Domaine Laguilhon Jurancon Doux 2023

Domaine Laguilhon Jurancon Doux

Region: Jurancon, France

Vintage: 2023

Bottle size: 75cl

Grape: Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng

ABV: 12%

Lively golden in colour, this luscious wine shows expressive notes of exotic fruits, such as mango and pineapple, and hints of honey blossom. The delicate sweetness is combined with a vivid acidity, which gives a refreshing finish and a beautiful balance.

There are 12 hectares planted with Gros and Petit Manseng. The vines are south facing, which enables the grapes to raisin in good conditions for the sweet wine, and are situated at an altitude of 350 metres. The soil is called poudingue de Jurançon (derived from the word pudding) and is composed of fragments of round stones and alluvial sediment which provides excellent drainage in this wet region (1200 mm of rain per year).

All the grapes were hand harvested. Fruit was pressed lightly and the juice went through a period of cold settling prior to fermentation. The fermentation occurred in stainless-steel tanks at temperatures of 18-20°C. The wine was then matured in stainless steel for 10 months before bottling, which helped to preserve the fruit character of this sweet wine.

Owned by viticulturist Henri Estreboou, Domaine Laguilhon takes its name from the French word for ‘a shepherd’s crook’ . This is a playful nod to the domaine’s hilltop location, where sheep would pass by on their way to graze in the nearby fields. Their 12 hectares of vines, planted with Gros and Petit Manseng, are situated in the Jurançon village of Monein, which is known to create particularly rich styles of wine. Their soils, known as ‘poudingue de Jurançon’, are composed of small, round stones and alluvial sediment, providing excellent drainage in this wet region, which receives an average of 1,200mm of rain annually. The vineyards also have an ideal, south-facing aspect, allowing later harvesting for the ‘Doux’ styles the region is famous for.