Lionel Osmin, Villa Chambre D'Amour, Gros Manseng, Sauvignon Blanc, IGP, lieblich, 2022, Süd-West Frankreich

Profile :
With the first autumn chill, the golden sun-drenched Gros Manseng and Sauvignon Blanc grapes are harvested for this sweet and refreshing wine. It delights with its notes of grapefruit, pineapple, pear and Bourbon vanilla, as well as its low alcohol content (10.5%). The name for this blend refers to the Basque Country's famous Anglet Beach on the Atlantic coast.

Viticulture :
Terroir : Clayish, calcareous slopes in the north of Gascony. This type of cool environment allows slow maturation and therefore a gradual increase in the grapes' sugar concentration.
Climate : These slopes have micro-climates permitting production of balanced sweet wines. Temperate summers are generally followed by gentle autumns. In October, the Autan wind fends off morning humidity, allowing maturity to come slowly through natural concentration. The Sauvignon Blanc parcels are harvested at full maturity, whereas we seek a slight over-maturity for the Gros Manseng.

Wine-making and aging :
To preserve the full aromatic potential of the grapes, harvesting is conducted at night, when temperatures are low. Twelve hours of skin contact maceration follow, to extract this potential. Slow gentle pressing is next, protected from contact with air, thereby avoiding any start of oxidation.
After working on fine lees, the juice is clarified and fermentation begun under closely watched temperatures. As soon as the acidity and the alcohol + residual sugars are brought into balance, the wine is chilled to stop fermentation. A very brief aging (2 to 3 months in the vat, on fine lees) is followed by early bottling to best preserve the grapes' original aromas.