I had this white wine at the reception and lunch at a wedding at the Repulse Bay Hotel over the weekend. (The Champagne (Cattier) and red wine (Santa Cristina) are much more conventional.) The surprise here is that Gros Manseng was featured on the label. The Website says there is only 5% in the cuvee, so technically this could count as a varietal Chardonnay.
Gros Manseng is a grape from the Pyrenee foothills in South West France and is more associated with Jurancon, Bearn, Pacherenc and Cotes de Gascogne wines as well as Floc d'Armagnac. Being also a mutation of Manseng Noir (cf Pinot Noir) like Petit Manseng, it nevertheless makes wines of less elegance and quality than the latter, though it can give well flavoured wines with high acidity. Back to the wine, it was nice lemon yellow, with a slightly sweet and slightly fruity nose. The palate was dry and acidic with hintas of fruit, well supported by an acid backbone.
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