted, spontaneously fermented and matured in used demi-muids. The first botrytis selection yields a moelleux of exceptional concentration.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Langoustine with lobster foam and tarragon, mille-feuille of wild strawberries and yellow peach, baked chocolate ganache with spiced hazelnuts and orange oil. Also a sublime choice with Roquefort or foie gras.

Special Features

A wine with enormous ageing potential that bears the signature of an exceptional vintage. Still young, but already fascinating – a Chenin Blanc that will reward patience.