Hello! Welcome & Welcome Back!
It means so much to me that you took the time to subscribe to this wine club and, more importantly, chose to spend your hard earned money with us. This month's club release is is still tuned to the winter weather, but we are going to turn the wine geek dial up a bit. I hope that I have established that even when we go off-piste in this club, we can still expect our wines to conform to certain norms and conventions—no science experiments masquarading as refreshing beverages here! I feel obliged to offer this preface because the wines I have selected for you, while they may come from the backwaters of France, can stand toe-to-toe with any wine in their respective categories—and, in the case of Jean-Marc Grussaute's Jurançon Sec, I think we have a wine that deserves a seat on the world stage. With that, a brief primer on the wines of the southwest of France.
The wine appellations of southwest France are spread throughout ten different “départments.” The Romans called the area Aquitania, “land of waters”, and it has been described as the area of few roads but many rivers. This group of appellations is certainly the most far ranging and diverse to be brought together under one geographical umbrella. If you look at a map of this part of France, the southwestern quadrant of the country, you’ll see the estuary that delimits Bordeaux. Then if you look south of that, there’ll be a big old chunk of land before your run into the Languedoc-Rousillon. That chunk between Bordeaux and Languedoc-Roussillon is "South West France." Note, however, the "South West France" is not itself an AOP—it is, rather, a catchall term.
Within the southwest of France there are many cultural and culinary traditions. Around Toulouse one finds a distinctly southern, “Provençal” influence, while the Pyrénées is home to the Basque culture as well as the Béarnaise. Further north one passes through Gascony on route to Bordeaux and Périgord. When the French talk about abandoning the charms of nouvelle cuisine for good old country cooking or “cuisine du terroir,” the Southwest is the first “terroir” that springs to mind. This is the land of foie gras, duck confit, and black truffles. It is also, fittingly, the land of wines with soul, verve, and a certain gastronmic sensibility.
The Gist on the Wines
The Jurançon Sec “La Part Davant” 2024 comes from a 4 ha southeast-facing plot at 250-300m planted to 50% Gros Manseng, 35% Petit Manseng, 15% Petit Courbu in 1950/2010 on a steep hill of “Poudingue de Jurançon” bedrock with a shallow clay topsoil. It’s natural fermentation lasts for about 60 days in oak foudre at 20°C max. Aged on lees for 8 months in 25-hl foudre (66%) and amphora (34%). Full malolactic fermentation. The resulting wine is layered and subtle on the nose for a Manseng based wine: you can imagine orange blossoms, lemon verbena and star fruit. Just a touch of almond. In the palate, everything is in place, dry and vibrant, with such a back bone of acidity that there is no heaviness. Decant and serve in a large Bordeaux glass, and pair it with a sole meunière or Jacques Pépin’s Poulet à la Crème.
Domaine Brana is located in the tiny appellation of Irouléguy, in the extreme southwest of France in the Pyreness within the French Basque country. Brana's Irouleguy Rouge 2017 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 20% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat. The parcels are on both sandstone and limestone soils. Fermentation is done with indigenous yeasts and maceration lasts for two to three weeks. The wine is aged in barrels for twelve months with rackings done every three months. Jean Brana uses primarily barrels that are one year old, but includes in the mix a small proportion of both older barrels and new barrels. Decant for an hour or two and be greeted with the aromas and textures of the Bordeaux of yore: the nose is redolent of tobacco, peppercorn, and dark fruits. The palate is full bodied and rich, yet the wine finishes fresh thanks to its acidity and elegant tanins integrated with time. This is mountain Bordeaux. It is the wine for your braised meat dishes, cassoulet, or roasted eggplant.
The Details on the Wines
Camin Larredya, Gros Manseng / Petit Manseng / Petit Courbu, Jurançon Sec, "La Part Davant," Jurançon, France (2024)
The Jurançon appellation is spread throughout the Bearnaise hills south of the city of Pau. Some 500 growers cultivate approximately 1,000 hectares of vineyards which are scattered throughout the steep slopes of this bucolic countryside in the Pyrénées. The appellation’s mandate is for white wine only, though a small amount of red wine is produced in the region and falls under the Bearn appellation. Historically, the wines of Jurançon were “moelleux”. Dry wines are a recent development, receiving a separate AOC in 1975 and requiring the word “sec” to be added on the label in conjunction with the name Jurançon. At present, Jurançon has approximately 60 producers of estate bottled wines.
Jean-Marc Grussaute and his mother, Jany, own a small but remarkable vineyard situated in the Chapelle de Rousse area of Jurançon. The family arrived at Larredya in the year 1900. At first, they raised cattle and planted fruit trees. A half century later they began cultivating strawberries as a commercial crop. In the 1970’s Jean Marc’s father, Jean, one of the region’s pioneers in re-establishing the wines of Jurancon, planted 4 hectares of vines along their terraced hillside. In 1983, Jean Grussaute passed away pre-maturely and Jean-Marc’s mother held together the estate until Jean-Marc arrived in 1988 at the age of 20 having just received his diploma from Bordeaux. Together, Jean-Marc and his mother have transformed their remote hillside vineyard into a world renowned wine estate, earning him the prestigeous La Revue du vin de France’s “Vigneron de l’Année” honors in 2023.
Their vineyard, much of it planted by Jean-Marc’s father 50 years ago, is terraced and lies on steep and curved slopes that form an amphitheater. It is south facing with an amazing view of some of the highest peaks in the Pyrénées. The vineyard is planted to 65% Petit Manseng and 27% Gros Manseng and 8% Petit Courbu/Camarelet. Jean-Marc has farmed organically since 2007 with the first certified vintage being 2010. He also farms according to bio-dynamic principles and is certified by Demeter. Jean-Marc names his different cuvées in accord with the vineyard parcels from which they come.
The Jurançon Sec “La Part Davant” 2024 comes from a 4 ha southeast-facing plot at 250-300m planted to 50% Gros Manseng, 35% Petit Manseng, 15% Petit Courbu in 1950/2010 on a steep hill of “Poudingue de Jurançon” bedrock with a shallow clay topsoil. It’s natural fermentation lasts for about 60 days in oak foudre at 20°C max. Aged on lees for 8 months in 25-hl foudre (66%) and amphora (34%). Full malolactic fermentation. The resulting wine is layered and subtle on the nose for a Manseng based wine: you can imagine orange blossoms, lemon verbena and star fruit. Just a touch of almond. In the palate, everything is in place, dry and vibrant, with such a back bone of acidity that there is no heaviness. Decant and serve in a large Bordeaux glass, and pair it with a sole meunière or Jacques Pépin’s Poulet à la Crème.
Domaine Brana, Cabernet Franc / Cabernet Sauvignon / Tannat, "Domaine," Irouleguy, France (2017)
The appellation of Irouleguy stretches along steep hillsides in the Pyrenees within the French Pays Basque. The 245 hectares are planted almost exclusively to red grapes. The vineyards which range in altitude between 200 and 450 meters can have inclines up to 70% and are often planted along narrowly cut terraces that require an enormous amount of hand labor. The characteristic soil of Irouleguy is a red sandstone that is rich in iron. This is complemented by a richer mix of clay/limestone and some outcrops of limestone. The vineyards face south and are protected by the surrounding mountain peaks from the wet weather coming off the Atlantic. The cool and wet springs are balanced by an “Indian summer” that allows the full ripening of the grapes into October.
The Branas started as wine and spirits negociants in the Pays Basque in 1897, an activity that continues today. A few generations on, in 1974, Etienne Brana decided to plant a pear orchard and build a distillery in Saint Jean Pied de Port that would focus on distilling local fruits such as pears, plums and raspberries. Ten years later in 1984 and one hundred years after phyloxera ravaged the Basque vineyards, Etienne planted 20 hectares of vines, making the Branas the first in Irouleguy to replant on a meaningful scale. Tragically in 1992, the year before the completion of the Brana’s stunning winery, built into the steep hills above Saint Jean Pied de Port, Etienne died.
His wife, Adrienne, and his two children, Martine and Jean, carry on with his projects. Jean took over the vineyards and winemaking after studying oenology and then interning with Basque neighbor and winemaker at Chateau Petrus, Jean-Claude Berrouet. Martine took over the sourcing of fruit and the distilling. Most recently, in 2018 a new structure was built housing a new distillery and tasting room. The accomplishments of the Brana family are recognized not only in the Pays Basque, but internationally and their Eaux-de-Vies are considered among the best in France.
Brana's Irouleguy Rouge 2017 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 20% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat. The parcels are on both sandstone and limestone soils. Fermentation is done with indigenous yeasts and maceration lasts for two to three weeks. The wine is aged in barrels for twelve months with rackings done every three months. Jean Brana uses primarily barrels that are one year old, but includes in the mix a small proportion of both older barrels and new barrels. Decant for an hour or two and be greeted with the aromas and textures of the Bordeaux of yore: the nose is redolent of tobacco, peppercorn, and dark fruits. The palate is full bodied and rich, yet the wine finishes fresh thanks to its acidity and elegant tanins integrated with time. This is mountain Bordeaux. It is the wine for your braised meat dishes, cassoulet, or roasted eggplant.
