WTN: Foreau's 1998 Vouvray sec opens up.

Vouvray AOC – Sec – 1998 – Domaine du Clos Naudin – Philippe Foreau – Alc. 13% - (€ 15,85 for 2006).

1998 was a difficult vintage and I believe that Foreau only made this dry cuvée with no demi-sec and moelleux. I bought half a dozen bottles upon release. The first bottle was lively and delicious but then the wine shut down tight. I happened to meet Foreau, asked him about this and he replied “don’t touch your remaining bottles before 2005”. Well, I waited a bit longer and here it is.

C: Deepening yellow.
N: “Oh dear, still closed” was my initial reflection but then the nose started to open up developing nice notes of apple pie, flinty minerals and a touch of wax.
P: The first sip seemed short and, to Germaine before food, searingly acidic. However, the beautifully fresh “dorade” (=sea-bream?) brought it into balance and the wine seemed to fill out and lengthen. Bone dry, crystalline, flavourful and brightly focussed with aromas similar to the nose, medium body, some depth and good length with only residual greenness from the difficult growing and harvesting season. Not so complex, complete and perfect as the Huet Le Mont Sec 1996, a fine vintage, but very good indeed; 16/20+.

[David M. Bueker]

Not so complex, complete and perfect as the Huet Le Mont Sec 1996

Hardly surprising don't you think?

Not so complex, complete and perfect as the Huet Le Mont Sec 1996

Hardly surprising don't you think?

What is your thought behind this remark, David? Vintage or producer? Yes, 1996 was in general an excellent year for Loire whites, whereas 1998 was difficult; but I am always wary about vintage generalizations. No, I don't regard Foreau as inferior to Huet; less glamorous, perhaps, but equally fine and consistent.

[David M. Bueker]

Mostly vintage (1996 is monumental), but I also much prefer Huet over Foreau (though I like Foreau).

You only say that you prefer Huet because you don't like sulphur.

Tim, I am surprised that the 98 has been closed for so long. My 99 Foreau sec are long gone and I am now drinking 2001, which is singing. See you friday!

What is normally the drinkingperiod for these wines? I own some Foreau and Huet 2005 and 2006, should I already give them a go or is it better to wait a bit?

[David M. Bueker]

Gosh I would certainly wait. I have barely even dipped a toe in to my 2002s (just to check progress).

Tim, I am surprised that the 98 has been closed for so long. My 99 Foreau sec are long gone and I am now drinking 2001, which is singing. See you friday!

Jean, thanks for the info on 01; I guess that 00 should be good too. Following Foreau's advice i presume that the 98 was closed until 2005; I simply did not get round to undoing the stack until last week. I never had any 99 but I think that it was a softer vintage.

Foreau's wines tend to close down after an initially short delicious phase for a variable period of years. I found a 05 Sec delicious about a year ago but don't plan to touch the remaining bottles for some time.

See you tomorrow.