Jurançon

Originating in southwestern France, the Jurançon refers to a white wine. Recognized as an appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC), it comes in dry, sweet, and syrupy varieties. It first graced royal tables during the baptism of King Henry IV in the 16th century. Although it is described as a fiery and imperious prince's wine, it retains its mountain origins.

The types of Jurançon wine

With a vineyard area of 1,000 hectares, the Jurançon appellation controlled origin refers exclusively to sweet, dry, and dessert white wines.

Jurançon dry white wine

With a fairly shimmering, clear yellow color and green highlights, the Jurançon wine dry white has an intense aroma with fruity notes of apple, pear, banana, citrus, and exotic fruits, not to mention floral and spicy aromas. Thanks to its explosive blend of fruits, this wine is round and dense with an excellent balance between sugar and acidity. You can store this Jurançon wine for five years or more in your cellar. It is best served at a temperature of 11°C, i.e., not too warm and not too cold.

Jurançon sweet wine

With a higher sugar content, this sweet white wine is golden in color. Thanks to its citrus and mild spice notes, it has an unparalleled taste that provides a truly indulgent and delightful experience when tasted. This type of wine can be stored in a cellar for seven years. Depending on your preferences, enjoy it with savory or sweet dishes.

Jurançon sweet wine

It is the most noble of all Jurançon wines. It is characterized by late harvests. Its production requires meticulous work, particularly at Jurançon vineyard and wine cellarWith a sumptuous golden color, this product is flavored with honey, plums, and orange, delighting the taste buds. It has an unlimited shelf life.

How to appreciate Jurançon wine?

Delicious Jurançon wine can be paired with all types of gourmet menus, including main courses, starters, appetizers, and desserts. To give you an idea, it goes very well with foie gras with raisins, pan-fried or with onions. Feel free to serve it with veal chops, spit-roasted meat, pies, cheese puffs, and more. When it comes to cheese, choose from Bleu des Causses, Persille des Aravis, Bleu d'Auvergne, Roquefort, and others.

How can you recognize Jurançon wine?

With its honey aroma, Jurançon is easy to recognize. The palette includes white flowers, spices, and candied fruit. Also known as Petit Manseng, the local grape varieties add hints of cinnamon and ripe fruit. Less pronounced, some of the fragrant notes of sweet Jurançon, including its spicy and honeyed character, are also found in dry Jurançon.

Each producer makes sweet wine with a different personality. A Jurançon wine is successful when the sweetness of the residual sugars is balanced and it offers a certain liveliness. In addition to its delicacy, the concentration of this wine is astonishing. On the palate, it is slightly sparkling and lively, revealing a round and generous structure. It finishes with a lively note.

The Jurançon vineyards are located in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region around Jurançon and Monein, west and south of Pau. The Jurançon appellation covers a total of 25 communes, which have enjoyed AOC classification since 1936.

The total cultivated area of the Jurançon appellation is around 1,000 hectares. The vineyards are located on south-southeast facing hillsides, sheltered from the prevailing winds. The climate is oceanic, but also influenced by the nearby mountains and the benefits of the southern heat, allowing the use of the over-ripening technique necessary for the production of great sweet wines. The quality of Jurançon wines is perfectly reflected in the vintages offered by Domaine de Souch, Domaine Vignau La Juscle and Domaine de Cauhapé.

The grape varieties used for Jurançon wines are Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng, Courbu, Camaralet, and Lauzet. They are used to produce both sweet and dry wines in the Jurançon appellation, with the latter accounting for 60% of the annual production of around 30,000 hectoliters.