Gros Manseng Blend, "Le Sec," Guirardel, Jurançon, 2014

Vital Signs: 50% Petit Manseng, 50% Gros Manseng. From late harvested fruit (same time as the sweet wines.) Technically no skin contact, but drinks like an orange wine. Petit Manseng is an intense, rich grape, so the wine looks golden. Once the fermentation process is complete, the wine is moved to old 400L oak and acacia barrels and aged for 18 months. No sulfur added at bottling.
Ali' Assessment: I love this wine. I love its unique story. I love the apple pie, toasty baking spice, Calvados-y quality. Cozy and familiar, but with a unique intangible that keeps you coming back for more. We’re flouting our own conventions and billing this as an orange wine. It looks like and duck and quacks like a duck, so why not?