Grand Heron Blanc
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2024
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
fresh seafood platters, goat cheese salad, grilled white fish
✨ Technical Specifications
Named after the majestic great herons that sweep across the skies and wetlands of Gascony, Le Grand Héron Blanc is a vibrant tribute to the preserved natural landscapes of the Gers department. Crafted by the pioneering Plaimont cooperative, this wine captures the essence of the IGP Côtes de Gascogne terroir, where maritime breezes meet clay-limestone soils and the region's famous 'sables fauves' (tawny sands). To preserve the intense, fleeting aromatics of the local grapes, the winemakers employ protective, cold-temperature fermentations. The result is an incredibly refreshing, aromatic white wine defined by bright citrus, green apple, and exotic fruit notes, reflecting the joyful, epicurean spirit of South-West France.
🍾 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
🍷 ABV
11-12%