Domaine de la Taille aux Loups - Jacky Blot - Les Hauts de Husseau 2024
Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Les Hauts de Husseau 2024 is one of the great dry Chenins from Montlouis-sur-Loire. Elevated to a very high level by Jacky Blot, the estate is one of the major references of the Loire for terroir-driven whites, precise, deep, and crafted for aging. Since Jacky Blot's passing in 2023, his son Jean-Philippe continues the work with the same rigor on maturities, vinifications, and parcel expression. Located in Montlouis-sur-Loire, opposite Vouvray, the vineyard reveals all the nobility of Chenin on limestone, clay, and siliceous soils. Les Hauts de Husseau, formerly named Rémus Plus, represents one of the estate's most ambitious cuvées. It expresses a style that is both taut, deep, and luminous, where the purity of the fruit meets a very marked minerality. The 2024 vintage highlights this Loire identity with a dry white of great precision, already highly sought after by Chenin enthusiasts.
The Les Hauts de Husseau 2024 cuvée is made exclusively from Chenin Blanc, the emblematic grape of Montlouis-sur-Loire. The grapes come from old vines planted on clay-siliceous soils rich in flint, with a limestone bedrock that gives the wine its tension and length. This cool and stony area favors slow ripening, allowing the preservation of high natural acidity and great aromatic precision. The harvest is done manually, with a focus on just maturity and fruit purity. The slow fermentation occurs spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, without chaptalization or malolactic fermentation, to preserve the Chenin's uprightness. Aging for 16 to 18 months on fine lees in barrels brings depth, a slight patina, and a broader texture without masking the wine's freshness. The result is a high-level dry Montlouis, built on the balance between flesh, acidity, minerality, and length.
In the glass, Les Hauts de Husseau 2024 reveals a clear, bright robe with discreet golden reflections. The nose opens on green apple, pear, ripe lemon, white flowers, and yellow fruits, with a touch of gunflint and a slightly honeyed nuance. The palate is straight, chiseled, and very energetic, carried by a vibrant acidity that gives great drive. The body has density but remains perfectly held by a saline, chalky, and persistent finish. The aging brings a subtle buttery and brioche sensation without ever weighing down the wine's profile. This dry Chenin can be enjoyed young after aeration but also has a beautiful aging potential over several years. It will ideally accompany scallops, a noble fish with beurre blanc, crustaceans, creamy poultry, aged goat cheese, citrus risotto, or refined vegetable cuisine.
Grape variety: 100% Chenin Blanc
