Vouvray Moelleux Réserve

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In the glass

Aroma: botrytis, candied citrus, apricot, honey

Palate: preserved citrus, honey, dried apricot, saffron

Botrytis-affected late-harvest Chenin Blanc from Foreau's tuffeau-limestone parcels in Vouvray. Bottled only a few times per decade, with documented multi-decade cellaring potential.

What it pairs with

• Foie gras au torchon Classic Loire pairing: botrytis honey and apricot meet the duck-liver richness; chalk acidity refreshes.More wines for foie gras →
• Roquefort Blue cheese salt meets botrytis sweetness; saffron and honey echo the cheese's umami.More wines for blue cheese →
• Apricot tart Apricot-on-apricot between dessert and wine; high acid keeps the pairing from cloying.More wines for dessert →
• Saffron mussels Saffron aromatic locks onto sweet wine; honey-citrus profile handles seafood broth.More wines for mussels →

With cheese

Crottin de Chavignol Our pick A fully aged crottin turns dry, crumbly and strongly nutty. A sweet Loire Chenin, made from late-picked or nobly rotten grapes, sets honeyed richness and its own high acidity against that concentration and salt.

History

Foreau bottles a Vouvray Moelleux Reserve only a few times per decade, reserved for vintages of exceptional botrytis.

1. 1947First Moelleux Réserve bottling in the post-war era

Facts

Producer

Domaine du Clos Naudin (Philippe Foreau) · visiting guide

Grapes

Chenin Blanc (100%)

Classification

Vouvray AOC

Oak

Vinified and aged in older oak demi-muids, no new oak, around 18 months on lees

ABV

12.0%

Price

EUR 90 to 200 at retail

Drinking window

15-60 from vintage

First vintage

1947

Vegan

Yes (no animal-derived fining)

Frequently asked about Vouvray Moelleux Réserve

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