Domaine Lajibe
Jean-Baptiste Semmartin
Domaine Lajibe was born in Lucq-de-Béarn, and it was on the Serres-Seques terroir, in South-West France, that Jean-Baptiste Semmartin started out. Today the estate covers eight hectares, all farmed biodynamically.
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The wines of Domaine Lajibe
An athlete at Domaine Lajibe
A former athlete who came to the vines rather late: at epi-curieux.com we love these unusual stories. Here is the story of Jean-Baptiste Semmartin of Domaine Lajibe, an accomplished and respected winegrower in South-West France, and more precisely in the Jurançon appellation.
The story of Jean-Baptiste Semmartin
A former top-level fencer used to Parisian gyms, Jean-Baptiste Semmartin was not destined to end up in the vines at forty.
It was while going from one sports hall to another that he realised he was not where he wanted to be. Born in the South-West, he grew up close to nature, in a simple and enriching way. That bond with nature was stronger than staying a teacher in Paris. So he studied viticulture and oenology, then did internships in Bordeaux, the South-West and Burgundy.
It was with the great Emmanuel Giboulot that he learned his trade and confirmed his change of life. Raised on simple, natural things, he turned to clean farming, peasant common sense and winemaking without chemical additives. At Giboulot’s he learned the most environmentally friendly techniques: biodynamics, traditional vineyard work, all with a strong Burgundian touch.
The call of the South-West was stronger. He returned home with his wife and first worked at a large estate, before setting up on his own in 2018, with the kind understanding of his former employer.
Domaine Lajibe was born in Lucq-de-Béarn, on the Serres-Seques terroir. Today it covers eight hectares, all farmed biodynamically. Thanks to him you will discover Petit and Gros Manseng: unique grapes for exceptional cuvées.
The wines of Jean-Baptiste Semmartin
Very humble, Jean-Baptiste Semmartin knows how to step back and let nature express itself. Observant and rational, he learns from it to craft wines of great energy, authentic and stunning natural wines. Could his wines be as good as his kindness?
In a very short time Jean-Baptiste has joined the Jurançon elite, proof of the quality and precision of his work in the vineyard and the cellar. The whole estate is farmed biodynamically, with total respect for the environment, and his wines have become sought-after and rare.
At first, his Serres-Seques cuvée was meant to be a sweet wine. But after tasting his grapes, Jean-Baptiste felt they would shine far more as a dry Jurançon. It showcases Petit Manseng, a grape usually used for sweet wines (it gives little juice and soaks up the sun quickly), from the Serres-Seques plot, the “dry ridge”: thin, very stony soils on a steep slope facing the sun. Made and aged in wood for a year, it is a generous, complex wine with crazy energy.
Jean-Baptiste also makes the cuvées Mansengs, Marcel and Mesclat, with the same high standards.
Mansengs et Compagnie
Alongside Domaine Lajibe, Jean-Baptiste Semmartin has launched a small négoce business, Mansengs et Compagnie.
He makes Gros Manseng from a plot at a fairly high altitude for the area (350 m) for the cuvée Les Poudingues, a dry Jurançon. As the name suggests, the plot is made of small sedimentary pebbles carried down from the Pyrenees glaciers. A special feature that enhances the Gros Manseng, worked with as much rigour and precision as the estate’s cuvées. Dense, broad and sharp: dry Jurançon in all its splendour.
A former top-level athlete, Jean-Baptiste Semmartin has brilliantly joined the Jurançon elite. If there are any left, hurry, his wines are UNIQUE! And if they are sold out, be patient: at epi-curieux.com we are waiting for the next ones too!
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