2024 Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Sec, Loire Valley

Among the great vineyard sites of Vouvray, Le Mont occupies a special place. Domaine Huet has been the benchmark producer of Chenin Blanc since 1928, crafting wines that rank among the world's finest expressions of the variety. The estate's commitment to biodynamic farming and meticulous vineyard work has helped establish its reputation for wines of extraordinary purity and longevity. Today, the Huet team continues to honour the vision of founders Victor and Gaston Huet, producing wines that speak eloquently of both site and season.

Le Mont sits on the Première Côte above the Loire River, where shallow green clay soils overlay the region's famous tuffeau limestone. This remarkable terroir consistently produces wines with precision, tension and a distinctive mineral character. The Sec bottling is the driest expression of the vineyard, allowing the purity of Chenin Blanc and the site's chalky signature to take centre stage. The 2024 vintage has delivered vibrant acidity, superb fruit definition and exceptional balance.

Pale straw with glints of gold, the bouquet is beautifully detailed, revealing aromas of green apple, pear and preserved lemon alongside white flowers, fresh ginger and crushed chalk. With air, notes of quince, lanolin and wet stone emerge, adding layers of complexity. The palate is taut and energetic, driven by bright citrus and orchard fruit flavours wrapped around a core of limestone minerality. There is wonderful concentration beneath the freshness, with a silky texture that builds through the mid palate before finishing long, dry and intensely focused. The combination of fruit purity and mineral tension is captivating.

This is an outstanding companion for freshly shucked oysters, grilled whiting, scallops with beurre blanc, sushi and sashimi, or a goat's cheese tart with herbs. It also excels alongside roasted fennel and white bean dishes. While already impressive, patience will be richly rewarded, with the wine capable of developing remarkable complexity over 20 years or more. Great dry Vouvray occupies a unique place in the wine world, and Le Mont remains one of its most compelling expressions.

Cellaring: Drink from now through 2045 and beyond.