In the glass
Aroma: intense botrytis, honey, saffron, candied apricot
Palate: preserved apricot, honey, candied citrus, spice
Foreau's most rarefied Moelleux. Produced only five times in the domaine's century-long history (1947, 1990, 2011, 2015, 2020).
What it pairs with
-
Foie gras with quince
Botrytis honey and quince meet duck-liver richness; saffron lifts the candied fruit. -
Tarte fine aux abricots
Apricot-on-apricot between dessert and wine; high acid keeps the pairing from cloying. -
Aged Roquefort
Mature blue cheese salt meets intense botrytis sweetness; spice and honey echo umami. -
Saffron-spiced rice pudding
Cuvée's saffron aromatic locks onto dessert; honey-apricot profile handles dairy.
History
Goutte d'Or means 'drops of gold'. Foreau has bottled the cuvée only five times in the domaine's century of existence: 1947, 1990, 2011, 2015 and 2020.
- 1947 — First vintage of Goutte d'Or bottled
- 1990 — Second Goutte d'Or bottling, 43 years after the first
- 2020 — Most recent Goutte d'Or bottling, the fifth in the cuvée's history
Facts
- Producer
- Domaine du Clos Naudin (Philippe Foreau)
- Grapes
- Chenin Blanc (100%)
- Classification
- Vouvray AOC
- Oak
- Vinified and aged in older oak demi-muids, no new oak, around 24 months on lees
- ABV
- 11.5%
- Price
- EUR 250 to 600 at retail
- Drinking window
- 20-80 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1947
- Vegan
- Yes (no animal-derived fining)
Frequently asked about Vouvray Moelleux Goutte d'Or
What does Foreau Goutte d'Or taste like?
Intense botrytis, honey, saffron and candied apricot on the nose; preserved apricot, honey, candied citrus and spice on the palate. Full-bodied with high acidity and an extraordinarily long finish.
When should I drink Foreau Goutte d'Or?
Drink between 20 and 80 years from vintage. The cuvée is documented to cellar 50+ years (the 1947 still tastes vital).
How rare is Goutte d'Or?
Foreau has bottled the cuvée only five times in the domaine's century of existence: 1947, 1990, 2011, 2015 and 2020. Production is reserved for vintages of exceptional botrytis.
What food pairs with Goutte d'Or?
Foie gras with quince, tarte fine aux abricots and aged Roquefort are textbook pairings. The wine's intense botrytis honey demands a dessert or umami counterpart of equal weight.