If you are familiar with the Jurançon AOC at all, you may be better acquainted with the sweet wines produced in this remote appellation. Situated on the French side of the western Pyrénées, inland and upland from Basque resort towns like Biarritz and San Sebastián, Jurançon has a unique microclimate: while it is within striking distance of the Atlantic and thereby relatively cool, it is also in the path of warm, drying foehn winds that last well into the Fall. This is especially beneficial for grapes left on the vine for late-harvest sweet wines, but even the grapes destined for dry styles ripen in perfect conditions; the Gros Manseng for this bottling isn’t typically harvested until late October, allowing it to develop greater texture and aromatic complexity.

Clos Uroulat proprietor Charles Hours, who now has his daughter, Marie, by his side in the vineyards and cellar, has assembled an estate spanning about 16 hectares of biodynamically farmed vines—effectively a half-and-half mix of Gros Manseng (for the dry, or ‘sec,’ wines) and Petit Manseng (for the sweets), although they have a trace amount of the local Courbu as well, which finds its way into “Cuvée Marie.” The soils are a mix of limestone and clay strewn with pebbles, and grapes for this wine are hand-harvested and fermented in stainless steel before being transferred by gravity to barrels (10% new) for 10 months of aging.

As we have come to expect from this impeccable family producer, the ’14 “Cuvée Marie” is true to form, offering a fascinating push-pull of ripe, fragrant fruit and brisk minerality. In the glass, it’s a fairly deep yellow gold with copper and green highlights at the rim, with aromas simultaneously ethereal and earthy. Aromas of yellow apple, apricot, honeysuckle, white flowers, and crushed chalk jump from the glass and carry through onto a well-concentrated palate. Medium-bodied and textured, the wine is lifted by a fresh wave of acidity and finishes with a mix of floral and mineral notes, hinting ever-so-slightly at sweetness like great dry German Rieslings do. Its mixture of fruit concentration and mouth-watering acidity make it a great choice for salads incorporating citrus and dishes pointed up by exotic spices. It is drinking beautifully now, needing only about 15-30 minutes in a decanter to blossom, and, as always, I recommend letting it rise to a temperature of about 50-55 degrees to bring out its true self. Pair it with the attached recipe for coriander-spiced lemon chicken and congratulate yourself if this is your first taste of Jurançon Sec. I’m willing to bet it won’t be your last!