Le Mont Moelleux 2022

Wine Description for Le Mont Moelleux 2022 from Huet

Colour & Appearance

Emerging golden yellow – a promising sign of the concentration in this medium-sweet Chenin Blanc.

Nose

Fascinatingly complex and dark: crushed quartz, smoke and an almost mystical minerality dominate. Beneath flash kumquats, ripened pineapple and apple peel, complemented by exotic notes of curry leaves. This vineyard site speaks its own stony language.

Palate

Here the true greatness reveals itself: Despite 51 grammes of residual sugar, the wine never feels sweet, but perfectly balanced. Acidity and minerality keep the ripe fruit in check. Plenty of grip, clear phenolics, bitter notes of grapefruit and bitter oranges, plus tobacco and stony precision. The texture is densely woven, concentrated, yet never heavy.

Finish

Long and fascinating: An impressive blend of flint and salt that resonates for minutes. Here one senses the enormous ageing potential.

Terroir & Origin

Le Mont lies on the first plateau of Vouvray, the Première Côte, south-facing and documented since the 15th century. The nine hectares in sole ownership of Huet (acquired 1957) are characterised by siliceous flint (locally called perron) in deep green clay over Turonian tufa limestone – a terroir that produces wines of mystical depth.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Chenin Blanc, meticulously selected in several picking passes from 8th September (second-earliest date in the estate’s history). Spontaneous fermentation, maturation in used demi-muids, no malolactic fermentation. The heterogeneous ripening in 2022 due to heat and drought enabled all styles – this Moelleux is the concentrated essence.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Double-cut chop with caramelised apple and garam masala, goose terrine with pears and pistachios or braised pumpkin with cardamom, turmeric and chilli – the wine loves spicy, aromatic companions with sweet-sour contrasts.

Special Features

A wine at the beginning of at least a 20-year evolution. The balance between fruit, stone, bitterness and piquancy is already extraordinary and commands respect. A classic Vouvray Moelleux that documents the greatness of its terroir with every bottle.