Philippe Foreau - Domaine du Clos Naudin, Vouvray Sec

Foreau only bottles a few hundred cases of Vouvray Sec annually, and when our first allocation of this dry white sensation quickly vanished last year, we repeatedly speed-dialed their importer, hoping they could conjure up a few more bottles. We knew, however, that with 2013 being an especially tiny vintage for Foreau, it would take time for us to have any modicum of success, if at all. Still, our determination paid off and we finally secured another parcel—albeit smaller—to feed our ravenous subscribership.There’s no other way to say this: The mastery Foreau displays in each vintage is the reason his Vouvray Sec has become one of France’s most celebrated and collectible dry white wines. Few experienced sommeliers would dispute that Chenin Blanc is among the world’s most noble white grape varieties. Furthermore, it’s impossible to deny that Vouvray is one of the elite terroirs for Chenin. This appellation’s finest handmade whites are in every way (except price!) on par with top Burgund