Petit Manseng
Classic aromas of Petit Manseng are: Grapefruit, Lemon, Red Apple, Apricot, Yellow Peach and Honeycomb
Petit Manseng is a white grape variety that hails from the southwest of France. It is almost solely cultivated in the region of Jurancon where it helps to make both dry whites but mainly sweet wines.
The sweet wines of Jurancon are made by going through a process called passillerage, where the grapes are dried to concentrate sugars and drying out the water content.
France is the home to this grape variety and has 1,019ha dedicated to Petit Manseng. The majority of these plantings are in the southwest of France. Though gamed produces of Petit Manseng outside of these regions are Domaine Cauhape as well as Mas de Daumas Gassac who use Petit Manseng in their top white wine.
Petit Manseng hasn’t travelled much but where it has it has made ground is Virginia, USA which has 25ha as of 2010. It is believed that Petit Manseng will be this states white grape. There are also minor plantings in Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Petit Manseng produces wines that have a high acidity and medium body. The wines have intense aromas of dried citrus, namely grapefruit and orange, with florals such as honeysuckle and elderflower. In the wines from warmer climates such as Virginia and Australia, the wines will have clear peach and red apple aromas too.