Le Haut-Lieu was the estate’s first vineyard, purchased in 1928. Situated on the Première Côte, it’s a nine-hectare plot on deep brown chalky clay (known as aubuis). The yellow limestone (tuffeau) bedrock lies up to four metres down, making for a richer soil that produces round, supple wines that drink very well young. It generally produces the earliest-maturing of the three cuvées and is usually ready to drink first, but, like Clos du Bourg and Le Mont, the wines can be extremely long-lived. We have enjoyed bottles from the ’40s that are still drinking very well!
“The 2023 Vouvray Sec Le Haut-Lieu is a pure, refined, seamless style with pear, pineapple and nectarine flavors. It boasts excellent clarity and refinement, with lovely freshness hailing from calibrated acidity that bursts through this blossoming wine. Considering this was only bottled three weeks before tasting, I'm very encouraged by the results.” 93 points, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous