This $21.99 Champagne Method Sparkler was Aged for 72 Months at the Winery!
How cool is this? Crafted by seventh generation vintner Laurent Kraft at his family estate in Vouvray, today's 2017 vintage sparkling wine was made using the traditional methods of Champagne, was aged on its lees for a full 36 months - plus an additional 36 months after disgorgement, yet sells for just 22 bucks!
Only a few hundred cases of this gem are made each year and, thanks to our longtime relationship with French wine broker Adrien Carrard, we are one of the few places on the planet to be able to get our hands on it.
Read on for the details, and for a crack at our tiny allocations of three high-scoring Vouvrays from the legendary Domaine Huet, then click down quick on the Big Green Button to get in on the fun!
==========
2017 Laurent Kraft "Domaine des Lauriers" Brut
Vouvray, Loire Valley, France
~~~~~~~~~~~
The Kraft family has been farming wine grapes in Vouvray for seven generations. While most of the wine they make are still, they - like many of the region's growers - also craft a dry sparkling Vouvray, and it is delicious!
Harvested from a 1.5 hectare parcel of 50+ year old, biodynamically farmed Chenin Blanc vines, this eight-year old sparkler was fermented with wild yeasts then allowed to spend an impressive 36 months resting on the lees before being disgorged and given an additional 36 months aging in the Laurent Kraft cellar.
Pouring a bright pale straw with streaks of green and silver, this lively Brut sparkler gives a fine, steady, rolling mousse. On the nose and in the mouth, crunchy green and red apple, lime, mint honey, baked bread and yellow flower flavors notes are supported by hints of rocky minerals, bright acidity and a grippy, chalky frame.
Disgorged with a dosage of 15 g/L, it drinks totally dry, finishing with a Champagne-like leesy, biscuity quality and a super delicious back end. We are a strong 91 points. Thanks to the ultra streamlined business model of our French broker, this charmer is a total steal of a deal.
Vin Chicago Price: 21.99
The Brilliant Vouvray of Domaine Huet!
Up to 96 Points for Single Vineyard Chenin Blancs!
Domaine Huet is arguably the greatest producer in the sleepy village of Vouvray, and one of the finest producers of Chenin Blanc in the entire world. Founded in 1928 by Gaston Huet, this legendary address is known for their profoundly delicious white wines that have a seemingly endless ability to age and develop complexity.
Today we have a limited offering of three Huet wines from their flagship “Le Haut-Lieu” vineyard. The wines range from an off-dry Demi-Sec to a pair of gloriously concentrated sweeter Molleux and Molleux 1er Trie bottlings.
As the wines of Huet have become more and more recognized for their brilliance, they have also become harder and harder to get. We were only able to score a few bottles of each of these brilliant wines. Check out the reviews, and click quick!
Looking online, we could not find even a single listing anywhere on the planet. It is simply fantastic that we're able to bring you a small-batch, Champagne method sparkler that was aged at the winery for over six years for such an enticing price. Looking for a perfect bottle to serve to guests or bring as a host/hostess gift? This is it!
2020 Domaine Huet "Le Haut-Lieu" Demi-Sec
Vouvray, Loire Valley, France
~~~~~~~~~~~
“Domaine Huet’s 2020 Demi-Sec from the Le Haut Lieu vineyard is a beautiful young wine. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a youthful blend of apple, quince, lanolin, chalk dusty soil tones, a touch of honeycomb, orange peel and a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and racy, with a superb core of fruit, lovely soil undertow, lovely bounce and complexity and a long, zesty and superb balanced finish. This is a gorgeous wine in the making! Like all of the Domaine Huet wines when young, it should offer up a year or two of accessibility, before hunkering down for an eight to ten year period of hibernation, after which it will open up again and last sixty or seventy years! Fine juice. 2021-2085.”
- 93+ Points, John Gilman (6/2021)
“This broad, striking white is elegant and rich with complexity, featuring green melon, yellow fig, ginger and verbena notes, underscored with heather, stone, flint and spice details. Offers great energy and tension, showcasing expert craftsmanship. Drink now through 2036.”
- 96 Points, Wine Spectator (10/31/2021)
Vin Chicago Price: 46.99
2022 Domaine Huet "Le Haut-Lieu" Moelleux
Vouvray, Loire Valley, France
~~~~~~~~~~~
“The 2022 Le Haut-Lieu Moelleux is a supple, tender style. It's delicate on the palate while succulent and medium-sweet, which is quite a feat. You'll struggle to find many producers in the world who can achieve this balance. It has a fine, delicate fragrance of apple, pear and even a hint of celery. The finish is gentle, with a fine texture lightly coating the palate. A little shorter than I'd like ideally, but still super stuff. (47g/L RS) Drink: 2023-2043.”
- 93 Points, Vinous - Rebecca Gibb MW (6/2023)
“A beautifully botrytized bottle of Vouvray, with a lovely mix of aromatics and flavors from about fifty percent noble rot and fifty percent golden berries. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a mix of yellow plum, sweet quince, baked apple, honeycomb, orange peel, a fine base of chalky soil elements and a topnote of citrus blossoms. On the palate the wine is deep, pure and very elegant in personality, with good, but not snappy acids, lovely focus and balance, a great core of fruit and superb length on the seamlessly balanced and complex finish. This is a beautiful wine in the making. Drink between 2023-2090.”
- 94+ Points, John Gilman (8/2023)
Vin Chicago Price: 48.99
2020 Domaine Huet "Le Haut-Lieu" Moelleux 1ère Trie
Vouvray, Loire Valley, France
~~~~~~~~~~~
“This lovely wine elegantly layers lots of complexity with green melon, yellow fig and quince paste notes, underscored with ginger, honeysuckle, chamomile and marzipan elements. Complex, showcasing both power and grace. Drink now through 2036. 1,000 cases made.”
- 95 Points, Wine Spectator (9/2/2021)
“The 2020 Le Haut Lieu Moelleux Première Trie is pretty gorgeous with its sweet embrace (71g/L residual sugar) caressing the palate like a silky-smooth velouté. It sits calmly in the mouth, showing the typical fruit-forward character of the site, all oranges, chamomile and violets. The deeply satisfying finish provides the merest of grips, and fresh acid makes your mouth water. Already delicious in its youth, this wine has the concentration, acidity and sweetness to age gracefully, as Huet fans will know well. Drinking Window: 2021 - 2035.”
- 96 Points, Vinous - Rebecca Gibb MW (3/2021)
“The 2020 Le Haut Lieu Première Trie from Domaine Huët is a beautiful young wine in the making, offering up a very refined bouquet of pear, sweet quince, honeycomb, a hint of guava, chalky soil tones, white lilies and orange zest. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and very elegant in profile, with a superb core, lovely soil undertow, zesty acids and a very, very long, impeccably balanced and beautifully complex finish. This is stunning. 2021-2100.”
- 96 Points, John Gilman (6/2021)
Vin Chicago Price: 68.99
