2012 Clos Joliette Clos Joliette

WINEMAKER: Jean-Marc Grussaute
REGION: Jurançon, FR
VARIETAL: Petit Manseng
VITICULTURE: Organic

True unicorn wine. Don't sleep...

"...an incredible selection of complex and aromatic off-dry wines, reflecting the reputation Antoine Gerbelle bestowed on the domaine as “the Romanee Conti of the South-West France”.

What makes these wines so sought after is the combination of three unique aspects. First, its location. With only 1.85 hectares Clos Joliette sits at 300m altitude, on the slopes of the hill of Beauvallon (Commune of Jurancon). The vines were planted in 1929 by Madame Migné and exposed to the East and South-East in a natural amphitheater, allowing the grapes to capture the gentle morning sun, rather than afternoon heat. Second, an atypical terroir made of clay-silica, pudding stones, Ponto-Pliocene pebbles and crossed through by a vein of iron. Third, the wine itself - a single varietal 100% Petit Manseng, treated with minimal intervention throughout vinification, no fining or filtration, and long aging in oak barrels for 4 to 6 years.

We might add a fourth aspect, being the mystic. There’s little to be said about this wine across the vastness of the internet. They are prized wines, with only 1000 bottles produced each year, sitting firmly in the ‘if you know, you know’ category. Clos Joliette is considered one of those wines one must try in a lifetime..."