A winemaker with a following so cult you didn't even know they existed? Making wine so insanely sought after it's nearly impossible to find even in France? Oui c'est la vérité. The name is Domaine Lajibe and the wines are made by vigneron Jean-Baptiste Semmartin. After leaving the world of professional fencing (look, the guy is the definition of niche) Jean-Baptiste started his winemaking adventure first in Bordeaux, then Collioure and finally Burgundy before setting himself up in Jurançon. But, before we jump to the wines let's have a quick chat about what and where this region is and why it's special.
Jurançon, not to be confused with one of our other favourite wine regions Jura, is nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees – perfectly situated between the ocean and the mountains. It's known for producing compelling wines from indigenous varieties; petit manseng, gros manseng and petit courbu. The reason? The location and steep slopes allows for an unusually late harvest which means the grapes are able reach the perfect level of ripeness and when in the right hands, like those of Jean-Baptiste, are wickedly balanced. Now, on to the wines...
Both Haure and Carmeret are made from a blend of gros manseng, petit manseng, petit courbu and the super rare claverie, but hail from different vineyards with distinct terroirs so are made differently. While both are full-bodied, and have that trademark Jurançon acid zip-line, Haure is bright and hits you with that zing, where Carmeret is just plain lush. Balanced, voluptuous and golden. As you all can appreciate, what's available is super limited and drinking these aren't something you'll get a crack at everyday... don't miss out.
