2017 Domaine du Clos Naudin (FOREAU) Chenin Blanc Sec VOUVRAY, LOIRE, FRANCE. 750ml
This great Vouvray estate was founded in 1923 (5 years before the Huet family) and is now run by Vincent Foreau who took over from his father Philippe in 2016. Their cellar master Hubert Vacher has been working with the Foreau’s since the 1970’s and this small and beautiful domaine has remained at just 11.5 hectares in size (less than 1/3 the size of Huet who are their neighbours across the little street. Clos Naudin does not relate to a single ‘clos’ owned by the estate rather the family have numerous holdings that have remained the same for generations with 3/4’s of the family holdings sitting above the village on the famed Premiere cote centred on the vineyard called ‘Les Perruches’ located beside Le Mont.
Work in the vineyards is all done with minimal inputs and vines replaced using massale selection. Hand harvesting and fermentation in mostly aged 300 litre barrels using only natural yeasts with no malo and minimal SO2 results in wines of crystalline purity. Younger vines are mostly used for their excellent sparkling Vouvrays.
2017 Vouvray Sec
2017 is a classic cooler vintage for dry Vouvray yielding wines of perfume, finesse and lip-smacking freshness. Aromas of pear candied fruit and spice with hints of honey and that distinctive chalkiness that is so typical of great Vouvray. Fine, brilliantly focused flavours with exceptional texture and length. A bare 5g of residual sugar, so technically considered dry.
”In this vintage Philippe made almost the full range of wines, up to and including Moelleux, but not the Moelleux Réserve. The sec cuvée has just 5 g/l residual sugar. The aromatics are smoky and polished, with notes of mirabelle fruit. There then comes a quite lovely palate, rich and polished, minerally and correct. It maintains an energetic presence, carrying both minerality, texture and acidity, through to the finish which displays tension and a saline twist. A very good style.” 93 points, Chris Kissack, The Wine Doctor, June 2019.
