A Guide To The Grape Petit Manseng
Interlude
Welcome to this post about the grape variety known as Petit Manseng. A variety that sees its most fame when grown in the south west parts of France. In the last post we covered the grape Pedro Ximenez that is a semi famous grape responsible for some truly great sherry wine.
We are doing these guides or posts to learn more about the vast world of wine out there. To be better at navigating it. Much like the last post we will go over the history of the grape, the style of wine that it makes, climate and geography and of course some recommendations for you if you feel inspired to go out and buy some. So without further ado, let’s get started!
History of the grape
As for the history of the grape, there is not really a whole lot of information out there. But we can say that it has been growing in the south west parts of France for at least a couple of centuries. It is the offspring to the grape Manseng which is infact a black grape. It also has a sibling grape called Gros Manseng.
The Petit Manseng has, as the name suggests, quite small grapes. Its sibling has largest grapes and therefore the difference in names and cultivation places. It has for a very long time been used to produce sweet wines. The grapes are left on the vines to intensify the flavours and make richer wines. It has seen the longest history in plantings in parts like Gascony, Jurancon and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh in France.
But has with recent years seen a lot of fame from such regions like California, North Georgia, Virginia and Ohio in the US. It has also been shipped to Australia to cultivate, or that’s what they thought until the year 2020. It was then discovered that the vines that were first imported in 1979 are in fact the sibling variety, Grose Manseng. Just another mixup happening down under. The grape was already established in Uruguay when the Basque settlers came with “Manseng” to plant. Even though true Manseng is a black grape, the wines made with Petit Manseng are still just labeled Manseng.
The style of wine
The style of wine that is made with the grape we have already covered a little bit. It is made into sweet wines of course as they fit so well into this style. The wines are rich and intense, just like the French like it. Showing characteristics of stone fruit such as apricot, peach and citrus tones like lemon and even sweet spices in the more expensive expressions. Petit Manseng is known to be a very low yielding variety, hence the higher price of the wine compared to other grapes.
The grapes are left on the vines for a very long time to really intensify the flavours. Enjoying a long ripening season the sugars get to concentrate and the water content evaporates and leaves a grape that is raisin like in texture and look. The French call this process “passerillage”. The reason that this can happen is the very loose bunches that the grapes grow on. They are not touching each other creating humid environments for botrytis to start happening. Most wines made into a sweet style with Petit Manseng are not undergoing any form of botrytis, they are just late harvested.
The naturally high acidity in the grapes is the reason as to why this late harvest is even possible. The acidity helps in keeping molds and bacteria away. A higher ph makes for undesirable habitats for these things. But it is also a big plus as they balance out the sweetness that might otherwise be overwhelming. This makes the wines very enjoyable.
The fermentation of the wines often take place in oak barrels too. Especially in the region of Jurancon. This makes the wine get a slight spiciness to them but of course a richness and structure to them. As for blending partners, it can see companionship from both Sauvingon Blanc and Petit Courbu.
Climate and geography
The climate in the southern parts of France is very Mediterranean- like with warm or even hot ripening seasons. The grapes can of course handle this because of the high acidity naturally found them like we just went over. The climate here is also less humid during the later part of the season. This makes it easier for the grapes to dry out on the vines. As sun drying would not be possible here.
You would need a climate like southern Spain for that. The soil content here is also very important for the grape. A nutrient rich one will often be the one that produces the best wines. Being close to the ocean the grapes can also take on slight mineral tones. But this is more expected in the white wines that are meant to be fresh and dry. It has found its way almost all over the world by now.
In the Basque region in Spain it sees some great results. In Australia and the US too, most notably in Virginia. Compared to its sibling Grose Manseng it is grown to a much smaller extent but makes better and superior wines according to many people.
Recommendations
So what type of wine do I like then when it comes to Petit Manseng? Well I have to say that it is definitely up there with my favourite sweet wines of all time. The ones from Juracon tend to be my favourites. If you find an early vintage and do some research on the year then you can often find great wines for a cheap price.
They are often not very drinkable young though and should be kept in an aging faculty of some sort for at least 20 years to really make them start to shine. If you worry about finding the perfect window for drinking them, then you should not worry. I usually go by the rule that the peak is as long as the time it took to get there.
Last words
That’s a wrap for this post on the grape variety Petit Manseng. A variety that I think should be on most people’s list that really appreciate the art and craftsmanship of making great sweet wines. I hope that you have learnt something reading this and feel maybe a little bit inspired even to go out and buy some Petit Manseng. Stay tuned for the next post where we will cover the grape Rkatsiteli. A famous grape from Georgien.
