Petit Manseng, one of the greatest sweet wine varietals

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chateau joly, jurancon, petit manseng, southwest france, sweet wine

The Southwest of France is a treasure trove for some of the most interesting wines. Often made by producers who have to work harder than elsewhere, the difficult to remember appellations and varietals offer great value for everyday drinking.

 

The Jurançon region, at the foothills of the Pyrenees, is a tiny 13 square kilometers with only 1,200 hectares under vine. Farmers here plant mainly Petit and Gros Manseng, of which close to 70% is sweet wine.

In its sweet form the Petit Manseng is a force at the dining table. Intense with sappy acidity, its fruit profile ranges from orange peel, apricot, pineapple, to passion fruit and even ginger. A late harvest wine like Cuvee Jean has  about 72 grams per liter; but then there are also more unctuous bottlings made from shriveled grapes (passerillage).

This versatile wine will pair well with any salty like an ewe cheese, duck liver with sweet compote, or dessert with tropical fruits found in Thailand including pineapple and passion fruit. On a hot day, just sip on it alone.

“This late harvest wine shows both intense acidity and intense richness. Honey, perfumed lemon and ripe apple notes come together.” Wine Enthusiast 91p

 

Organic Chardonnay from Limoux

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Chardonnay, france, limoux, organic, thomas pico

The Languedoc region is vast, and we tend to forget the pockets of cooler climes such as Limoux, a region whose bottled-fermented sparkling precedes even fine Champagne.

It appears that viticulteurs here have been silently working one some fine Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling wines that are sold all over France, but almost unheard of in the export markets. Etienne Fort, an organic grower with vistas of the Pyrenees, is the type of friend Thomas Pico could rely on helping him get out of the dire situation in 2016.

 

Typical to the Pico style, the key element in his Limoux rendition is balance and a sensuous palate feel. This is a far cry from the ubiquitous Chardonnay, which wine lovers created ABC for (Anything But Chardonnay, but mind you, even this acronym is less heard of today.)

“Perhaps it’s the power of suggestion and having the phrase ‘when life gives you lemons, make lemonade’ in mind, but the aromas are all lemon zest and stone fruits. You don’t get that layer of seashell and mineral tone that comes from Chablis famous Kimmeridgian limestone soils, but the cool windswept region of Limoux does provide a bright acidity that one wouldn’t expect from the Languedoc. Lots of roundness on the palate from minimal filtration, and the absence of oak allow the bright character to show through as vigorously as possible. While this isn’t a wine to make you forget about Chablis, it definitely shows a Chablis maker’s hand was used to craft it, and will help to scratch the itches due to come up over the next few years when wines of this price and quality will be so hard to find.” Wine Warehouse Inc.