Clos Benguères

The story of Clos Benguères begins in 1614, when the property was first founded in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The estate passed into the family in 1811 and has remained there ever since, though it took a modern turn when Thierry Bousquet took over in 1999. Thierry came to wine later in life, discovering his passion at 40. He trained seriously, earning his viticulture diploma, then dove headfirst into running this family estate in Cuqueron, near Monein. The vineyard sits in the western part of the Jurançon appellation, perched on steep slopes at around 250 meters altitude. The terroir here is special, sitting on a different geological layer than most of Jurançon. Ancient glacier moraine left behind a soil packed with limestone and schist pebbles, what locals call galets. These stones give the wines their signature mineral freshness and remarkable finesse.

A Natural Approach to Winemaking

Thierry is a true believer in letting nature do its thing. In 2005, he converted the entire 4.5 hectare estate to organic farming, earning Ecocert certification by 2010. For him, it's simple: taking care of the land means taking care of the wine and the people who drink it. He even goes so far as to minimize sulfur in his wines, aiming for bottles that are easy to drink and digest. The vineyard is planted in one continuous block facing south-southwest, with the vines sharing space with trees and hedgerows that create a preserved ecosystem. Thierry grows three grape varieties here: petit manseng and gros manseng in roughly equal parts, plus a small parcel of camaralet, a rare local grape. The property also has one of the few underground cellars in the appellation, where the wines age slowly and develop their characteristic tension and lightness. Harvest is done entirely by hand from late September into November, and the winery uses modern equipment like a pneumatic press to ensure quality.

The Wines of Clos Benguères

Clos Benguères produces both dry and sweet Jurançon whites, all expressing the fruity and mineral character of this unique terroir. The flagship sweet wine is Le Chêne Couché, a liquoreux with pure, vibrant aromas that has long defined the estate's style. Plaisirs d'Automne is a lighter, brighter moelleux that captures the richness of petit manseng with fresh fruit and lively acidity. On the dry side, Les Galets is a powerful, mineral-driven Jurançon Sec named after those limestone pebbles in the soil. The estate produces over 20,000 bottles a year, and the wines have earned recognition from Revue des Vins de France and medals from Vignerons Indépendants. These are wines that pair beautifully with seafood, foie gras, and anything that benefits from that balance of richness and freshness that makes Jurançon so distinctive.