clos joliette 2013

"clos joliette is a true myth among wine lovers. it is a wine of great rarity: the vineyard is tiny, with very old petit manseng vines (the variety that makes up this cuvée) covering less than two hectares. fermentation takes place without any external intervention. the operation can take eight to ten months... the wines remain in the barrels (after racking) for two to three years once fermentation is complete. the wine is bottled manually without fining or filtration. this is the dry cuvée. the residual sugar is light and this nectar has a flamboyant personality and an incredible balance between sugar and freshness. the wine impresses on the nose with its aromas of truffles and exotic fruits. the palate is full but also very fresh. note that its evolution gives it a whole new dimension... clos joliette is located in the pyrénées-atlantiques in the village of jurançon. it is a parcel of 1 hectare 85 of vines planted in 1929 on a clay-silica soil. the yields are ridiculous, and therefore the production of 1500 bottles is confidential. and yet - or for that reason - its aura is immense. out of time and out of any commercial logic, the owners who have been at the head of the estate have always wanted to take a back seat to this unique terroir. here the petit manseng vines were planted in 1929. the plot is exposed east-south-east facing the sun with a soil of ""jurançon poudingues"": pebbles on the surface which raise the temperature during the day and drain the rainwater. it is to this micro-climate that we owe the over-ripeness of the grapes, obtained by passerillage on the vine. the grapes dry out on the vine by the action of the sun and the wind. the grapes are harvested by hand from november to december by successive selections. the wines are aged in barrels of several wines from château de fargues (sauternes) for three to four years. however, don't think that the estate produces only sweet wines, as the sugar content varies from year to year."