Jerome Jouret - L'ivraie - 2018

L’IVRAIE

This excitingly deep and expressive white natural wine’s name comes from the French word for a grass found among wheat and refers to a Biblical passage citing the need to separate this grass from the wheat. Jerome’s here refers to how much of an undervalued grape Ugni Blanc is, which here makes up 50% of the blend, with Viognier and Clairette making up the rest, all from organically farmed old vines. After spontaneous fermentation the wine ages in large wood for 18-20 months before being bottled with no fining, filtration or added SO2. Bright acidity intertwines beautifully here with ripe fruit and striking minerality: lemon pith, shining quartz with lemongrass and yellow plums, saffron honey and quince.