In 2013, France’s most respected wine critic, Michel Bettane, chose Domaine Huet’s $35 Clos du Bourg sec as one of the four greatest French white wines released that year. Joining Dagueneau’s $800 Asteroide and Bouchard’s $500 Chevalier-Montrachet La Cabotte was something of a turning point for Huet, in its recognition as one of the world's greatest dry white wine producers.

And it's not just Bettane. U.S. sommeliers are now battling for whatever allocation they can get of all three of Huet's great sec cuvées. Yet, in a vintage like 2018, this battle intensifies to an all-out war. The reason is simple: in 2018, only one sec cuvée was made, from Clos du Bourg. And only a tiny amount of dry Vouvray was made from that providential site.

A Great Vineyard in a Great Vintage
With some of the shallowest, stoniest topsoils in Vouvray, many consider Clos du Bourg to be the appellation's greatest vineyard, dating back to at least the eighth century. And with roughly one meter of clay, silt and pebbles transitioning to tuffeau limestone, the site produces, according to John Gilman, “one of the most powerfully built and ageworthy wines in Vouvray.”

Clos du Bourg produced a monumental dry Vouvray in 2018. The tiny amount of fruit that was harvested to make dry wine was of superlative quality, providing the raw material for a wine of both great stature and elegance.

The dilemma shared by all the domaine's admirers: can you keep your hands off of at least some of your bottles, to take advantage of Clos du Bourg Sec's profound aging potential?