Clos Lapeyre 2012 Vitatge Vielh, Jurançon Sec

Clos Lapeyre 2012 Vitatge Vielh, Jurançon Sec

Stunning, slightly funky wine with rich honey, orange peel and pineapple fruits, a strong mineral seam, and a long bone dry finish.

It being St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow, I would try this alongside sautéed salmon with a lemony sauce of some kind.

I am a big fan of the wines of Jurançon, from the south-west of France, in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The sweet wines have a glorious purity of rich pineapple fruit set off by a vibrant acidity. They are allowed to dry on the vine for long periods, a process known as passerillage, but are not affected by noble rot. The sweet Moelleux from Clos Lapeyre is a textbook example. The wine above however is a dry version. Vitatge Vielh pronounced ‘bitatje bieiy’ according to their website, is a single vineyard planted in 1945 with Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng and Courbu. All three are local grape varieties; the sweet wines are generally 100% Petit Manseng, the dry wines a blend or simply form the higher yielding Gros Manseng. This wine is made from 60% Gros Manseng, 30% Petit Manseng and 10% Courbu, and is aged for year on it’s lees with regular stirring.

€22 from 64wine, Glasthule and Green Man Wines, Terenure.