2023 Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Moelleux, Loire Valley

The 2023 Vouvray Moelleux Clos du Bourg is a very peaceful wine, hushing the drinker. It reminds me of sitting on a pew in an empty church. Seamless, tranquil and un-showy, its sweetness lends silkiness to its core and allows it to bloom. Aromatically, there's not much going on here at the moment, but it is quite young and has ample length and purity. This is satisfying, calm and meditative, with fine texture and a cooling minty note on the long finish. It was only bottled three weeks ago, but I'm a fan already. The 2023 finished at 74 grams per liter of residual sugar, with a pH of 3.45.

98 points Rebecca Gibb MW vinous.com

Huet is the nonpareil of Vouvray’s succulent moelleux style (pronounced mweh-leuh; literally 'like marrow', referring to the fleshy texture). Falling between 40 and 80 g/L of residual sugar—always fully balanced by high acidity—the wines are made mainly from grapes dried on the vine (passerillage) as opposed to botrytised. Huet’s moelleux can be surprisingly fine and delicate with filigree lightness—think of a great Mosel rather than Sauternes to get an idea of weight. They match brilliantly with cheeses and a range of savoury meat dishes. Only the richest years can work with fruit and tart-based desserts (ideally, nothing too sweet). In short, the balance can be dumbfounding—these mouth-watering, racy, transparent wines are simply outstanding.

Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Moelleux is a remarkable and age-worthy expression of Chenin Blanc from one of Vouvray’s most prized vineyards in the Loire Valley. Domaine Huet, established in 1928, is a legendary name in the region, renowned for producing some of the world’s finest wines. The Clos du Bourg vineyard, a historic walled vineyard (clos), is celebrated for its ability to produce wines of exceptional depth, structure, and longevity, particularly in its Moelleux (off-dry to sweet) style.

The Clos du Bourg vineyard sits atop shallow, stony clay-limestone soils over tuffeau, a chalky subsoil unique to the Loire Valley. This combination of terroir and microclimate imparts power, richness, and minerality to the wine, while the cool nights and slow ripening ensure a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. In vintages where nature provides exceptional ripeness, grapes are sometimes affected by noble rot (botrytis cinerea), further concentrating flavors and aromas.

Winemaking at Domaine Huet is guided by biodynamic principles, which they adopted in 1988, ensuring the health of the vineyard and purity of expression in the wine. The hand-harvested grapes are fermented with indigenous yeasts in a combination of stainless steel and large oak casks, preserving the integrity of the fruit and terroir. The wine is aged to allow its flavors and structure to harmonize before release.

In the glass, Clos du Bourg Moelleux reveals a golden yellow hue that deepens with age. The nose is beautifully complex, offering aromas of ripe quince, baked apple, apricot, and honey, with hints of acacia flowers, candied citrus peel, and a subtle chalky minerality. On the palate, it is rich and luscious yet incredibly fresh, with flavors of stone fruits, honeycomb, and a touch of spice, balanced by Chenin Blanc’s signature acidity. The finish is long, silky, and impeccably structured, promising decades of evolution in the cellar.

This Moelleux is a versatile partner for food, pairing exquisitely with dishes like foie gras, pâté, or roasted duck with a fruit glaze. It also complements blue cheeses such as Roquefort, desserts like tarte Tatin, or simply as an indulgent sip on its own. While approachable in its youth, Clos du Bourg Moelleux is a wine that can age effortlessly for 20-40 years, gaining complexity and depth over time.