Le Haut Lieu Moelleux 2018

Wine description for Le Haut Lieu Moelleux 2018 by Huet

Colour & appearance

Sparkling golden yellow with a vibrant sheen – a wine that already exudes an impression of ripeness and depth in the glass.

Nose

A complex aromatic interplay: dark bread crust, shortcrust pastry and yeast-leavened baked goods meet oriental spices of white pepper, coriander seed, saffron and turmeric. Fully ripe apricot, peach and mirabelle – partly candied, partly stewed like pear and quince with cinnamon. Beneath lies a cool limestone and chalk note, subtly smoky; almonds, cinnamon blossom and coconut sugar complete the picture.

Palate

Here the domaine’s signature reveals itself: caressing sweetness, never heavy, always propelled by taut acidity. Cool-toned and threaded through with linear minerality, every sip remains in motion – the fruit radiates, the spice stays present, the energy is palpable.

Finish

Long and resonant: saffron and turmeric hover alongside pear compote, while the cool chalky trail draws out the finish.

Terroir & origin

Le Haut-Lieu was Victor Huet’s founding vineyard in 1928 in Vouvray on the Loire. Nine hectares on the Première Côte, deep, calcareous clay soil – it lends the wines accessibility and a gentle texture without losing the minerality of the limestone. Beneath the vineyard lie historic tuffeau tunnels providing a constant cellar temperature.

Grape variety & vinification

Chenin Blanc, the “vine of moonlight”, as they say in Vouvray – fruit-driven with natural acidity. Depending on the vintage, the weather alone determines whether a Moelleux is produced; maturation takes place in neutral vessels in the rock cellars. Time is the most important assistant in the cellar here.

Food recommendations

Sweetness and acidity make it a powerful partner for sautéed sweetbreads with morel cream, cep mushrooms à la crème with ribbon pasta or Alba truffle on poached egg with potato espuma.

Special features

Domaine Huet has been Demeter-certified since 1993 and is regarded as a biodynamic pioneer of the Loire – Gaston Huet adopted the approach as early as the late 1980s, long before many famous names. Cellar master Benjamin Joliveau, a native of Vouvray, has been responsible for the wines since 2020. What makes this Moelleux special: it carries its sweetness with ease – a wine that shines today yet will only reveal in twenty years’ time what Chenin Blanc is truly capable of.