Domaine Huet

Victor Huet, a bistro owner, fell for a property in Vouvray during a visit in 1928, a five-hectare parcel on what became Le Haut-Lieu, and bought it that same year along with its wine stocks. His son Gaston, trained in agronomy, worked the vines alongside his father, served in the French army during the Second World War, and spent most of the war as a prisoner in a German camp. Gaston became Mayor of Vouvray in 1947 and, through his standing in the appellation, helped shape French wine law and is credited with preventing a planned TGV line from cutting through the Vouvray vineyards. He expanded the domaine, adding the six-hectare Clos du Bourg in 1953 and the nine-hectare Le Mont in 1957. Gaston's own son chose to become a photographer rather than take over the estate, so it passed to Gaston's youngest daughter and her husband, Noel Pinguet, who moved back to Vouvray at Gaston's urging and took over winemaking in 1976. Pinguet converted the domaine's farming to biodynamics after a trial in the 1988 vintage. Gaston Huet died in 2002, and French death duties forced the sale of the domaine; American investor Anthony Hwang, who also owns Hungary's Kiralyudvar winery, bought it. Pinguet stayed on as winemaker through the 2011 vintage and left in February 2012, at which point Anthony Hwang's children, Sarah and Hugo Hwang, moved to the domaine to run it; long-time winemaker Jean-Bernard Berthome remained through the transition, providing continuity. Sarah Hwang now owns and runs Domaine Huet, with Benjamin Joliveau as winemaker.

• Founded 1928 by Victor Huet and Gaston Huet, who bought the five-hectare Le Haut-Lieu property that year
• Clos du Bourg (6 ha) added 1953; Le Mont (9 ha) added 1957
• Gaston Huet became Mayor of Vouvray in 1947; he died in 2002
• Noel Pinguet, Gaston's son-in-law, took over winemaking in 1976 and left the domaine in February 2012
• Anthony Hwang bought the domaine after Gaston Huet's 2002 death; his children Sarah and Hugo Hwang now run it

Domaine Huet's identity is built on three distinct parcels in Vouvray. Le Haut-Lieu, the estate's founding site bought in 1928 and now 15 hectares, has deep brown clay soils. Clos du Bourg, six hectares, sits above the church of Vouvray on shallow clay and limestone soils over a tuffeau subsoil, enclosed by an old stone wall, and is counted among the appellation's oldest vineyards. Le Mont, nine hectares, has pebbly soil with clay and flint, faces south on the first cote directly above the domaine's tuffeau cellars. All three sites are farmed biodynamically and each is vinified separately.

• Le Haut-Lieu (15 ha): deep brown clay soils; the estate's founding parcel, bought in 1928
• Clos du Bourg (6 ha): shallow clay and limestone over tuffeau, above the Vouvray church, enclosed by an old stone wall; among the appellation's oldest vineyards
• Le Mont (9 ha): pebbly clay with flint, south-facing on the first cote above the domaine's tuffeau cellars
• All three sites are farmed biodynamically and vinified separately

Domaine Huet's biodynamic farming began with a trial in the 1988 vintage under Noel Pinguet, and all 30 hectares of Chenin Blanc are now farmed this way. In the cellar, whole clusters are pressed without crushing or destemming, and the juice settles for 24 hours before fermentation, split between tank and old barrels. Fermentation runs on the cellars' own indigenous yeasts. Each cuvee is aged roughly six months before bottling each April. The wines mature in cellars carved into the tuffeau rock at a constant temperature of around 13 degrees Celsius.

• Biodynamic farming introduced after a trial in the 1988 vintage; all 30 hectares are farmed biodynamically today
• Whole clusters are pressed without crushing or destemming; juice settles 24 hours before fermentation
• Fermentation runs on the cellars' own indigenous yeasts
• Aged roughly six months before an April bottling; cellars are carved into tuffeau rock at a constant temperature around 13C

Domaine Huet makes five regular styles from its 100% Chenin Blanc vines: Sec (dry), Demi-Sec (semi-dry), Moelleux (sweet), Moelleux Premiere Trie (late-harvest sweet, picked in successive passes), and Petillant, a lightly sparkling style that has been made in Vouvray for close to 200 years and that Huet ages on lattes in its tuffeau cellars for at least three years. In exceptional vintages the estate also produces Cuvee Constance in small quantity, a blend of the most concentrated juice from all three terroirs, named for Constance Huet, Gaston Huet's mother.

• Five regular styles: Sec, Demi-Sec, Moelleux, Moelleux Premiere Trie, and Petillant
• Petillant has been made in Vouvray for close to 200 years; Huet ages it on lattes in the tuffeau cellars for at least three years
• Cuvee Constance, made only in exceptional vintages in small volume, blends the most concentrated juice from all three terroirs and is named for Constance Huet, Gaston's mother
• 100% Chenin Blanc across every style and vineyard

Primary source (producer's own site): https://www.domainehuet.com/. Secondary sources: Wikipedia (Domaine Huet), wineanorak.com (Jamie Goode visit report, February 17, 2026, on-site interview with Sarah Hwang and Benjamin Joliveau), thewinedoctor.com (Domaine Huet profile). Last verified 2026-09-14. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.