In 1936, this PDO (AOC) was part of the first one created. Being shadowed by more prestigious AOC like Sauternes, it crossed ages to live a revival since few years now.
Also called « Bi dou Rei, Rei dou bi »: « Wine of King, King of Wine » in Bearn dialect, wines from Jurançon AOC are something special to me. Maybe because I was born there, maybe because I am surrounded by these marvelous persons who succeed to grow and to cherish the Manseng grape. Being objective these wines compel what is necessary to produce fabulous wines, such as balance between sugar and acidity but also the aromatic power and freshness of the Manseng grape (especially the « Petit »).
You probably got it, we are going to talk a bit of Jurançon wines!
The uniqueness of this territory is given by the Pyrenees mountains. Taking center stage and lying behind the vines, mountains are more than valuable.
Vines are located on the undulating foothills of the Pyrenees, around 350m above sea level. Differences of topography bring different kind of soils here. The appellation is stretching from East to West, from Gelos to Lucq-de-Béarn, passing through Monein and Chapelle de Rousse.
On the western vineyards soils are predominantly made of clay, gravels and a bit of limestone giving the well-known « poudingue » soil of Jurançon. More to the east this soil is also found but with a bigger proportion of limestone. These differences play an important role in the style of wines that are produced.
The other parameter to consider is the climate. This area is close to the Atlantic Ocean (to the West) which brings a lot of rainfall all over the year (up to 1200mm per year!), we talk about a Maritime influence here. Rainfall means humidity and humidity means fungal diseases (mildew, odium, etc…). This is not wanted in any kind of vineyards. To fight this humidity vines are trained higher compared to other regions. This training system is called « hautain » and is typical of this kind of region. The fruit zone is far from the ground at around 1 meter high. This is good for the wine but also for back’s workers during harvest…this gives also extra sun exposure to the vine. What about grape varieties??
5 are authorized in the AOC : Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng represent around 95% of the plantings, the rest is other indigenous grapes such as Courbu (petit and gros), Camaralet and Lauzet. These grapes are autochthonous and well adapted to showcase the terroir of the foothills.
Petit Manseng is seen as the king of the AOC, being an offspring of Savagnin from Jura, its skin is thick and berries are loose. This means that it is resistant to fungal diseases. Acidity and sugar levels are naturally high in this grape and it needs times to grow. This is a perfect match for the production of naturally sweet wines but not only! It is highly aromatic providing aromas of peach, honey, exotic fruits such as mango, pineapple but also some sweet spices. It can be used alone or blended with other grapes.
Gros Manseng is an offspring of the Petit Manseng. Its berries are bigger but thinner than the Petit Manseng. It is then more susceptible to fungal diseases. Acidity and sugar levels are as high as its cousin. It produces more volume but keeps consistence in the quality. Aromas are more on the citrus notes and sweet spices. It can be used alone or blended with other grapes.
Courbu is used as a blending partner. Sugar levels are high but acidity a bit lower than Manseng grapes. It brings aromas of citrus and grapefruit in the blend.
Camaralet is an old grape which has been brought back 10 years ago by some independent winemakers of the region. A lot of care is needed to produce it. It is a low productive grape which brings low alcohol, aromas of peach, honey and fennel to the blend.
Lauzet is also an old grape variety. As for Petit Manseng it needs time to reach maturation. It brings body, spice notes and high acidity to a blend.
Gauthier Bernardo DipWSET