Manseng

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Manseng (or Manseng Noir) is a wine grape variety of Basque origins that is grown primarily in South West France. Like Pinot noir and Muscat, the grape mutates easily and has spawn several addition grape varieties that are still being used in wine production, most notably Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng.^[1] Petit Manseng, in particular, is gaining in popularity in California and Australia because it is expected to follow Viognier's path to popularity among white wine drinkers.^[2] The white wine varieties of Manseng were a favorite of the French poet Colette who called the wine séduction du vert galant and was quoted "I was a girl when I met this prince; aroused, imperious, treacherous, as all great seducers are." Winemakers in Jurançon picked up on this endorsement and began touting the wines (reputed) viril and puissant qualities in sales brochures and with posters that advertise "Manseng means Jurançon means Sex".^[3]

[edit] Gros Manseng

Gros Manseng is a white grape variation of Manseng that produces dry wines in the Jurançon and Béarn regions of Southwest France. In Gascony it is permitted in the Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC), in the Côtes de Gascogne and in the Floc de Gascogne.^[4]

While the grape vines of Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng look very similar to each other, there are distinct differences. Gros Manseng's berries are larger and less susceptible to coulure. The vine also produces much higher yields but the resulting wine is less elegant and rich than wine made from Petit Manseng.^[5]

Though on its own, Gros Manseng does have the potential to produce intensely flavored wines with high acidity, apricot and quince fruit along with spicy and floral notes. The time of harvest will play a large role in the type of wine that the grape will produce. When it is picked at a potential alcohol level of 11.5-12%, the resulting wine will have more characteristics of fresh fruit and flowers. If picked later at a potential alcohol content of 12.5-13.5, the flavors will be much more intense and powerful. Despite its thick skin, the grape does need gentle handling in the winemaking process. Unlike many wine grapes, the juice of the Gros Manseng is grey in color which means that it is already prone to produce deeply, golden colored wines with very minimal skin contact. If the grapes are pressed too roughly or the grapes are left in extended contact with the skins, the resulting wine will be very coarse with excessive levels of tannins and polyphenols. Some winemakers are experimenting with making botrytized wine aged in oak that have drawn favorable comparisons to similarly made wine from Sémillon. That style wine is prized for its food matching ability, particularly with foie gras.^[6]

[edit] Petit Manseng

Petit Manseng is a white grape variation of Manseng and produces the highest quality wine of any grape in the Manseng family. The name is derived from its small, thick skin berries. Coupled with the small yields of the grapevine, most Petit Manseng farmers produce around 15 hl of wine per hectare. The grape is often left on the vine till December to produce a late harvest dessert wine. The grape is grown primarily in the Languedoc, Jurançon and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh but has recently drawn interest in New World wine regions like California and Australia.^[2] It was already present in Uruguay, when Basque settlers brought "Manseng" and Tannat vines with them to their new home. Despite being easily recognizable as a white grape while true Manseng is a black grape, wine that is Petit Manseng is still normally labeled as just "Manseng". The grape is often left on the vine to produce a late harvest wine made from its nearly raisin like grapes.^[1]

Some synonyms of Petit Manseng are Manseng blanc, Petit Mansenc and Mansegnou used in France as well as Ichirota Zuria Tipia used in Spain.^[3]

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