If you love Sauvignon Blancs with a bit more concentration and exotic flavors, you've got to try this wine. It's been a personal favorite of mine for the 25+ years I've worked in this industry, and I still consider it one of the great French white wine values on the planet.
Quite full in flavor, with notes of caramelized citrus, melon, herbs, and flowers, this is not a "quiet wine." Nope, it's quite "loud" and expressive. The Gros Manseng grape thrives in the southwestern wine regions of France, where it enjoys an enviable reputation as the grape responsible for some of the region's top white wines.
2023 Domaine des Cassagnoles Gros Manseng
Drinks like a richer, riper, and fleshier Sauvignon Blanc. Delicious!
Father and daughter Gilles and Laure Baumann craft this brilliant white from their estate vineyards in Gascogne. Their Gros Manseng 'Reserve Selection' is their top white wine, and it is produced from their oldest vines. Fermented in tank and aged on the lees for 6-8 months, it offers up dazzling aromas and flavors that akin to a Russian River Sauvignon Blanc crossed with a Sardinian Vermentino.
Zesty and fresh, concentrated and full-flavored, this is my kind of white wine. If you're not familiar with the Gros Manseng grape, let me provide you with a short lesson :) The grape is thick skinned, and the free run juice it releases is greyish in color. As the juice settles, the color transforms into a brilliant, deep yellow, nearly golden color.
It takes a deft touch to produce elegant and refined wines, as a rough pressing or too much skin contact can yield bitter and unpleasant wines. The Baumanns have mastered the idiosyncrasies of this tricky grape, and their version is fantastic year in and year out.
Offering up heady notes of apricot, caramelized grapefruit, lime zest, green plum, and spice, this is crisp, rich, and complex on the palate. Excellent as an aperitif, it also loves poultry and richer fish and seafood preparations.
I am so excited for you all to try this wonderfully singular white wine, and you will not find it at any other shops in Western North Carolina. Enjoy this with spicy Asian cuisine or skip the food and just enjoy the wine for what it is. It is wonderful!
