Rich golden yellow. Opulent aromas of tropical fruit, poached pear, candied quince, woodsmoke and licorice botrytis. The flavor of passion fruit extract is overpoweringly sweet but not at all heavy. A hidden minerality ensures an ethereal freshness on a palate coated with caramel and cream. Still a tad closed and difficult to judge, this Chenin Blanc will need another few years to unfold. Great potential.
Reviews:
- Wine Advocate: Foreau’s 2005 Vouvray Moelleux Reserve smells spectacularly and kaleidoscopically of quince and apricot paste, date, honey, nutmeg, sweet floral perfume, pear distillate, lemon, white raisin, and hints of bitter quinine and smoky Calvados. Extraordinarily rich on the palate, yet clear, juicy in primary fruit character, and with luscious citrus leavening its concentration of nutmeg- and cinnamon-tinged apricot and quince, this finishes with terrific length and penetration, still clear and pure as honey, quince, apricot, apple blossoms and lilies slowly dissipate. Here is a Vouvray for the ages. Its 154 grams of residual sugar are by no means overwhelming and should assist it in a long, slow evolution. Furthermore, they are the reason one can enjoy the elegance and delicacy of 11.5% alcohol after, following sec, demi-sec and moelleux that weighed in at a surprisingly uniform 13.5%. Even in tough years, Foreau never disappoints. But in 2004, after rigorous triage of fruit and young wine, he bottled only one still Vouvray, and very little of that.
- Vinous: Rich golden yellow. Opulent aromas of tropical fruit, poached pear, candied quince, woodsmoke and licorice botrytis. The flavor of passion fruit extract is overpoweringly sweet but not at all heavy. A hidden minerality ensures an ethereal freshness on a palate coated with caramel and cream. Still a tad closed and difficult to judge, this Chenin Blanc will need another few years to unfold. Great potential.
Producer Information
Clos Naudin (also known as Domaine du Clos Naudin) is a well-regarded wine producer in the Loire Valley, popularly considered one of the preeminent Vouvray domaines. The estate strictly grows Chenin Blanc, producing roughly equal amounts of both sparkling (méthode traditionnelle-style, Vouvray Petillant), and still Vouvray. Clos Naudin is also known for its high-quality limited-production cuvées made only in the best vintages.The estate is run by third-generation winemaker Philippe Foreau, whose grandfather founded Clos Naudin in 1923. The domaine now farms roughly 12 hectares (30 acres) of vines in the northeast of the Vouvray appellation, planted entirely to Chenin Blanc.The vineyards all benefit from a predominantly southern exposure. They are divided into two broad lieux-dits: les Perruches and les Ruettes.
