Jurançon Noir: A very berry grape from southwest France

When I’m looking for unusual wines or rare grape varieties, I prefer to shop our local Coop grocery store. Owned by shoppers and workers, the Coop stocks a good selection of non-mainstream wines – organic and biodynamic wines or those made with natural yeast and minimal sulfur or other additions.

This week at the Coop, I was drawn to this shelf hanger beneath a bottle of Domaine Philemon Jurançon Noir. Hmmm. This producer and rarely-heard-of grape certainly fit our blogging group’s focus this month on forgotten grapes of France. What’s more, the organic and sustainable labels on the bottle piqued my curiosity. Why not give it a try?

Background

Jurançon Noir is believed to have originated in southwestern France. A cross between Folle Blanche and Malbec, it was widely grown throughout France in the mid-20^th century, but by the year 2000, total acreage had fallen to about a tenth of its original plantings. (source)

A light-bodied variety, Jurançon Noir is used mostly to make easy-drinking IGP-classified reds and rosés. IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) is a category of French wine, positioned between Vin de France and Appellation d’Origine Protegée (AOP). We tend to think of the European classification system as a quality pyramid, but the terms actually refer to restrictions that apply at higher levels.

In Côtes du Tarn, the IGP encompasses 6,080 acres of vineyards on the stony gravel hillsides northeast of Toulouse. The designation covers wines that fall outside of the region’s Gaillac AOP appellation, whether stylistically or geographically.

IGP Côtes du Tarn benefits from proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. In winter, temperatures are mild and rainfall plentiful. Summer and fall are hot and sunny, ripening the grapes, but the vineyards stay dry and rot-free, thanks to warm winds blowing in from the Mediterranean. (source)

The producer

Philémon is the middle name of Domaine Philémon’s winemaker. He launched his career as a winemaker on the family farm in 2003. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather (also named Philémon) were all wine producers. They sold their wine in bulk to wine merchants.

These days, Domaine Philémon produces only single-varietal wines from “historical and forgotten varieties of Gaillac.” These include Braucol, Duras, Prunelart, Loin de l’Oeil, Jurançon Noir, Ondenc and Mauzac Rose.

Domaine Philémon belongs to Land de Gaillac, an association of 14 organic and biodynamic winemakers and growers in the Gaillac region. According to the Domaine Philémon website, Land of Gaillac’s objective is to bring together craftsmen and vintage farmers with like-minded ethic: “qualitative yields, manual harvesting, natural grape yeasts, etc.”

Since 2004, crops have been grown organically and the vines followed in 2010. To go further, Philémon has adhered to the more rigorous standards of Nature et Progrès (Nature and Progress) since 2015. Nature et Progrès is a private organization with its own certification procedures involving peer review. The aim of the initiative is to grant an organic quality guarantee on the basis of 15 different production standards. Since 2011, these standards are part of the IFOAM Family of Standards and endorsed by IFOAM – Organics International. (source)

At Domaine Philémon, vines are located in a preserved environment between woods and fields. A small flock of Solognote sheep grazes and maintains the land. Vines are pruned in goblet form, a traditional pruning method without iron trellising, “to respect the harmony of the vine and the landscape.”

Grapes are hand-harvested. Wines may be lightly filtered (without altering the structure of the wine, according to the website), and a minimal amount of sulfites is added before bottling to guarantee the stability of the wine. Otherwise, no chemical or physical treatments are used in the vineyard or the winery.

The wine: 2020 Domaine Philémon Jurançon Noir, IGP Côtes du Tarn
100% Jurançon Noir

My tasting notes: Very dark-berry aromas and flavor dominate this opaque wine. Some violet and graphite present, too. Fresh and not tannic. A sour cherry note appears on a medium-long finish. I was inclined to chill it slightly before opening. Alcohol: 13%. Price: $16.99.

Jurançon Noir reminded me of Baco Noir, a cold-tolerant hybrid popular in places like Niagara, Ontario and Minnesota. Lo and behold, when I looked up Baco Noir, I discovered the two grapes are half-siblings! Baco Noir is a cross between Folle Blanche and an unknown variety indigenous to North America.

I would not recommend Jurançon Noir as a sipping wine. But I must say, this wine’s high acidity and fruity profile make it food friendly. The wine shined when paired with polenta covered in homemade tomato sauce and sautéed mushrooms, red onion and a little diced jalapeño. Now I understand why the website describes Jurançon Noir as “wine that workers used to drink, to accompany any food.”

Check out all the forgotten grapes this month:

• Pair of Picpoul – From Two Continents – with a Simple Salmon Dinner by Culinary Cam
• A Sauvignon Gris from Bordeaux paired with a Chicken Stew from Zambia by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Beat the Wintry Blues: Meet Sciaccarellu, Niellucciu, Carcaghjolu Neru, and Minustellu from Corsica! by Wine Predator
• Channeling Warm Weather Through Forgotten Grapes of France by Side Hustle Wino
• Forgotten Grapes of France by Savor the Harvest
• Forgotten Grapes of France: Fer Servadou from Aveyron by Food Wine Click!
• Forgotten Grapes of France: Poulsard Shines in the 2022 Domaine Dugois ‘La Sombarde by Enofylz Wine Blog
• French Alpine Wines and Pairings to Go With Them by Cooking Chat
• Jurancon Noir: A very berry grape from southwest France by My Full Wine Glass
• Rediscovering the Gems: Exploring the Forgotten Grapes of French Wine by Our Good Life
• Rosé d’Anjou with Groulleau and a budget-friendly variation on Crab Mac & Cheese by Crushed Grape Chronicles