The 2024 Huet Sec Crus are Brilliant
Since its founding in 1928, this legendary estate has been the beating heart of Vouvray, and for nearly a century, the Huet family has proven that Chenin, when grown on the right land and handled with precision, can rival the world’s greatest white wines for complexity and longevity. I think that Vouvray is the greatest place on earth for Chenin Blanc. And within Vouvray, there are three names;Le Haut Lieu, Clos du Bourg, and Le Mont; widely considered the three greatest crus of the region. These vineyards are expressions of limestone, clay, flint, slope, and exposure, each of which shapes Chenin Blanc in profoundly different ways.This is a beautiful exercise in exploring micro terroir in a beautifully transparent grape.
Huet is great not only because of the land, but the continuity of knowledge guiding it. For over 40 years, Benjamin Joliveau has been guiding the domaine as the winemaker The same owners have been in place for 3 decades. The domaine is approaching its 100th anniversary. This long stewardship has created an intimate, generational understanding of each vineyard’s personality. How far to push ripeness, when to harvest, and how to preserve tension without sacrificing depth. This is why Huet wines are never just “good for Chenin.” They are benchmarks for white wine, period.
The 2024 vintage captures everything that makes Huet immortal. Piercing clarity, mineral authority, quiet power, and the ability to evolve for decades. These are dry (“Sec”) wines, but make no mistake, this is Chenin at its most articulate and age-worthy.
Clos du Bourg Sec is often described as the most stately and structured of the three crus. Its clay-rich limestone soils give the wine breadth, gravity, and a quietly commanding presence. This is Chenin built not just to impress today, but to unfold over 20–30 years like great white Burgundy.
Le Haut Lieu Sec is the most open and immediately expressive. From heavier clay soils on gentler slopes, it delivers generosity, orchard fruit, and early charm without losing Huet’s signature precision. If Clos du Bourg is the philosopher, Haut Lieu is the poet.
Le Mont Sec, grown on the estate’s flint-rich hillside, is the most electric and mineral-driven of the trio. Taut, saline, and relentlessly focused, it is often the most long-lived expression with razor-etched Chenin that seems to hum with energy long after the glass is empty.
Together, these three wines represent something extraordinarily rare in modern wine: a complete, transparent expression of terroir from one grape, one producer, one vintage, across three elite crus. Owning all three is not just buying wine, but is owning a masterclass in Chenin Blanc and one of the great white wine experiences on the planet.
92+ Points, Wine Advocate, 93 points Wine Spectator
A lacy, seductive version, with impressive range to its notes of chamomile, heather, honey water and blanched almond, all atop a crunchy core of quince and nectarine. Its sneaky density builds, electrified by juicy acidity that uplifts the plumpness. The elegant finish is marked by smoke and a cool rush of alpine herbs. Stunning. Drink now through 2040.
91+ Points, Wine Advocate, 91 points Wine Spectator
A fresh, salty, floral and expressive version, with a burst of lemony freshness behind its crunchy apple, nectarine and meadow blossom notes. Salty, tangy and savory, with subtle tones of warm spices, but this is mostly about freshness and savory purity. Drink now through 2035. .
93 Points, Wine Advocate, 93 points Wine Spectator
A silky, streamlined beam of green plum, star fruit and pear blossoms is dusted with green herbs. Salty density builds, with the purity of fruit bolstered by succulent acidity and chalky mineral notes. Floral high tones grace the finish, which shows precision and focus. Beautiful now but a bit tightly wound; this will taste better with time in bottle. Drink now through 2035.