Philippe Foreau Vouvray Clos Naudin Demi-Sec 2008
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Robert
Parker
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Subtle and alluring scents of musk, white truffle, iris, lily, and narcissus mingle with quince on the nose of Foreau’s 2008 Vouvray Demi-Sec. Lush and glossy (13% alcohol, incidentally) and lusciously loaded with quince, kumquat, and grapefruit, it carries hints of coriander, zesty sizzle, rhubarb tartness, and persistent truffle and floral perfume into an uncannily buoyant, soaring finish. The balance here is so deft you can practically consider the wine dry, and its scent from the open glass alone is worth the asking price. Expect it to be worth following for at least two richly rewarding decades.
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COMPOSITION OF DOMAINE: The vineyards are located in the northeast corner of Vouvray, sited mid-hill with 100% south/southeast/southwest exposures. The principal vineyards are known as "Les Perruches" and "Les Ruettes". The average age of the vines is approximately 35 years. Yields over the past 10 years have averaged 33 hectoliters per hectare. The vineyards are tended pursuant to organic methods - without the use of herbicides and worked with organic fertilizers. Production levels are approximately 30,000 bottles per annum of still wine and 25,000 bottles annually of sparkling wine made following the traditional "champagne" method.
Unquestionably one of the most diverse grape varieties, Chenin Blanc can do it all. It shines in every style from bone dry to unctuously sweet, oaked or unoaked, still or sparkling and even as the base for fortified wines and spirits. Perhaps Chenin Blanc’s greatest asset is its ever-present acidity, maintained even under warm growing conditions. Somm Secret—Landing in South Africa in the mid 1800s, today the country has double the acreage of Chenin Blanc planted compared to France. There is also a new wave of dedicated producers committed to restoring old Chenin vines.
An important white wine appellation in the Touraine and one of the top in all of the Loire, Vouvray uniquely specializes in a wide range of styles from dry to sweet, and still to sparkling, each with its own definitive character. Vouvray is almost always 100% Chenin blanc (however up to 5% Menu Pineau is theoretically allowed but not often used).
Vouvray is also the name of a pretty little town just east of Tours on the northern bank of the Loire—its vineyards surround it to the northeast. Houses and cellars are carved out of the local tuffeau, a chalky or sandy, fine-grained limestone. Vineyards inhabit clay and gravel topsoil over tuffeau on the plateau, the best of which have a slight slope with a southerly aspect.
Chenin blanc’s high acidity and natural adaptability allow it to produce a wide range of styles with enormous success. Styles under the Vouvray name include sparkling, both Brut and Demi-Sec and still: Sec (dry) and Tendre (off-dry) as well as Demi-Sec (noticeably sweet), Moelleux (very sweet) and Liquoreaux (botrytized). Most can age about five years but the best quality versions will continue to improve over decades.