Description
40% Gros Manseng, 60% Petit Manseng grown on south-west facing gravelly slopes. The Manseng grapes deliver fresh acidity with a touch of salinity, alongside exotic fruit flavours. This has some aspects of Chablis, some of Puligny, some of really good Pouilly-Fume. But it also adds a lovely orange tinged citrus flavour, and a real teasing sense of sweetness, but its dry and mouth-watering. I love it, I’ve been so impressed, not sure I knew Manseng could be so fine! A great seafood choice for those bored of Sauvignon Blanc.
About the Domaine
The Laplace family have owned this domaine since 1927. During this time, they have been at the forefront of the Madiran appellation, using innovative techniques to produce wines which balance Tannat’s tannic spine with rich satisfying fruit.
Madiran is an obscure appellation lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees in south west France. Positioned halfway between the sea and the mountains the region enjoys a varied topography and a complex geology, a mosaic of soils and clays which are ideally suit to the production of fine wines. The red wines are produced from the local Tannat grape, historically seen as almost violently tannic.
The Laplace’s were at the centre of developing methods to tame these tannins, whilst still retaining the savage beauty that makes good Madiran wines so thrilling.
Madiran wines were recently given the oxygen of publicity by a wine-loving cardiovascular professor from St Bartholomew’s Hospital whose research showed that the unique tannic structure of Tannat breaks down cholesterol and helps explain why south west France boasts the lowest incidence of heart disease despite a high fat diet. A top Madiran such as Château d’Aydie from Domaine Laplace will develop well over 20 years. The 2011 is just beginning to open up but will develop beautifully for a decade more.
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