Escasses Blanc
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2024
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Fresh seafood, grilled white fish, goat cheese
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the sun-drenched hillsides of Gascony in South-West France, Plaimont's Escasses Blanc (often known as Les Escasses) is a vibrant testament to the region's dramatic viticultural renaissance. Historically, this land of d'Artagnan and the Musketeers was renowned primarily for Armagnac distillation. However, in the late 20th century, local winemakers pivoted to harness the incredible aromatic potential of their white grapes to create fresh, still table wines. The name 'Escasses' pays homage to the traditional Gascon stilts ('escasses') once used by local shepherds to traverse the marshy landscapes of the region. Grown on rolling hills of clay-sandy soils under the dual influence of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountains, this wine captures the essence of Gascony. It is crafted using protective winemaking techniques, including skin contact and cold fermentation, to preserve the intense, zesty aromas of citrus and exotic fruits that define this classic, refreshing style.
🍾 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, Ugni Blanc