Posts Tagged Jurançon
Domaine Causse Marines, Gaillac
Posted by Naturalist in Natural Wines on February 22nd, 2009
Patrice Lescarret and Virginie Maignien
Patrice Lescarret started the adventure in 1993. Originally 8 hectares, now 12, the domaine endeavour to honour the indigenous grapes varieties formely cultivated in the region, such as Duras, Braucol, Prunelard, Loin de l’Oeil, Jurançon, Mauzac and Ondenc. There is no “clone” in their vineyard. All their vines, from before the war, have been “grafted in place” and the new plantations come from a meticulous selection called “selection massale”.
The domaine’s name is derived from the word for limestone table-plateaus, the so-called Causses and the litte creek named “Marines” which runs at the bottom of the property.
In the last ten years, the average yield went from 13 to 35 hl/hectare. Obviously the totality of the grapes are harvested and selected by hand. And as a logical continuity of their effort in the vineyard, the vinification and maturation of their “Babies” is done without chemicals. The fining and filtration are kept to the most simple expression. Somes of Patrice’s wines are totally free of added suphites.
Patrice’s conclusion “we can make organic wine without having long hair and smoking grass! One can do natural wines that don’t smell cow’s fart…”
The couple produces a very interesting style of wine called “vin de voile” (veil of wine) referring to the yeast film (veil) which covers the juice in the casks during the ageing process without being regularly topped-up, like Jura’s vin jaune. Along the years (10 years in total without topping-up) the wine develops an oxydative style with unique aromas. The wine is called “Mysterre” (vintage 1996, produced from the Mauzac grape variety, most suitable for this kind of treatment. The name of the cuvee Mysterre is an anagram of Mystère (mystery) and terre (soil or land).
Domaine de Souch, Béarn, Jurançon, South-West France
Posted by Naturalist in Natural Wines on February 19th, 2009
Bearn-Basque Country
Following the death of her journalist husband, at the age of sixty, Yvonne Hegoburu, manager of Château de Viaud (Lalande de Pomerol), decided to plant vines on 6 hectares of her property in the south west of France Domaine de Souch in Laroin. She opted for a number of the area`s traditional grape varieties- Petit Manseng (70%), Gros Manseng (20%) and Courbu (10%).
Yvonne HegoburuYvonne planted her vines , on a site where vines had been planted from at least the 16th century. But in 1940 the vines were left to die, when the men went off to war, to Germany or into the Resistance. It was decided the slopes were too steep for even young women to cultivate.
She also embarked upon work of monumental proportions- 13,000 trellis posts made from trees cut down on the estate driven into terraces carved out by bulldozer. She also equipped herself with bladder-type pneumatic press, de-stemmer and temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. That was in 1985. The first harvest in 1990 was already very promising. Since 1994, the vineyard has been tented in line with the principles of biodynamic viticulture which exclude the use of any chemicals, pesticides or herbicides.
Yvonne Hegoburu
In just a few years, Domaine de Souch has acquired a reputation as one of the best in its appellation. Yvonne Hegoburu sees it as an intellectual initiative, almost a vocation; “Here in the South West of France, where the wind from spain mingles with the fragrances of the ocean, Yvonne Hegoburu does everything within her power to ensure her grapes are happy”. Taken from the “Vignerons Independants” – November 2001
Yvonne appeared in the famous wine documentari MondoVino, where she is quoted as saying, ‘I planted vines when my husband died. Ever since then, all this love inside me, I give it to the vines. I talk to them. I have an exchange with them’.
Upon tasting it become apparent that both grapes and wines are extremely grateful to her for all the “maternal” care she has given them.
Domaine de Souch
805 chemin de Souch
64110 Laroin
Tel: 05.59.06.27.22
Cuvee Marie Kattalin
Domaine de Souch MARIE KATTALIN Jurançon South West France 2004
Shimmering bronze in colour! Voluptuous nose with intense fragrances of citrus and flowers and yellow fruits confits (orange blossom, lemon, grapefruit, melon, quince, fishing, lychee, etc …) and delicious shades of vanilla. Fresh and clean. A rare sweet nectar! Great bottle! 100% Petit Manseng
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