If you didn’t know what was in your glass, you might do a double-take after your first sip of Clos Larrouyat’s gorgeous Jurançon “Comète”. With its chalky, racy finish, is it premier cru Chablis? Or, with its luscious notes of Meyer lemon and honey, is it a top Loire Valley Chenin Blanc?
      The answer, of course, is neither. While the Comète shares some of the most irresistible qualities of great Chablis, Meursault, and Vouvray, it hails from France’s southwest, in the foothills of the Pyrenees.
      After studying with one of Bordeaux’s white-wine legends, the late Denis Dubourdieu, Maxime Salharang returned to Jurançon to apply what he’d learned to this tiny, idyllic, and overlooked corner of France, an hour north of the Spanish border. While he and his wife Lucie waited for the vines they planted on a plot of family land to mature, Maxime honed his mastery of white winemaking at one of Jurançon’s leading domaines nearby. Finally, at the end of 2018, Maxime left Domaine de Souch to focus full-time on Clos Larrouyat.
      Everything about Maxime and Lucie’s terroir is poised for freshness and elegance, from its highest position in the appellation and northern exposition—i.e. lower temperatures and slower, even ripening—to the rare band of Trias limestone that runs through their vineyard, imbuing the Comète with a remarkable finesse, minerality, and salinity—qualities you sense the moment you take a sip. Knowing how special this land is, Maxime and Lucie have capped their holdings to just three hectares because they want to do everything themselves (with the help of a few sheep), pampering the vines as if they were a backyard garden.
      Applying the perfect final touch, Maxime and Lucie guide the Comète through malolactic fermentation—also rare in Jurançon—which beautifully complements the naturally high acidity of Petit Manseng. As a result, this white is the ultimate embodiment of “tension”—between full-bodied succulence, a chiseled frame, and mouthwatering acidity. It is one of the most exciting white wines you’ll taste all year.

** We only have six cases of this wine and we expect it to sell out quickly. **