Clos Larrouyat

France, South West

The Story

Maxime and Lucie Salharang began planting Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, and the native Camaralet at Clos Larrouyat in 2011. The domaine sits on a rare band of Triassic limestone that runs through part of the appellation, marking its wines with a distinctive saline signature.

Clos Larrouyat is known for its powerful yet fine wines, which are made using biodynamic principles with the utmost respect for both grape and soil.

The domaine produces two Jurançon sec bottlings and one moelleux. "Météore" captures the citrusy zip of Petit Manseng & Gros Manseng with total charm; "Comète" emphasises the nerve, concentration, and exotic perfume of Petit Manseng; and “Phoenix” is all about the ravishing finesse of late-harvested fruit dried on the vine.

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"Each cuvée is a brilliant manifestation of the house style through the lens of its terroir, featuring captivating aromatics, and a distinctive balance of zesty freshness with a silky, suave mouthfeel, and a long, mouthwateringly salty finish."

Maxime Salharang

The People

Maxime & Lucie

Maxime launched the domaine on land previously belonging to his grandfather after obtaining much experience working several harvests and a degree in oenology. Lucie joined him soon thereafter with studies in business management under her belt.

The Salharang's hard and thoughtful work has lead many to believe that Clos Larrouyat is a future great of the Jurançon appellation, if not already.

The Place

Jurançon, France

Situated in the commune of Gan, just south of Pau in the shadow of the Pyrenees, Clos Larrouyat enjoys the unique climate that characterises the vineyards of Jurançon: a combination of mountain freshness with meridional warmth, gently mediated by an oceanic influence from the nearby Atlantic. The landscape is lush and green thanks to the plentiful rainfall, while warm autumns featuring drying southerly foehn winds allow for the late harvests necessary to produce the region’s prestigious moelleux.

The full eastern exposure and the unique particularity of the subsoil (clay and pebbles rolled on a strip of Trias) give Larrouyat wines a delicate freshness, intensity, minerality and length rare for the appellation.