Domaine Huet Vouvray Cuvée Constance 2018 (500ml)

The pinnacle of Huet’s production was named after Gaston Huet’s mother, Constance, and ranks among the world’s greatest dessert wines. It’s only made in the greatest sweet wine vintages and 2018 is certainly one of those (and only the third bottling of the previous decade). It’s made from a blend of the most concentrated botrytised fruit from all three of Huet’s big-ticket vineyards (Le Mont, Le Haut-Lieu and Clos du Bourg).

This was raised half in used demi-muid, half in stainless and finished fermenting with around 160 g/L residual sugar and 11.5% ABV. Stunningly pure, intense and ethereal, this nectar floats across the palate with crystalline flavours of gingerbread, spice and quince jelly, closing with an energetic and precise finish that belies its latent power. Tasting is believing. It will live for at least another four decades, and yet, it is a joy to drink now. In short, even if you rarely drink sweet wines, you will never regret having this in your cellar.