Colombard
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2024
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Fresh shellfish, grilled white fish, goat cheese salad
✨ Technical Specifications
In the sun-drenched hills of Gascony, in South-West France, the Colombard grape has undergone a remarkable renaissance. Historically prized as a primary component for distilling Armagnac brandy, this indigenous variety was reimagined in the late 20th century as a crisp, highly aromatic still white wine. Plaimont, a pioneer in preserving the ampelographic heritage of the Pyrenean foothills, crafts this Colombard to showcase the grape's vibrant, expressive character. Grown on cool clay-limestone and sandy soils, the vineyards benefit from a microclimate influenced by both the Atlantic Ocean and the nearby Pyrenees mountains. This unique terroir preserves the grape's natural high acidity while developing intense aromas of citrus, green apple, and exotic passion fruit. The winemaking emphasizes temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel and short aging on fine lees to retain maximum freshness and fruit purity, capturing the joyful, rustic spirit of Gascon gastronomy.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1979 through the union of wine cooperatives in Plaisance, Aignan, and Saint-Mont spearheaded by André Dubosc, Plaimont is an undisputed viticultural vanguard in Gascony and the Pyrenean foothills. Spanning diverse terroirs across AOC Saint-Mont, Madiran, Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh, and Côtes de Gascogne, its vineyards are defined by variegated soils of tawny sands (sables fauves), limestone, and clay-rich molasse tempered by Atlantic and mountain currents. Renowned worldwide for its preservation of ampelographic heritage—exemplified by its private conservatory and historic ungrafted pre-phylloxera plots in Sarragachies—Plaimont has revived forgotten indigenous varieties such as Tardif, Arrufiac, and Manseng Noir. In white vinification, Plaimont champions crystalline freshness, precise reductive aromatic protection, and thoughtful lees contact, highlighting local Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, and Colombard. Landmark cuvées include Cirque Nord, Les Cépages Préservés, and Les Vignes Retrouvées, presenting tensile minerality, bright citrus, exotic orchard fruit, and textural salinity emblematic of southwest France.
🍇 Grapes
Colombard
🍷 ABV
11.5-12.5%