Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Demi-Sec 2023 (6 Bottles) Vouvray, France

Le Haut-Lieu was the estate’s first vineyard, purchased in 1928, and is situated on the ‘Première Côte’. It’s a 9-hectare plot on deep, brown, chalky clay (known as aubuis). Here the yellow limestone (tuffeau) bedrock lies up to four metres down, making for a richer soil that produces round, supple wines that can drink very well young.

It generally produces the earliest maturing of the three cuvées and is usually the first to be ready for drinking, but, like the Clos Du Bourg and Le Mont, the wines can be extremely long-lived. We have enjoyed bottles from the 40’s that are still drinking very well!

“This is a very fine, fragrant and floral Le Haut Lieu Sec. While delicate, the 2021 fills the mouth with a cloud of pure fruit reminiscent of violets, apple and nectarine skin. There’s a fine sinew that pulls the wine through on the finish. It can be approached in its youth but will go on and on.” 94 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous