Clos Larrouyat - Phoenix 2025
Clos Larrouyat is one of the most unique and sought-after estates in Jurançon. Located in Gan, Béarn, Maxime and Lucie Salharang cultivate a tiny vineyard of about three hectares, inherited from Maxime's grandfather. The estate quickly established itself through a very personal interpretation of the appellation, based on tension, freshness, and great precision on the palate. The vines, facing east, avoid the excesses of the setting sun and allow for remarkable acidity to be preserved, even in the sweet cuvées. Phoenix 2025 embodies the estate's gentle side, but without ever falling into heaviness or easy sweetness. It is a rare, precious, and highly anticipated cuvée that showcases the full capacity of Petit Manseng to produce well-balanced great wines. It is aimed at lovers of bright, gourmand, and saline Jurançon, capable of combining aromatic intensity and great digestibility.
The Phoenix 2025 cuvée is made exclusively from Petit Manseng, the emblematic grape variety of the great sweet wines from the Pyrenean piedmont. This grape has a thick skin, strong natural acidity, and an exceptional ability to concentrate sugars while maintaining vibrant freshness. At Clos Larrouyat, this material is worked with a spirit of balance, with the idea of producing a digestible, energetic, and perfectly controlled sweetness. The terroir of Triassic marls and pebbles from the Ossau valley brings a mineral tension to the wine that naturally balances the richness of the fruit. Phoenix does not seek massive opulence but precise gourmandise, supported by acidity and salinity. The style relies on ripe fruit, a measured sensation of sweetness, and a lively finish that keeps the palate fresh. The 2025 vintage should thus offer a reading that is both sunny, chiselled, and very pure of Petit Manseng.
In the glass, Clos Larrouyat Phoenix 2025 reveals a charming, radiant, and deeply balanced profile. The nose evokes roasted pineapple, quince, apricot, fresh mango, acacia honey, and candied citrus. The palate is soft but immediately awakened by a lively acidity that gives a lot of drive. The richness of Petit Manseng is perfectly counterbalanced by a fresh, saline, and slightly spicy finish. The whole remains gourmand without heaviness, with the tension typical of great Jurançon capable of combining sugar, fruit, and minerality. Phoenix will be ideal with pan-seared foie gras, blue cheese, apricot tart, roasted pineapple, cuisine with mild spices, or an exotic fruit dessert. Serve around 9 to 11°C in a sufficiently open glass to allow all its aromatic, honeyed, and tangy dimension to express itself.
Grape variety: 100% Petit Manseng
