The 2009 Vouvray Argilex demi-sec displayed plenty of ripe quince and pineapple with candied lime and lily perfume overtones in the nose and a lush yet still freshly-fruited palate, underscored by a sense of chalkiness. I found its sense of sweetness, though, overrode any nuances that might otherwise have emerged in the finish. Those with a sweet tooth in this genre will however have plenty of good reasons other than sheer residual sugar to enjoy this, and I can imagine it becoming more interesting if left for a few years. I look forward to tasting a wider range of Gautier’s wines in a less unusual vintage.I tasted some wonderful wines from Benoit Gautier two decades ago, including a special bottling of 1988 sec from the Clos Chateau Chevrier (a property he evidently no longer farms) which was long a favorite chez Schildknecht, and of which my next-to-last bottle was still fresh and spectacularly mineral when enjoyed earlier this year. I can’t speak to Gautier’s evolution in the intervening years, but his standard 2009 sec that reached me was good rather than exciting.Russell Herman Selections, World Wine Source, Berkeley Heights, NJ; tel. (908) 771 9082 (various importers)