Gros Manseng
The workhorse of the Manseng family, Gros Manseng makes zesty, citrus-driven dry whites across southwest France.
About Gros
Gros Manseng is the larger-berried, more generous cousin of Petit Manseng and the dominant white grape of southwest France's Pyrenean foothills. Where Petit Manseng is a low-yielding specialist, Gros Manseng is vigorous and productive, giving crisp, aromatic dry whites bursting with grapefruit, passion fruit and quince, laced with a smoky, floral lift and mouth-watering acidity. It anchors the dry wines of Jurancon and the fresh whites of the Cotes de Gascogne, and blends with Petit Manseng in the sweet moelleux wines of Jurancon and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh. Rarely oaked, it is valued for immediacy, energy and a faint phenolic grip that gives its wines texture. Increasingly bottled as a varietal, Gros Manseng is the approachable, food-friendly face of the Manseng clan.
Variety profile
Editorial notes
Best drunk young and cold for its zesty acidity; a natural partner for seafood and Basque cuisine. Often blended with Petit Manseng.