2016 Clos Naudin Vouvray Demi-Sec

“The 2016 Demi-Sec is absolutely delectable and impeccably balanced. Tender and succulent at first, offering exotic mango-like fruit flavors, the naturally lithe acidity carries this wine through while the tropical fruit coats the mouth, leaving a heady fragrance. This is a wine to enjoy for its suave yet athletic frame.Vincent Foreau is the fourth generation of his family to make understated, soulful Vouvray that provides a drinking experience rather than asking for its componentry to be picked apart. The cellar, next door to Domaine Huet, is remarkably modest considering the beauties that lie within its cool tunnels. Its 12 hectares of vines – worked organically, but not certified – trail within a 10-minute walk of the family home and winery. There’s no fancy winemaking here. There’s no separation of press fractions; after 18 hours settling, the wine is sent to very old barrels where a wild fermentation takes place. “You lose the soul of these vintages if you use commercial yeasts” Foreau says. The wine is racked “when it pleases me” and bottled relatively early to preserve freshness and allow the ageing process to take place in the bottle. While all around producers are creating a proliferation of terroir cuvées and a barrel aged style, Foreau blends his parcels together to make single cuvées depending on their sweetness level: i.e.: sparkling, dry, demi-sec, moelleux. The wines are pure and unforced, and after 10 years in bottle, they shake off their youth and blossom.”