White Hall Vineyards Petit Manseng 2005
Feeling tropical? Indeed I was after a warm and sunny weekend in January here in Virginia . Needless to say, the weather is more winter like now, but the seasonal warmth sure was nice. The warm weather motivated me to seek out something white and sweet to sip and the White Hall Petit Manseng 2005 hit Vine Spot's spot.
Review: The White Hall Petit Manseng 2005 is a medium bodied rich and aromatic wine displaying a light straw color. The bouquet is inviting, boasting aromas of honeysuckle, tropical fruit and hints of cinnamon. On the taste, this wine is full of tropical fruit, namely pineapple and ripe tree fruit flavors. The wine is slightly sweet and has a nice medium length finish. The White Hall Petit Manseng 2005 is a nice after dinner wine or would pair well with spicy indian or asian cuisine. This wine is truly inviting and exotic and has a small about of Viognier added to make it satiating and interesting.
For the ever curious, Petit Manseng is a white wine producing grape hailing from the Jurancon region of southwestern France where it produces renowned high quality wines. The grape is naturally high in acidity, making it a nice candidate for the ideal dessert wine. I'm seeing more plantings of Petit Manseng here in Virginia and wineries such as Hillsborough are using it in blends, while others like Horton and Veritas are producing a varietal bottling. Chrysalis Vineyards produces a dessert styled wine from the Petit Manseng grape that is truly liquid gold to say the least. If we are so lucky to have another stroke of seasonal warmth, consider trying some Petit Manseng, whether Virginia or Jurancon. If you try it, or already have a favorite producer, drop me a line and share the fruity details.
Happy Sipping!
Dezel
