(Wine-searcher) - The Vouvray producer's owners – and wines – have caused ripples among wine reviewers.

Some wineries are considered sacred by their fans. Domaine Huet is in that class, for better and worse.

Huet is the best-regarded estate in Vouvray, and its wines are some of France's longest-lasting whites, with bottles from the 1940s still drinking beautifully now.

But today, the owners are at odds with the wine press. Perhaps the scorn is deserved – I'll get to that – but the reactions I encountered on a press visit in April gave me pause.

Let me make a confession. Vouvray is not a region I follow. I was in the Loire and I signed up to visit Huet because I knew its wines' reputation. I went unaware of the controversies. I met an energetic young American woman who introduced herself as the CEO and daughter of the owner, thought it was a good story, and interviewed her.