These are a few of my favourite things – the Loire Valley, Domaine Huet and Chenin Blanc. We visited this classic biodynamic benchmark winery in June 2014 but opened this bottle in July 2015. A second bottle was opened in October 2015 (notes at bottom).
On the eyes, this wine is a medium gold with light, quick legs. On the nose, it shows yellow apples and golden plums with an unmistakable steel wool sliced with flint. Aromas are reminiscent of a wet wool sweater – funky with beeswax and light hay.
The palate is lightly off dry (8 g/l RS), with medium body and high, mouthwatering acidity. Flavours are sherry toned and show more of the nose – ripe yellow apple with jasmine and subtle honey, almond skin and a touch of marzipan and a French oak sandalwood-spiked spice. We agreed tasting this wine is akin to the feeling you get when you put a penny in your mouth – which sounds off putting, but shouldn’t be.
This wine is electric with nervy minerality, precise and defined, elegant and so capable of ageing indefinitely (admittedly we opened this early – but I have one more and I’m sure it will be Outstanding by the time it is opened). It’s complex and unravels to a thing of beauty in the glass.
WSET Very Good Plus
When opened in October 2015, the colour still registered as medium gold with a nose of apples, ripe, yellow pears, dry hay and that funky wet wool reminiscent of many Loire Chenins, quince and deep, brown honey.
The palate is lightly off dry with refreshingly high acidity, medium body and flavours of dried straw, red apple, yellow pear and plum, a honeysuckle floral element, and a green gooseberry and passionfruit that was especially brought to life by the ham and goat cheese we paired it with.
Still nervy and mineral-driven, it’s elegantly complex and WSET Very Good verging on Outstanding
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