Jurancon

Question 1

Is Jurancon situated in the foothills of the Pyrenees or on the flat plain below?

Answer 1

Foothills

Question 2

What altitude does Jurancon sit at?

Answer 2

Around 300 m altitude

Question 3

producing dry wines and a range of sweet white wines from the white varieties
____ ____ and ___ _____and other local varieties.

Answer 3

Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng

Question 4

The wines produced are

• 70 per cent ____-____ and _____
• 30 per cent ___

Answer 4

medium-sweet or sweet

dry

Question 5

What are the three styles of Jurancon wine?

Answer 5

• Jurançon Vendanges Tardives (sweet),
• Jurançon (typically medium-sweet)
• Jurançon Sec (dry).

Question 6

TASTING NOTE:

Jurancon Vendange Tardives
Jurancon AOC

Answer 6

Jurançon Vendanges Tardives AOC is sweet and is typically very good to outstanding in quality and mid-price to premium in price.

• intense aromas and flavours of lemon and mango, high acidity
  high alcohol
• top end of medium and high with a full body.

Jurançon AOC is
- medium-sweet and is typically good to very good in quality and inexpensive to mid-priced.

Question 7

THE GROWING ENVIRONMENT AND GRAPE GROWING - Jurancon

What is Jurancon’s climate and average rainfall?

Answer 7

Jurançon has a mild, humid climate,

high annual rainfall, about 1,200 mm,
which is distributed throughout the year and can affect flowering and fruit set and the period
of harvest.

Question 8

What benefit does planting vineyards on slopes considering the high average rainfall of Jurancon?

Answer 8

Vineyards are planted on slopes for good drainage to offset these issues

Question 9

The best sites are _____ and_____-____ facing for maximum ______ ______ thereby aiding _____

Answer 9

south and south-west facing

sunlight interception,

ripening

Question 10

The region is also strongly influenced by the presence of the _______ as this gives rise to a ____ ____.

Answer 10

Pyrenees

Fohn wind

Question 11

What effect does a Fohn wind have?

Answer 11

This hot and dry wind blows in spring and autumn, about one day in three, drying the air and ventilating the canopy (and bunches in autumn), as well as boosting temperature.

Question 12

What effect does the Fohn wind have on Jurancon specifically?

Answer 12

The heat and the wind help to produce over-ripe berries for the sweet wines.

Question 13

Given its altitude, Jurancon has a risk of spring frosts.

what controls do growers use to mitigate this risk?

Answer 13

The budding zone is trained well above the ground to mitigate this risk.

Question 14

what type of soils does Jurancon have?

Answer 14

Soils are a mixture of limestone, sand, clay and stones

Question 15

Grapes are picked by hand and, for the sweet wines, in a series of selective pickings, raising cost

True or false?

Answer 15

True

Question 16

Harvest comes in a series of selective pickings, this can be broken up into three selections.

when might these selections take place and why? what would growers be looking for?

Answer 16

The first selection is in October, mainly for dry wines but also some sweet wines for early consumption.
The second and third selections (November to December) are used for progressively sweeter wines. These last two selections are carried out after over-ripe grapes have been dried on the vine (passerillage).

Question 17

Explain Passerillage and how it takes place in Jurancon

Answer 17

when over-ripe grapes have been dried on the vine (passerillage).

The drying process is due to the effect of prolonged time hanging on the vine, the autumn sunshine and the wind

Question 18

Petit Manseng

This variety is ____ _____ and hence prone to ____ ____.
It is ___ to ___ ______ has thick skins and is resistant to ____ ____ __, which makes it suitable for
late harvesting.

Answer 18

Early budding

spring frosts

mid to late ripening,

botrytis bunch rot

Question 19

Why is Petit Manseng suitable for sweet wines?

Answer 19

It is moderately aromatic and retains its high acidity, making it particularly suitable for the production of balanced sweet wines.

Question 20

Petit Manseng gains very high sugars leading to growers not caring too much about picking dates as they know they are going to reach high alcohol easily, something they are looking for more than anything else.

True or false?

Answer 20

False
The high potential alcohol means that producers must be precise about the picking date to balance the goals of full flavour ripeness, acidity and potential alcohol.

Question 21

Gros Manseng

Gros Manseng shares the characteristics
of Petit Manseng but has higher yields and
usually less aromatic concentration and
flavour intensity. It is principally used for dry
wines.

True or False?

Answer 21

True

Question 22

For the three styles of Jurancon wine, what % of either Petit Manseng of Gros Manseng must be used?

Answer 22

All three must be made with a minimum of 50 per cent of Petit and/or Gros Manseng,

though in practice these two varieties are used exclusively for an overwhelming majority of the wines

Question 23

what is Jurancon Sec’s sweetness level and maximum yields

Answer 23

dry,

maximum yield 60 hL/ha

Question 24

What is Jurancon sweetness level, minimum residual sugar and maximum yield?

Answer 24

a medium sweet wine,

minimum of 40g/l residual sugar,

maximum yield 40 hL/ha

Question 25

What is Jurancon Vendanges Tardives sweetness level, minimum residual sugar and maximum yield?

When must the grapes be picked? be picked?

Answer 25

a sweet wine,
minimum 55 g/L residual sugar but typically much higher,
no enrichment allowed,
maximum yield 40 hL/ha,
Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng exclusively.

Grapes for Jurançon Vendanges Tardives may not be
picked before 2 November

Question 26

what winemaking techniques would high quality sweet wines made with Petit Manseng be used?

Answer 26

h Petit Manseng are typically fermented in barriques
and aged in them for 12–18months.

Top quality wines typically use old oak, though new oak is occasionally used. This adds complexity to the wines and increases the cost of production.

Malolactic conversion typically does not happen as the pH is too low and the acidity too high. This retains acidity and preserves the primary fruit flavours

Question 27

what winemaking techniques would be used for a high quality dry wine made in Jurancon?

Answer 27

high quality dry wines may include a small proportion of Petit Manseng. These are typically aged on the lees often in stainless steel.

Question 28

With a marginal amount of exports, where are Jurancon’s wines sold within France?

Answer 28

Sales are divided almost equally between direct sales, supermarkets and the hospitality sector,