Jean-Baptiste Semmartin Marcel 2021
On the hillside plateau of the Pyrénées mountain village of Lucq-de-Bearn, ex-international fencing champion turned winemaker Jean-Baptiste Semmartin makes his mythical Jurançon wines.
Marcel is one of three blends bottled under his negotiant label of Jean-Baptiste Semmartin et Companie. The fruit that goes into this blend is from high up above the commune of Monein and is made up on two thirds Gros Mensang and one third Petit Mensang, which are the principle varieties of the region. This is on the dry end of Jurançon whites, and by dry we mean racy and concentrated, with fresh pineapple and gingery spice. These wines are a style in their own right, which we find difficult to compare with other regions in France and abroad. Certainly age worthy, certainly satisfying.