Gros Manseng: Wine Styles, 10 Best Bottles, Prices (2024)

Gros Manseng is a white wine grape hailing from the Jurançon and Béarn regions of South West France.

Its high yields, beautiful aromas, and refreshing acidity make it perfect for dry wine as well as sweet wine production.

In this article, we'll discover Gros Manseng's wine styles, top 10 bottles, and the best food pairings. We'll then cover the Gros Manseng regions, its winemaking process, how this grape is different from Petit Manseng, and a bit of its history.

Gros Manseng Wine Styles

Gros Manseng is a versatile white grape that can produce varietal wines, and also works well as a blending grape, especially with Petit Manseng and Sauvignon Blanc.

Gros Manseng wine can be dry or sweet:

• Dry Gros Manseng Wine: Picked early (at potential alcohol levels of 11.5% to 12%), Gros Manseng grapes produce crisp, dry wines with lemon flavors and floral aromas.

• Sweet Gros Manseng Wine: Picked late (at potential alcohol levels of 12.5% to 13.5%), Gros Manseng grapes make luscious sweet wines with honey, quince, and apricot flavors. 

Sometimes, Gros Manseng wine is produced using a sweet botrytized style.

10 Exotic Gros Manseng Wines (Including Tasting Notes, Prices)

Here are 10 Gros Manseng wine bottles for your next dinner party:

• 1987 Chateau Jolys Sec
• 2016 Clos Lapeyre 'Lapeyre' Sec
• 2014 Brumont Gros Manseng Doux
• 2016 Domaine du Tariquet 'Les Premieres Grives' Gros Manseng
• 2018 Domaine du Tariquet 'Amplitude'
• 2013 La Demoiselle de Laballe Gros Manseng
• 2019 Villa Dria 'Jardin Secret' Gros Manseng Moelleux
• 2019 Domaine des Cassagnoles Gros Manseng Reserve Selection
• 2019 Boutinot Uva Non Grata Gros Manseng
• 2019 Domaine Chiroulet 'Cote d'Heux'

1. 1987 Chateau Jolys Sec ($33)

This vintage's rich palate leads to a satisfying, bodied finish. Its nose reveals floral aromas with grapefruit, peach, and citrus notes.

2. 2016 Clos Lapeyre 'Lapeyre' Sec ($27)

This excellent wine bottle opens with grapefruit and mandarin fragrances. It flaunts a round palate with crisp acidity.

3. 2014 Brumont Gros Manseng Doux ($16)

This wine greets the nose with explosive fruity aromas. On the palate, this Gros Manseng showcases sweetness, freshness, and acidity in perfect harmony.

4. 2016 Domaine du Tariquet 'Les Premieres Grives' Gros Manseng ($16)

This wine's citrus and grape scents give way to a full-bodied palate combining gourmet and exotic characteristics.

5. 2018 Domaine du Tariquet 'Amplitude' ($13)

The 2018 Domaine du Tariquet 'Amplitude' has a refreshing palate with a subtle mineral flavour. It presents a seductive nose of flowers and grapes.

6. 2013 La Demoiselle de Laballe Gros Manseng ($15)

Intense exotic fruit fragrances characterize this wine's nose. It has a vivid palate, with good length and excellent acidity.

7. 2019 Villa Dria 'Jardin Secret' Gros Manseng Moelleux ($13)

This excellent wine has an unctuous palate displaying the right balance between acidity and sweetness. Its nose unveils citrus and exotic fruit aromas with candied fruit notes.

8. 2019 Domaine des Cassagnoles Gros Manseng Reserve Selection ($12)

Notes of brioche, pepper, and spiced citrus dominate the nose of this wine from the Côtes de Gascogne (Gascony) region. Its palate is rounded and medium-bodied, with a beautiful texture.

9. 2019 Boutinot Uva Non Grata Gros Manseng ($11)

This wine's lively and bright palate perfectly complements its delightfully fruity and complex aroma profile.

10. 2019 Domaine Chiroulet 'Cote d'Heux' ($11)

On the nose, this 2019 vintage offers quince and exotic fruit notes. Its palate is rich, vibrant, and fruity.

Best Food Pairings With Gros Manseng Wines

Gros Manseng wines pair well with foie gras, mussels, chicken, and sushi.

For meat-free options, pair your Gros Manseng wine with green salads and Indian specialties like chana masala and chili paneer.

Wondering how the Gros Manseng wines are made?

Gros Manseng Wine: Regions And Winemaking

Although Gros Manseng is mainly planted in Jurançon, the grape variety isn't uncommon in other Southwest France wine regions, including Pacherenc du Vic-Bil, Irouleguy, and Béarn.

Winemakers favor Gros Manseng for its high yield and exceptional acidity, making it the perfect grape to produce exotic white wines.

However, the winemaking process for Gros Manseng is a little tricky.

Gros Manseng vines produce large thick skinned berries, which can result in coarse, unpleasant wines with high tannin. That's why the winemaker maintains minimal skin contact and performs gentle pressing to avoid excessive tannins and polyphenols in the wine.

The grape juice undergoes fermentation and aging in stainless steel tanks, which gives the wine a crisp taste and brings out the wine’s fruit-forward aromas.

Now if you were confused between Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng, we’ll tell you how they differ:

Gros Manseng Vs Petit Manseng

The key differences between Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng are:

• Gros Manseng grapes are 'gros' or big, while Petit Manseng berries are 'petit' or small.

• Petit Manseng generally produces luscious dessert wines, while Gros Manseng usually produces refreshing, dry table wines.

• Gros Manseng has a high yield, so it's planted en masse. Petit Manseng has a low yield and is sparsely planted.

Let’s quickly dive into the origins of Gros Manseng as well.

A Brief History Of Gros Manseng

Gros Manseng is said to have originated in the Jurançon region of Southwest France.

It belongs to the “Manseng” grape family, which also includes the Petit Manseng and Manseng Noir grape varieties.

In the 1950s, around 100 acres of Gros Manseng was left in France, and its future didn't look promising. Fortunately, in the 1960s, the demand for dry white wines rose, and the winemaker community took a renewed interest in Gros Manseng.

Today, the grape variety is primarily known for its dry wines from the Jurançon Sec appellation.

Serve A Bottle Of Gros Manseng At Your Next Dinner!

The Gros Manseng grape variety of South West France produces beautiful white wines that lift your spirits. While a dry Gros Manseng is perfect as a table wine, a sweet Gros Manseng pairs excellently with your desserts.

But if you're looking to invest in wine for the long term, Gros Manseng is not the right choice for you.

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