WTN: Fine wine from Jurançon's Gros Manseng grape

[Tim York]

Jurançon Sec "Cuvée Marie" 2005 - Charles Hours - Alc. 14% - (€11,40 for 2007) made from Gros Manseng with a wisp of Courbu.

Jurançon is an appellation located in the French Pyrenees foothills about 100km inland from the Atlantic. It produces dry and sweet wines from its native grapes Gros & Petit Manseng and Courbu, the best of which IMO are world class albeit little known due to small quantities. Charles Hours, alongside Cauhapé, Souch and Lapeyre, is one of its best producers http://www.uroulat.com/en/ .

C: Deeper straw yellow than I remember from previous bottles.
N: Complex with white fruit and flowers and bracing minerals.
P: Bone dry. It has taken on depth, complexity and length with enough stuffing, fine fruit, touches of honey (some say that this is incipient oxidisation?), crisp acidity and abundant minerals. This is full of finesse, a fine food wine now as good as my memory of the 2004; 17/20 QPR!!

[Bob Parsons Alberta]

Jimminie cricket! Last night I just pulled some of my Sampler stash out and have the `07 Lapeyre from Larrieu Bernard on the kitchen counter-top. Tim, should I hang on, its my only bottle? Good, screw-cap!

http://www.jurancon-lapeyre.fr/contenu/ ... p?mk=2&d=2