Jim wrote:

> *1989 Huët Vouvray Cuvée Constance - France, Loire Valley, Touraine,
> Vouvray*
>
> Deep and rich gold with a dense texture that moves languorously around
> the glass. First blush on the nose is major botrytis with a panoply of
> rich sweet fruits - apricot, ripe fig, orange and more exotic citrus.
> With a little time open, this develops spice notes and even shows a bit
> of deeply underlying stoniness. On the palate, extraordinarily
> concentrated, but absolutely in balance. If you can imagine the most
> agile dancer somehow moving unfettered through a big pot of honey, then
> you've got the measure of how beautifully the acid balances the
> sweetness and texture. Palate is equally complex to the nose and the
> finish just won't end. A truly stupendous wine. I'm often wary lux
> cuvées, as they tend to be a bit too much of everything, but
> occasionally it is possible to put 10 lbs. of potatoes in a 5-lb. sack
> and have it all hold together. This one does hold together - and
> magically. I can only imagine how amazing this will be in time.

You likely had one of the most outstanding Vouvrays made in relatively
recent modern times. I bought a few bottles upon release, but I have no
intention of opening any for several more years. From everything I have
read, this is about as rich as Vouvray gets, but yet is perfectly
balanced and is built to age. Given proper storage, it is very likely
it will still be in good form after everyone who reads this group is
long gone. Vouvray of this quality, richness, and balance can sometimes
hold up with age better than even outstanding vintages of Yquem. What a
pity it is that wine of this quality can only be produced rarely in
Vouvray - it requires extraordinary climate conditions for this to be
possible.