WTN: 2004 Clos Lapeyre, Jurançon Sec
Jean Bernard Larrieu returned from enology school eager to build a winery on his father's property in the Southwest of France. The farm in the Jurançon region—cuddled up against the Pyrenees—provided the raw material for his new endeavor. The region has been famous for a long time: Henry IV supposedly tasted "the best of Jurançon's wines" when the priest baptised him. The vines grow in a soil rich with limestone, a desirable component of good wine, though a thick coat of pebbles and ironstone challenge any would-be farmers. The region is best known for its sweet wines, bottled under the standard Jurançon appellation, but there is some demand for the table wines that fall into the Jurançon Sec ("dry" in French) definitions.
Larrieu built Clos Lapeyre in 1985, and added to it as money and opportunity allowed. The family stopped growing strawberries and replaced them with grape vines. New vineyards from neighbors came under Larrieu's control over the years, the family improved the cellar, and the winery hired other employees.
Like most of the Southwest varieties, the grapes from this area haven't caught the questing eye of novelty-seeking New World growers. Larrieu uses Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng in this wine, though the latter enjoys a better reputation among wine experts.
Tasting Note
This delightful white wine has light grapefruit aromas with a stunning mineral quality, light petrol, and a wheaty smell I often note as Honey Nut Cheerios. A juicy acidity gives life to the chalk, citrus, and floral flavors, which hover for a medium-long finish.
The bright acidity and sturdy flavors allow this wine to pair with any number of dishes, from seafood and shellfish to heavier dishes such as duck breast (though not the magret from foie gras ducks in the area, which would be too heavy).
Price: $13.50 at the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant
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