Huet | Loire | Le Haut-Lieu demi-sec | 2022 | 750ml | bio

Description

Product description for Huet Le Haut-Lieu demi-sec 2022 (bio)

Christoph Raffelt: On the palate, the approximately 18 grams of sweetness are excellently buffered by the acidity. Despite its 13.5% alcohol content, the wine seems almost as floating as a Kabinett, and that is fascinating. The Demi-sec is so juicy, so creamy, and at the same time so elegant, with finely chiseled acidity and a fresh minerality that, like all components in Huet’s wines, is not initially noticeable as an individual ingredient, but rather as part of the consistently harmonious overall composition. Here, too, one is willing to pour more and quickly consume any supply, even though the wine naturally has great future potential.

Information about the wine

The Haut-Lieu is the vineyard that forms the origins of the Huet winery. The Huet family first visited the village of Vouvray in 1928 and was so impressed by the property that now forms the winery, including the five-hectare Le Haut-Lieu vineyard, that they acquired both and founded the Huet winery. Le Haut-Lieu is located on the Vouvray plateau and is characterized by deep brown clay with some flint and chalk in the topsoil. The topsoil is locally called aubuis. The bedrock consists of yellow tuffeau limestone and lies four meters deep. The 2022 harvest began on September 8th (the second earliest date in the winery’s history) and ended six weeks later (the harvesters have never harvested for so long; this year there were 24). Heat waves and drought led to very heterogeneous ripening grapes. This made it possible to produce all varieties of Chenin Blanc, from the base wine for Pétillants to single-vineyard wines. As usual, the grapes were meticulously sorted, pressed, and spontaneously fermented during the many harvests. Malolactic fermentation only occurred in exceptional cases and in individual barrels. The wine was aged in used demi-muids. The residual sugar in this 2022 wine is 18 grams.

Colour

Medium straw yellow

Nose

The Le Haut-Lieu Demi-Sec is this year’s great seducer! Based on yellow apples, Nashi pears, yellow plums, and a hint of caramel float along with floral and herbal scents and a hint of lemon. The wine is buoyant, yet dense and full of character.

Palate

On the palate, you can detect the subtle sweetness in the ripe, juicy fruit. The acidity is elegant and subtle rather than demanding. Instead, there is a deep, bright minerality and a tannin that was barely noticeable in the sec version. The herbal and piquant notes are also more pronounced, while the texture is silky and creamy. This is an intense, concentrated demi-sec with fullness and complexity. Yet the wine remains inviting, easy to understand, and sensual.

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Keywords: Huet Le Haut-Lieu demi-sec 2022 bio Loire France

Vinous

Score: 91

The 2022 Le Haut-Lieu Demi-Sec is juicy, though never generous, but still a comforting Vouvray that remains focused; there’s sufficient tension from the acidity despite the season’s warmth. Welcoming and friendly from the off, there’s fine fruit here with a pretty talc note. It has a sense of persistence and presence that elevates this wine from purely a fruity Chenin. Really charming.
— Rebecca Gibb MW
Drinking window: 2023 – 2033
Review date: Oct 2023

Producer website: https://www.domainehuet.com/