2018 Vouvray Sec Clos du Bourg

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.”