[TN] '02 Huet Petillant Reserve

Noel Pinguet has "decided to leave his post" as PDG of this house. He is being replaced by Sarah Hwang, who's family has owned the estate since 2003.

I received a rather terse letter to this effect from the domain in the end of February. The same letter informed me that if I wished to receive mailings I needed to email them to that effect, and that no other notice would be sent.

Let us hope that Ms. Hwang, as well as her brother who has been given the Managing Director hat, will continue both the pricing policy as well as the practice of making demi-sec and moelleux. As for what the wines will become without Pinguet's hand, time will tell... (My feeling is that the quality will remain but the moelleux will become rarer and more expensive still).

Several links of interest:

Although there has been some attempt at "calmer le jeu" it's clear that this is not a divorce without rancor. In the RVF article Mme Pinguet comments: "Dommage, je ne boirai plus de ce vin que j'adorais."

-E

Yes, M. Pinguet had originally intended to leave in 2014 IIRC, but his disagreement with the Hwang family concerning the (desired) emphasis on Vouvray sec and the possibility of allocating more to "preferred" customers was at the root of the divorce. For my part, I'm cautiously optimistic about the future of Huet, but we'll just have to see how it all plays out.

Mark Lipton

thanks for notes. I didn't buy the Reserve, as I bought quite abit (for me) of the first 2 releases.

Sparkling wines have a relatively short lifetime in our cellar (just their existence down there stimulates Jean's desire for bubbly) so, when Crush's offer for this crossed my Inbox, it seems liked a good idea to get some. With luck, this'll tide us over until the next release of Pinon's NV ;-)

Mark Lipton

Unfortunately, that may not be unrelated to the relatively low cost of Huet's wines. I can still buy their secs and demi-secs for just over $30 a bottle, and their production costs aren't small given the sort of care taken in the vineyards and the hand harvesting and sorting that's done.

For me, I think that LHL gets the nod in most years, though I've had brilliant wines from all 3 vineyards. Alas, though, great terroir isn't enough to guarantee even good wine. Just look at the recent history of the Clos Baudoin or some of the recent vintages from Charles Joguet.

Mark Lipton

Mark Lipton wrote in news:jp6da1$b4h$ snipped-for-privacy@speranza.aioe.org:

I agree. Their wines remain quite affordable and proably merit a higher recognition. Not that I am complaining for being able to purchase their wines at fair prices.

I think I have tasted chez Huet no less than 5 times in the last decade. They are really generous when you go to their place and they let you taste through the range. I really miss the old fashioned tasting room, though (the new one is modern and impressive).

Every time I tasted through their range, I have found Clos du Bourg a bit better than the other single vineyard wines, and LHL is usually the one I like less. In Clos du Bourg I usually find that salinity and razorblade precision that emerges from the chalkyness of the subsoil, and I am the kind of guy that has a preference for "le calcaire". Le Mont is a bit rounder and I can put it on par with CdB in lesser years. LHL I usually think that it lacks a bit of precision. An older demi-sec bottle of LHL from the 40s or 50s (cannot remember) was an amazing bottle of wine, though.

I know what you mean. However, the terroir was there waiting for Monsieur Huet to make it shine and Monsieur Pinguet to continue the tradition. Even if the current owner makes lesser wines, the terroir will be there waiting for its opportunity to a comeback. We, as wine drinkers, will probably miss it (and will regret). But we are nothing when compared to the greatness of such terroirs.

Just look at the recent

I learnt Chinon with Les Varennes du Grand Clos and Clos de la Dioterie from Charles Joguet, so I feel your pain.

s.