Domaine Huet (Vouvray): 1970 Moelleux, 2002 sec and 2012 secs

On Saturday with our friends in Cheltenham we started the evening with the 1970 Clos du Bourg Moelleux, Vouvray, Domaine Huet.

1970 Le Clos du Bourg, Moelleux, Vouvray

Light to mid gold, beeswax nose with some oxidation, much more exciting on the palate honeyed with lovely, still fresh acidity in the finish. Probably should have decanted it immediately. Instead decided to decant after I had poured our first glass. Decanting certainly helped as it became increasingly complex as the 1970 opened up in the decanter and our glasses. Although a memorable bottle, I suspect that there are some better bottles of this wine around.

The bottle of 1970 was also memorable as it was the last old vintage that we bought from Domaine Huet before the old stock was sold by the Huet family to Berry Bros & Rudd. When CRM went to buy the 1970 she fondly remembers being taken through the limestone cellars to where the old vintages were carefully stored in bins. A bottle of the 1970 was selected. Then tenderly and carefully carried back up to the offices where it was labelled. Labels are not attached to the bottles in the cellar as they quickly spoil in the damp conditions.

1970 was a year before Noël Pinguet started working at Domaine Huet. Noel took over running the domaine in 1976.

Sadly will now have to think twice before opening older vintages of Huet!

2012
Now we fast forward 42 vintages to 2012. This was the first vintage since Noël Pinguet left Domaine Huet in acrimonious circumstances in February 2012. Although Jean-Bernard Berthomé, the vineyard manager and now in charge, was long established with over 30 years service at the domaine and Benjamin Joliveau had joined the staff several years ago, Noël was always going to be a hard act to follow.  Unfortunately nature has not been kind and has dealt Vouvray a very tough hand in both 2012 and 2013.

We saw Noël Pinguet in late September 2013 when we visited Domaine Picard-Jourdan (Chinon). Noel was there to give advice on biodynamic viticulture. This domaine has been biodynamic for some time but the new owners - Annick and Francois Jourdan - wanted advice and, probably, reassurance from Noel.
Domaine Huet was amongst the first wine estates in France to adopt biodynamics. Unlike Nicolas Joly, Noël's is a pragmatic approach: he uses biodynamics because it works for him.

Noël Pinguet and his wife Françoise have now cut their ties with Vouvray: they sold their house - Le Mont - in July and have moved to the Ile de Noirmoutier on the Atlantic Coast. They already had a holiday home here. They have also sold this and bought a larger house. I guess Noël just wanted to get away and not to be continuously reminded of Domaine Huet where he was spent so much of his working life. Noel is clearly angry and bitter over the way things ended between him and the Hwangs at Domaine Huet.

Equally there are sensitivities on Sarah and Stefan Hwang's side with perhaps a tendency to view comments as more critical than they actually are.

Tasting Domaine Huet’s 2012

In late September I bought a couple of bottles of Le Haut Lieu sec and Le Clos du Bourg sec. The 2012 Le Mont sec wasn’t on sale at that time but I hope to taste this soon – certainly during the 2014 Salon des Vins de Loire in early February 2014.

I opened one of each of them during Chris Kissack’s stay with us in Touraine in early October. All three of us (Chris, CRM and myself) were disappointed with how these two wines were showing. It may have been a bad moment for them and I plan to try the other two bottles next year in March when they may well have developed further. Even then it will be unfair to try and judge Domaine Huet post-Pinguet.   

2012 Le Haut-Lieu, Vouvray sec

Mid-yellow colour, lightly citric with touch of apple, steely lean, little texture and austere length. Decidedly disappointing – lacking character and fruit.

2012 Clos du Bourg, Vouvray sec

The Clos du Bourg was certainly better than Le Haut Lieu – a little more aromatic, richer, a little sweeter and fuller with some peachy character. More complexity but still quite lean austere finish but a little peach there. Greater length than Haut Lieu.

2002 Le Mont Sec, Vouvray, Domaine Huet

Wanting reassurance after tasting the 2012s, we opened this 2002. Once again it confirmed what a wonderfully balanced vintage 2002 is – almost seamless perfection! Complex honeyed and quince fruit with still lovely freshness through ripe acidity in the finish. This will happily keep for many years providing I can restrain myself!  

It will be interesting to taste the nascent 2013s at the Salon des Vins de Loire and retaste the 2012s.     

Noël Pinguet – he resigned in late October 2011

Noël Pinguet@vintage time 2010

(Following the message from Noël Pinguet yesterday I have made some further inquiries, so this is an update, which includes a statement from Sarah Hwang, now president of the domaine.)

As Victor de la Serna commented here yesterday Noël Pinguet is a gentleman.

Noël would I’m sure not wish to destabilise the world class domaine where he has been in charge since 1976 and was owned by his wife’s family from 1928 until it was bought by Anthony Hwang in the summer of 2003. To use the French expression: il veut pas cracher dans la soupe.

His departure may well have been calmer than indicated in LRVF – no smashing of magnums of 1972 or 1984 sec! However, there is no doubt that Noël is leaving Domaine Huet earlier than was planned. Noël actually sent in his letter resigning from his positions at Domaine Huet at the end of October 2011. He was the president and a director of Société Huet, which looks after the vines, and ran L’Echansonne (trading name L’Echansonne Huet Distribution), which looked after distribution. Anthony Hwang, Evelyn Hwang and their son, 33-year old Stefan (Hugo) – DOB: October 1978, are also directors of Société Huet (source: http://www.societe.com).

Noël is also in charge of another company – SARL Gaston Huet, which is owned by the Huet family. The company, which was set up in December 2003, owns the entire stocks of the old Huet vintages from 1975 to 1921 as well as the remaining stocks of 1989.

I understand that Noël resigned for the reasons outlined on Friday by La Revue du Vins de France. Although nominally in charge, he found himself no longer making the important decisions. He was not allowed to take the necessary risks often required to make great moelleux in Vouvray. The risk of waiting for the right moment, while trusting that the weather will remain favourable.

2011 vintage: Chenin Blanc in Vouvray: good or bad rot?

The risks involved in Vouvray and Montlouis tend to be considerably higher than they are in the Layon or L’Aubance. Dry white – Vouvray sec – was to be made rather than risk waiting to make demi-sec or moelleux as the sec is easier to sell. Domaine Huet has always had the policy of only making demi-sec or moelleux when the conditions permit. No question of chaptalising to create artificial sweetness. An emphasis now on dry wines might also permit raising the yields.

Over the decades at Huet there have been many years when only dry and sparkling wines were made. In contrast in an exceptional year like 2003 a high proportion of demi-sec and moelleux wines were made.

Apparently there were also several orders to well-established and important customers that were suddenly cancelled at the last minute. In essence Noël found that, although nominally in charge, he was no longer allowed to run the business. I understand that Noël decided that he could not continue in these circumstances.

Noël was present at this year’s Salon des Vins de Loire (6th-8th February) as was Anthony Hwang and his son and daughter Sarah and Stefan Hwang. On Thursday 9th there was a meeting in Vouvray attended by lawyers and translators where Noël’s departure was finalised.

So where does this leave Domaine Huet? Heading towards 67 – he was born in May 1945 – Noël was due to retire soon – planned for 2015. But another three years would have made the hand-over much more smooth and assured.

Sarah Hwang (DOB: April 1982) was appointed president with her brother Stefan as managing director on 9th February 2012. Last May I was introduced to Benjamin Joliveau, whom Noël has been grooming as his successor, while Jean-Bernard Berthomé will continue as cellar-master/vineyard manager. However, Berthomé’s chief responsibility is in the vineyards and at vintage time he was usually out in the vines with the pickers.

**

I put a number of questions to Sarah Hwang and this is her response in full:

‘In late October 2011, Noël Pinguet informed my family of his desire to step down as President of Domaine Huet, and indeed, his resignation was finalized in a meeting on 9 February 2012. Although we knew of his intention to retire in 2015, this news came as a surprise us. I must say that it was difficult for us to see Noël step down, having been a part of the estate for so many years. As was our intention when we made our initial investment into the winery in 2003, my family and I are now involved in order to ensure the continuation of this estate and its remarkable story.

At the time of our investment in 2003, my family made the conscious decision to give Noël the freedom and responsibility to run the winery as he pleased and to make great wines. This allowed Noël to continue to follow the philosophy that the estate has upheld for many years. That is, to produce what nature gives us. To be clear -- this is an idea that the Hwang family values and respects; it ensures quality and precision, two things essential in maintaining the estate’s stature. Looking forward, I can assure you that this philosophy will remain.

Regarding your comment that several large orders to established clients were suddenly cancelled, I think that the information you’ve gathered might not be accurate. We value our relationships with all of our partners, and as I’ve mentioned, Noël had full decision-making control of Domaine Huet until 9 February 2012. In the future, the estate’s intention will be to see to it that we have an open dialogue with all of our clients.

There are two members of our current team who have experience at the press – Jean-Bernard Berthomé and Benjamin Joliveau. Both of these men will play prominent roles in Huet’s future, with Jean-Bernard taking over the duties of head winemaker. He will have full control of viticulture and wine-making. We are extremely fortunate to have a person in Jean-Bernard, who has shown a passion and dedication to Domaine Huet over a span of 33 years. In fact, his father worked alongside Gaston Huet in the fields and in the cellar. He has a strong and honest love for the estate and has unmatched technical expertise in both the biodynamic viticulture and the estate’s winemaking practices. There is no question that he will continue to uphold the traditions and quality expected by all.

On 9 February 2012, I became the President of Domaine Huet, and my brother, Stefan Hugo Hwang, is the estate's Managing Director. Hugo and I each have years of experience in the wine industry. We did not, however, have prior experience in running a wine estate. Having established Királyudvar Winery in 1997, each member of my family has been extraordinarily involved in its growth and in its story. It is an estate of which my family is personally very proud.’

**

Domaine Huet is a great domaine and I hope it will long remain that way. Both Noël and Sarah Hwang have said that there will be no change to the policy of making the range of wines permitted by each vintage. I hope this will indeed be the case as, fine as the Huet secs are, the true hallmarks are the Huet demi-secs and moelleux.

Noël is a true professional. Although sadly I didn’t taste with him at the Salon this year – thinking I would do so when over in Touraine in March – I spoke to him on several occasions and he looked relaxed and happy. He gave no hint that he was leaving.

`A suivre.