Domaine du Clos Naudin - Vouvray Moelleux Réserve 2016

On these 11.5 hectares, which will be certified organic in 2024, Vincent Foreau is taking over from his father, Philippe. The dry wines, with vibrant finishes of citrus zest, gain in refinement with age. A vertical tasting dating back to 1947 demonstrates their ability to stand the test of time. The sweet wines are fantastic for their dense texture, supported by just the right amount of tension, and the most recent vintages of these gastronomic wines possess remarkable vitality. A fifth star is well deserved.

When tasting Philippe Foreau’s Vouvray wines, everything becomes clear and evident in the Chenin. What is complex is also rich and indulgent; what is fully ripe remains, nonetheless, taut; what is good from the start is confirmed and deepens over the decades. Pure, with a long finish and proverbial persistence, the Vouvray wines from Clos Naudin possess the consistency of a metronome despite the variations in the Loire climate. The “perruches” (clay-flint soils) lend distinct character to the estate’s wines, which are equally at home as sweet wines as they are as dry ones; even the sparkling wines are crafted with the utmost care. The style is often quite rich, more baroque than at Domaine Huet, and no less powerful in its lingering finish. The most recent vintages are brilliantly crafted by Vincent, Philippe’s son. A memorable experience at the estate: the recent tasting of a marvelous 1945 sweet wine, which is still far from having reached its peak.