Vouvray Pétillant Brut 2017

Wine description for Vouvray Pétillant Brut 2017 by Huet

Colour & appearance

Luminous golden straw yellow with bright reflections and a fine, even mousse — a sparkling wine of quiet elegance, not an assertive fizz.

Nose

Initially candied ginger and acacia honey, followed layer upon layer by khaki, peach compote and mango, tempered by grapefruit and mandarin. Alongside herbs such as lemon balm, marjoram and oregano, exotic spice notes of turmeric and Madras curry, white pepper, a hint of clove — and beneath it all, a persistent cool, calcareous undertone.

Palate

Distinctly taut and savoury on the attack, almost muscular. The fine mousse lends richness and creaminess before the lively carbonation clears the stage for exotic spices that overlay the judiciously dosed fruit. The calcareous terroir leaves a tactile impression: mineral, dry and vibrant.

Finish

Long and distinctly spiced. As the fruit and foam recede, a mineral limestone note coats the palate — repeating itself minute after minute.

Terroir & origin

Vouvray, Première Côte: This Pétillant is drawn from all three Huet vineyard sites — Le Haut-Lieu, Le Mont and Clos du Bourg — on limestone and clay. Le Mont sits directly above the estate’s historic tuffeau cellars, which serve as natural, temperature-stable ageing cellars.

Grape variety & vinification

Pure Chenin Blanc — referred to at Domaine Huet as “the grape of moonlight”. The grapes come from an estate that has been Demeter-certified since 1993; cellar master Benjamin Joliveau, a native of Vouvray, has overseen the wines since 2020. Maturation takes place in deep rock-cut cellars, in neutral vessels — and with plenty of time.

Food recommendations

The savoury spice and limestone backbone call for dishes with substance: oysters and smoked salmon, Loire goat’s cheese such as Sainte-Maure de Touraine, tempura or curry dishes — the wine’s exotic spice notes find a congenial echo in these pairings.

Special characteristics

A sparkling wine from the house that has set the benchmark for great Chenin Blanc since 1928 — from one of the Loire’s biodynamic icons. What sets it apart is its unusual combination of honeyed depth and spicy complexity with taut, calcareous austerity. A Pétillant that is more wine than aperitif — and one that gains further complexity with a few years of bottle age.