Domaine Menard Cuvée Prestige is a vin blanc doux made with 55% Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng. Lightly honeyed, off-dry, the late harvest fruit brings an array of exotic flavours, pear in syrup, apricot and acacia flowers flavours. This richness of texture is finely balanced by the bright, fresh natural acidity og the Manseng grapes. Try as an aperitif or with fruit-based desserts.
DOMAINE DE MÉNARD, Bretagne d’Armagnac
The story begins in 1920, when Jean-Francois Morel a Swiss winegrower settled in Gascony and purchased 10-ha of vineyard. His daughter Denise and her husband Jean Jegerlhener took over the estate in 1960, they have recently been joined by their son and daughter, Philippe Jergerlhener and Elizabeth Prataviera, who is a qualified oenologue.
The vineyard has now reached 120-ha, 90% of which is planted with white grape varieties. The terroir, based on an ancient geologic marine site, is of the highest quality and the vine rows are covered with shells and fossils. Two types of soils are present, the Sauvignon, Colombard and Ugni are planted on shallow lime, clay and stony soils, while the Petit and Gros Manseng are grown on deeper, sandy soils.
The work in the vineyard is carried out with the greatest respect for the environment; harvest takes place at night in order to keep maximum freshness, the de-stemmed grapes are then let soaking at cold temperature for few hours to facilitate the exchange between skins and juices (macération pélliculaire). The grapes are then gently pressed, avoiding any contact with oxygen;
The resulting juice is left to settle for a night, and once the clear juice has been cleared of its must deposits (debourbage), it is sent in temperature-controlled tanks for a slow fermentation.