Clos Uroulat Cuvée Marie Jurançon Moelleux

Jurançon, France

The appellation's benchmark moelleux — Charles Hours's Petit Manseng concentrated by mountain foehn without botrytis, fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in old oak. Extraordinary freshness within great sweetness: candied citrus, mango, quince, honey, pineapple, ginger, and the characteristic Jurançon mineral tension from the Pyrenean clay-sandstone soils. Develops magnificently over 15-30 years. France's most original and underrated sweet wine.

Pairing intelligence

• starter: Southwest France's luxury production and its most sophisticated wine — the wine appears in the gelée; Jurançon's citrus-honey sweetness is perfectly balanced by foie gras's richness; pain d'épices bridges the ginger note; the circular Gascon pairing
• cheese: Jurançon's sweet-acid tension against Roquefort's salt — the wine's citrus freshness contrasts the blue cheese's intensity; pears bridge the sweet wine; walnut bread bridges the wine's mineral depth; marmalade mirrors the citrus character