2023 Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Sec

Le Haut-Lieu is where the story of Domaine Huet began, and the 2023 Le Haut-Lieu Sec reminds us why this iconic vineyard remains at the heart of the estate.

Purchased in 1928, this nine-hectare plot of deep brown chalky clay (aubuis) sits on the Première Côte, where its richer soils produce Chenin Blanc with roundness, accessibility, and an undeniable sense of place.

The 2023 vintage is a textbook example of dry Chenin Blanc from this historic site. Crafted with biodynamic care and minimal intervention, the wine underwent fermentation with indigenous yeasts in a mix of stainless steel and large oak demi-muids, followed by aging on fine lees. The result is a wine that captures both the generosity of Le Haut-Lieu’s terroir and the precision for which Huet is renowned.

Equally at home with creamy risottos, grilled seafood, or tangy goat cheese, this is a versatile wine that’s drinking beautifully now but will reward patient cellaring over the next 5-10 years. A benchmark Vouvray from one of the Loire’s most revered producers.

96 points
“One of the great dry white wines of the Loire. This dry chenin blanc is rich and concentrated, but also graceful and delicate...”
- Stuart Pigott (jamessuckling.com)

95 points
“The 2023 Vouvray Sec Le Mont is precise, upright and flinty. There’s just the right amount of juicy, peachy flesh within this light-bodied yet concentrated wine... Flinty and tightly sewn together, it has curves in the right places, but you’re just going to have to wait for it to take shape.”
- Rebecca Gibb MW (Vinous)