Jurançon Clos Joliette 1998

Lot presentation

Jurançon Clos Joliette 1998

The wine

Fermentations are natural, with no inputs, the entire process taking up to 8 to 10 months. After fermentation, the wines then stay in these same barrels (after racking) for two to three years. The wines are bottled by hand, with neither fining nor filtration. This is a dry cuvée with little residual sugar. Its nose of truffle and exotic fruit aromas is outstanding, while on the palate it is at once full-bodied and extremely fresh. Superb.

Le Clos Joliette is located in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques in the village of Jurançon itself. The single parcel of 1.85 hectares was planted in 1929 on clay-limestone soil. Yields are astonishingly low, and therefore the production of 1500 bottles isn't commercialised. And yet – or perhaps precisely for this reason – its presence is immense. Unaffected by the passing of time or commercial logic, the owners have always wanted to hide behind this unique terroir. The vines of Petit Manseng were planted in 1929. The southeast- facing parcel is exposed to the sun with a soil of “Jurançon puddingstones”: stones on the ground which increase the temperature during the day and allow rain water to drain. This micro-climate yields overripe grapes, which are left to dry on the vines. The grapes are dried by both the sun and the wind, before being picked by hand between November and December with successive selections.