A unicorn wine, the Clos Joliette Jurancon

france

A unicorn wine, the Clos Joliette Jurancon

clos joliette jurancon 1970

I have just written up a tasting of Jurançon Sec held at The Sampler a while ago. You can read it here.

One of the wines was truly remarkable. It’s what is known as a unicorn wine: people hear of them but they never see them. The Sampler’s Jamie Hutchinson reckons he has all the available stock in the world of this vintage, regarded to be one of the best ever: 6 bottles. This cost more than Yquem at £260 a bottle wholesale.

The vineyard is in the Chapelle de Rousse terroir, a small amphitheatre facing East/South East (catching the morning sun not afternoon) and it’s 100% Petit Manseng planted in 1929. Yields are a paltry 10 hectolitres/hectare, and there are 1000 bottles (roughly) of dry and sweet wine made each year from the 1.8 hectares. It’s aged in old oak (from Chateau de Fargue in Sauternes) for three or four years, and then bottled for release any time between 5 and 20 years later.

Clos Joliette is currently owned by Paris caviste Michel Renaud. There’s virtually no information available on this wine on the internet!

Clos Joliette Jurançon Sec 1970
Bronze/gold colour. So complex and spicy with amazing acidity, and notes of toast, nuts, wwax, herbs and vanilla. There are also peaches, apricots, grapefruit and barley sugar. The palate has a tangy lemon character with amazing concentration and a long finish with hints of salted caramel. Remarkable wine. 96/100

1 Comment on A unicorn wine, the Clos Joliette JuranconTagged , ,
wine journalist and flavour obsessive

One thought on “A unicorn wine, the Clos Joliette Jurancon

  1. I have a bottle of the 1976 vintage. Do you, by chance, have any info on this particular vintage?

Leave a Reply

Back To Top