Moonseng Merlot Manseng Noir
⏳ Drinking Window
Best enjoyed young and fresh, typically within 1 to 3 years of the vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Charcuterie boards, grilled pork chops, roasted duck breast
✨ Technical Specifications
Plaimont's Moonseng is a remarkable testament to ampelographic resurrection and modern viticultural ingenuity. At its heart is Manseng Noir, an ancient, indigenous grape of the Pyrenean foothills that had virtually vanished from the French winemaking landscape. Discovered surviving in historic, pre-phylloxera family plots, this rare variety was painstakingly revived by Plaimont's ampelographers. When blended with the round, plush fruitiness of Merlot, Manseng Noir contributes a vibrant acidity, rustic spicy undertones, and a naturally moderate alcohol level. The name Moonseng playfully nods to this unique grape heritage. Grown on the clay-limestone hillsides of the Gascony region, the grapes undergo traditional vinification designed to emphasize fresh red fruit, soft tannins, and an approachable, crunchy texture that offers a refreshing alternative to heavier regional reds.
🍾 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
Merlot, Manseng Noir
🍷 ABV
12%