Domaine Huet bans Chris Kissick from tasting new vintages!

Interesting piece here from Chris, do not forget to read the comments.

http://www.thewinedoctor.com/blog/2014/ ... aine-huet/

Absolute disgrace, Jim Budd told to f... off too.

Does not surprise me one iota, that is Anthony Hwang for you. He even tried to bribe a personal friend into writing positive reviews (about Kiralyudvar) on the net.

Greetings from Sweden / Fredrik L

This is unbelievable. My misgivings about way Pinguet was eased out are amplified a hundred fold. With this arrogant attitude to honest criticism, the Hwangs' total control can only lead to a slide in standards.

[David M. Bueker]

As I just mentioned on Facebook, I am done with Huet. Between this and the premox issues they are an easy pass.

My remaining 2002 and 2005 bottles will be sacrificed as part of a cull party this spring/early summer.

Waste is not necessary. You already paid for the wine, and, anyway, it may be good.

Honor is served by striking Dom. Huet from your list -- as I have mine -- and to warn others away.

And it is, indeed, a sorry state of affairs.

Very poor business. And I think I'll take mine elsewhere (and I even liked the 2012 secs a lot)

[David M. Bueker]

Jeff - I just don't have much interest in the wines anymore. The premox issue has left more than a bad taste in my mouth, and so I might as well just free up cellar space.

Seems a little hasty to boycott the wines just because of this tasting issue. People make mistakes. Although I would very much like to hear more, even if there is probably not much that can be done to spin this story positively.

And definitely sad, because they have such great terroir and we don't need mismanagement taking this estate the way of Coulee de Serrant.

[David M. Bueker]

Given the state of my cellar I will take any reason I can find to boycott a producer!

Given the state of my cellar I will take any reason I can find to boycott a producer!

If you're adamant about this, I can send you my shipping address.

Seriously, this is appalling and most certainly doesn't bode well for the future of the property. I was not at all surprised when Pinguet left--that's the nature of new owners and holdovers, no matter how amicable everyone tries to be. It's always out with the old and in with the new, especially when there's ownership involved.

But this attitude---apparently consistent, what with Kissack and Jim Budd---is deplorable.

It would be interesting to find out what the people at Rare Wine Co think or know of what's going on at Huet.

My love affair with Huet is so obsessive I'd probably go on buying from them if I found irrefutable proof they were the sole cause of global warming. But the Kissick affair is a bummer. That and my last five bottles of 2005 Le Mont Sec, all of which were premoxed.

That and my last five bottles of 2005 Le Mont Sec, all of which were premoxed.

Ouch, ouch, ouch.

Boy, it would be one thing if a critic had a conflict of interest, but banning someone from tasting because you don't like what they right is really going too far. Frankly, I would hope that the Salon would bring down the hammer and require Huet to offer tastings to all qualified attendees. Anything else is not only a transparent attempt to intimidate critics into false praise, but childish to boot.

Boy, it would be one thing if a critic had a conflict of interest, but banning someone from tasting because you don't like what they right is really going too far. Frankly, I would hope that the Salon would bring down the hammer and require Huet to offer tastings to all qualified attendees. Anything else is not only a transparent attempt to intimidate critics into false praise, but childish to boot.

I would imagine the Salon is right now desperately trying to avoid becoming immersed in the shamefull (shameless?) behavior of Ms. Hwang. But, yes, Walt, the Salon should go on record as requiring all participating wineries to allow open tastings, or else not show up at all. (And I suspect from the hubris shown already, the Hwangs would simply choose not to participate.)

What an absolutely stupid move on their part to create this situation.

Yes, what a weird response to a tepid, though not unfair or mean spirited review of one vintage of wines. Both these writers were big fans of the estate. Interesting that it was just Jim Budd and Chris Kissick they banned. Also, banning them from one tasting does nothing to stop them from writing after they source their own bottles, so it seemed to be personal rather than a professional decision by the Hwangs. I don't support this decision, and will join the crowd with not buying their wines from 2012 on. It's a bummer, as we don't get any other major Vouvray producers where I live, so that basically stops me from buying Vouvray.

I talked to Barry who runs Rare Wine here in Sonoma, and is the distributor for Huet in CA and other states. Barry was not aware of the incident with Chris etc but was astonished that the conversations even took place. From a business standpoint just plain stupid.

There is finally a response from Sarah Hwang, provided in La Revue de Vin de France: http://www.larvf.com/,vin-domaine-huet-journalistes-interdits-degustation-angers-salon-des-vins-de-loire-vins,4363775.a

Here is full quote from Ms Hwang: "Pour être claire, ni M. Kissack ni M. Budd n’ont été interdits de visite au domaine, et j’ai invité chacun à acheter des bouteilles du millésime 2013 lorsqu’il sera commercialisé. Après deux années où la situation du domaine a été parfois présentée de manière trompeuse, où nous avons parfois senti un manque de respect envers le domaine et un manque de soutien pour l’appellation Vouvray, j’ai fait le choix de ne plus me taire pour défendre le domaine, notre équipe, et Vouvray."

Here's a really bad translation: "To be clear, neither Mr Kissack nor Mr Budd have been forbidden to visit the domain, and I have invited them to buy 2013 bottles when they are released. For two years, where the the status/situation of the domain has been presented in a misleading manner, when we have sometimes felt a lack of respect towards the domain and a lack of support for the Vouvray appelation, I have made the choice to no longer be silent to defend the domain, our team and Vouvray".

Well, this still sounds like a petty, puerile response from an inexperienced person. I can understand her frustration about less than perfect reviews - it must be hard to hear that sort of thing - but I also think that any owner/winemaker that can't take the heat had better leave the kitchen: it's a central part of the business. This will be painful learning experience for the Huet team and Ms Hwang in particular.

I love the line, I have invited them to buy - not come and taste or be sent samples! - the 2013 wines when they are released to the public. How kind of her!