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Wine Tasting Adventure

2022 Domaine Cauhapé, `L'Éclipse` Vin de France - Liberty

£13.49 GBP
£13.49 GBP

In 1970, winemaker and label artist Henri Ramonteu took over his family’s cattle farm in the Jurançon village of Monein. He sold the cattle, purchased four hectares of vines and founded Domaine Cauhapé, making his first sweet wines in 1980 (as is traditional in Jurançon), followed by dry wines in 1984. Today, the domaine is regarded as one of the appellation's finest producers.

Domaine Cauhapé comprises 54 hectares of sustainably farmed vineyards, planted on south/south-east-facing slopes, at an elevation of 450 metres, in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The soils are siliceous clay, which offers excellent water retention and prevents vines from shutting down during the hot, dry summer months. The vineyards are planted with Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng and Courbu, as well as lesser-known indigenous varieties such as Lauzet and Camaralet.

Domaine Cauhapé makes classical expressions of Jurançon, showcasing the best of what this region has to offer. The dry wines complement each other with differing styles. Blending Gros Manseng with Lauzet, ‘L'Éclipse’ is rounded and fleshy thanks to spending five months ageing on its lees. Conversely, the ‘Chant des Vignes’Jurançon Sec, made with Gros Manseng and Camaralet, is remarkably fresh with an intensely elegant, dry palate of honey and ripe stone fruits, enhanced by stainless steel fermentation.

Jurançon is famed for its sweet wines, and Domaine Cauhapé produces beautiful examples made from 100% Petit Manseng. The wines are sweet and decadent while also beautifully balanced, thanks to the grape variety's naturally high acidity. The 'Symphonie de Novembre' is made with grapes that undergo ‘passerillage’), remaining on the vine until November to dry and concentrate their sugars without being affected by noble rot. The wine is aged for 10 months in oak barrel and spends the last six months in tank before bottling. The result is a complex sweet wine with aromas of honey and toasted sweet spices. The 'Ballet d'Octobre' is made with late-harvested grapes picked and aged for a total of eight months in oak before bottling. Sweet and fruit-forward, it is bursting with notes of passionfruit and lychee.

The 46-hectare vineyards of Domaine Cauhapé are situated in Monein, in the heart of Jurançon. This is a real stronghold in the region, given that the entire appellation totals only 1,000 hectares. Planted in the foothills of the Pyrenées, the vineyards are south and south-east on slopes comprising of clay soils and at an altitude of 400 metres above sea level, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and retain good levels of acidity. The vines undergo rigorous management with all practices being carried out by hand to preserve the surrounding wildlife.

The 2022 vintage in the Jurançon saw an excellent ripening season and produced grapes with great intensity of flavour. The region saw plenty of sun after a very wet spring and a moderate summer with cool nights. These conditions were perfect for the grapes to develop aromatic complexity whilst retaining freshness. The fruit was harvested mid-September to retain the freshness of the varietals.

The wine is a unique blend of 60% Gros Manseng and 40% Camaralet. Both varieties were de-stemmed with maceration on skins taking place for 12 hours. The grapes were then gently pressed with a pneumatic press before undergoing fermentation at controlled temperatures, with malolactic fermentation allowed for 20% of the blend. After fermentation, the wine was aged for 5 months on its lees to add texture and complexity before being bottled.

This wine has pronounced aromas of white peach and citrus, with gentle spice notes. The palate is round and supple with intense exotic fruit flavours and brioche hints, culminating in a long, balanced finish.