Cabidos St Clement Petit Manseng Doux

Nose: It is very expressive with aromas of exotic fruits, such as pineapple, candied fruit and honey. These aromas are very characteristic of the Petit Manseng grape, which is a rare variety from the South-west of France.

The viticultural domaine of the Château of Cabidos is family owned and consists of twenty acres located just below the village of Cabidos, in the north of the Béarn, near the famous slopes of Jurançon in south-western France.

The family wine business was revived by Isabelle de Nazelle in 1992 and developed by her son Vivien, with his wife Maleine and brother Edouard, together with Jean-Michel Novelle, a Swiss oenologist of international renown.

In 2002, an air-conditioned cellar was built to ensure the wine was properly stored and in 2007, Mrs. Méo Sakorn-Sériès became the Maitre de Chai, or Cellar Master, who is the person responsible for making and ageing the wine. Méo Sakorn-Sériès is unique in being the only Thai woman to be a director of a vineyard and winery in the whole of France. In 2015, new owners acquired Château de Cabidos with the aim of continuing its legacy and traditions and producing more of its exceptionally prized wines.

The Petit Manseng grape, which comes from the Pyrenean region of France, is the predominant variety occupying 16 acres of our vineyards, and produces both sweet and dry white wines. The vineyard also has an acre of Chardonnay and an acre of Sauvignon, which work well as a dry blend. The fourth grape is Syrah grown on 2 acres to produce our red wine. It is so popular that we have been gradually increasing the acreage.

Petit Manseng is a grape that ripens late in the season and is particularly well suited for the production of great, sweet wines. It is an aromatic variety, which is distinguished in its youth by notes of peach, citrus and medlar, with a hint of cinnamon. It is remarkable for its ability to concentrate the sugar in the berries during maturation, whilst maintaining a high, natural acidity.

It is an ideal grape for the climate in the Béarn because we are blessed with long, sunny autumns that allow ‘passerillage’. That is to say, the grapes can dry naturally on the vine, which gives them a high sugar concentration and the development of complex aromas of candied fruit, ideal for exquisite sweet wines.

It has very exotic flavours, such as pineapple and mango, and with time the wine reveals aromas of white truffles.

Our dry Petit Manseng can be enjoyed as an aperitif, served not too cold at around 12°C, with slivers of parmesan or aged Gruyère.The sweet Petit Manseng is a perfect marriage with foie gras and can also accompany fruit desserts, especially those made with exotic fruits such as mango or baked pineapple.

Cabidos St Clement Petit Manseng Doux - Hay Wines