Saint Albert
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Foie gras, blue cheese, apricot tart
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the historic clay-limestone slopes of the Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh appellation in South-West France, Saint Albert is a legendary late-harvest sweet white wine crafted by the Plaimont cooperative. The wine owes its name to the feast of Saint Albert, celebrated on November 15th, which traditionally marks the commencement of the late harvest. During this autumn period, the grapes undergo passerillage—a natural drying process on the vine stimulated by the warm southern winds and dry autumn sun. This concentrates the sugars while preserving a vibrant, electric acidity. Plaimont's commitment to local heritage shines through in this cuvée, which captures the essence of Pyrenean viticulture, offering a rich sensory journey of candied citrus, exotic fruits, and wild honey.
🍾 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
Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng