The 2023 Vouvray Sec Le Haut-Lieu is a pure, refined, seamless style with pear, pineapple and nectarine flavors. It boasts excellent clarity and refinement, with lovely freshness hailing from calibrated acidity that bursts through this blossoming wine. Considering this was only bottled three weeks before tasting, I’m very encouraged by the results.
The original Huët vineyard is nearly 9 hA. It has the richest soils of the domaine’s three crus - a deep limestone-clay - and the wines are generally the estate’s most approachable. In some vintages, small quantities from nearby estate parcels may be added to Le Haut-Lieu.
Le Haut-Lieu Sec is one of my favourite wines, from anywhere, every year. The nose is pure, fresh, and chalky, uniting florals and green citrus. On the palate, it is full-bodied, ripe yet mineral-rich. The palate is powerful and elegant; fine, tense, and nervy.