2018 Vouvray Moelleux Le Haut-Lieu

I was blown away by the wines I tasted from Domaine Huet. The 2019s Secs in particular are magnificent Vouvrays that no Loire lover will want to be without. Longtime winemaker Jean-Bernard Berthomé turned out a glorious set of wines in his last vintage at the domaine. Clos du Bourg in particular is stunning. Even with the searingly hot and dry conditions, the Huet 2019s retain incredible energy and vibrancy. The 2018s in this lineup are every bit as impressive.

There’s always hand-wringing when an old and important French wine estate changes hands—especially if it’s acquired by an American. And so it was no different when this Vouvray founded by Gaston Huet in 1928 was bought by Anthony Hwang in 2002. Hwang’s daughter Sarah now runs the estate, and Benjamin Joliveau has taken over for long-time winemaker Jean-Bernard Berthomé. Yet while the team has changed, Huet is still one of the most iconic estates in Vouvray. Joliveau talked at length about how the changing climate presents issue for a region known for off-dry and sweet wines. In some recent vintages, such as 2018, it was nearly impossible to produce dry wines. “We didn’t want to make dry wines with 14% alcohol. For us, we prefer to go semi-dry with better balance.” he said. “Maybe in Savennières, they want to make dry wines at 14% or 15% alcohol, but not here.”