Clos Guirouilh 2021 Jurancon Sec, SW France

This dry white wine stopped me dead in my tracks while tasting through a lineup of very good wines from much better known regions. Jurançon is a tiny appellation in Southwestern France and is one of those appellations wine geeks and sommeliers like to talk about but nobody ever sees, much less drinks. Well, here it is! After tasting it initially and going back to it after tasting through the rest of the line up (including some powerful red wines),the word "intense" kept coming back to me. Exotic aromas of bees wax, ripe nectarine, minerals and other stuff I can't articulate segue to the luxurious palate filled with stone fruit, citrus, spices and a core of minerality cutting through the palate from start to finish. The full-bodied palate is rich and powerful and kept bright and lively by fresh acidity. It delivers a level of complexity and persistence unusual to find in any wine, especially at this price level. Oh, it's a blend of old vine 85% Gros Manseng and 15% Petit Courbu from cool hillside vineyards in the Lasseube terroir. And, it's freakin' delicious! - And very limited.