History in the Loire
1947 Huet Le Haut Lieu Moelleux
The Region's Most Famous Bottle?
"1947 is generally credited as being the Loire's best post-war vintage..."
So goes the matter-of-fact introduction to Decanter magazine's piece on the top 10 "Wines to Try Before You Die."
Today, history (at the lowest price in the nation by $75-$300, depending on your reference point).
This has to be the most famous bottle in the history of the Loire. We are talking about a wine produced in the thralls of post-WWII France. Vines, however, pay little attention to the turmoil of man and from their perspective, 1947 was an extraordinary vintage.
Michael Broadbent gives 1947 in the Loire five stars (his highest rating). Loire expert Jim Budd wrote in the Decanter piece that the 1947 Huet is only now "in its early middle age," continuing that "the 1947 is wonderfully complex and is likely to still be drinkable in 2104."
This is an immortal bottle of wine and we've seen its reputation only increase over the last decade; bottles are getting harder to find and much more expensive. The estate has been slowly releasing bottles from the cellar but we've seen the offers for this specific bottling dwindle to near-zero.
Those who would like to have this legend in their cellar, for whatever momentous occasion between now and 2104, this is your moment. We just can't fathom that pricing will ever be better.
We have only a few bottles to offer, so we will be allocating on a first come, first served basis.
What to expect from the wine? This is a "Moelleux" Vouvray, meaning sweet, yet the evolution that occurs with Chenin Blanc in the cellar is simply astonishing. Over the decades the sweetness integrates into the wine, it becomes much more dry-tasting. The big-boned, powerful Chenin Blanc becomes a hauntingly nuanced weave of mineral, honey, flowers and hay.
In the masterful hands of Huet in a great, great vintage, this tapestry of flavor assumes mind-blowing intricacy.
This is one of those bottles of wine that is so much more than a bottle of wine.
To order, please reply to this email or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits
1947 Huet Le Haut Lieu Moelleux