The grape varieties
At Domaine Tariquet, no less than 17 different grape varieties are grown to produce our Armagnacs, white and rosé wines.
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At Domaine Tariquet, no less than 17 different grape varieties are grown to produce our Armagnacs, white and rosé wines.
In keeping with our family philosophy, we remain faithful to the historic grape varieties of Armagnac AOC and the Côtes de Gascogne IGP appellations (Ugni blanc, Baco…), and in particular, the indigenous grape varieties from the South-West (Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng). Additionally, we replanted long-forgotten indigenous varieties like Folle Blanche and Plant de Graisse for our Bas-Armagnacs. nd, we were also pioneers in the region by introducing new varieties (Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chenin, Sémillon, Riesling, Marselan) to enrich the aromatic palette and diversity of wine styles produced at the estate.
The Gros Manseng, an indigenous grape variety of the South-West, is destined to produce either dry or sweet white wines depending on when it is harvested. The berries are small, and the skin is thick.
It distinguishes itself with its notes of citrus and tropical fruits, particularly mango. It has great length and finesse on the palate. ts lively acidity brings great freshness and balance, even when vinified as a sweet wine.
Domaine Tariquet was a pioneer in Côtes de Gascogne in the production of sweet white wines when we first started late-harvesting Gros Manseng in the early 1990s.
You can find Gros Manseng in several of Domaine Tariquet’s flagship wines, both as part of a blend or on its own. It is a part of the blend of our dry wines: Classic, RéserveandAmplitude, as well as in our off-dry wine,Premières Grives.
Petit Manseng is an indigenous grape variety from the South-West and belongs to the same family as Gros Manseng. It is not widely planted due to the berries being even smaller and it yields significantly lower. However, its aromatic richness is unrivalled.
The aromatics and flavours of tropical fruits are even more concentrated also revealing peach, apricot and sweet spices. With age, one can find notes of white truffle.
It is primarily used for making off-dry and dessert wines, offering great balance between the sugar and acidity, without any trace of heaviness. It can also produce excellent dry white wines.
At Domaine Tariquet, Petit Manseng is used for our sweet wineDernières Grives.
Ugni blanc is one of the historic grape varieties of Armagnac, which allowed the production of the very first dry white wine in the Côtes de Gascogne in the early 1980s, of which Domaine Tariquet was a pioneer.
It’s also the primary grape variety of the Cognac region and known in Italy under the name Trebbiano.
Often blended, it stands out thanks to both its finesse and elegance. Ugni blanc most often shows lemony notes and can be best described as fresh and light due to its naturally low levels of alcohol when matured (between 9.5% and 11%).
At Domaine Tariquet, it’s the only grape variety which is used for both wines and Bas-Armagnacs. It can be found in the blend of the ClassicandImprévu dry white wines and is a key variety in many of our eaux-de-vie.
is the main ingredient in the blend ofour traditional Bas-Armagnacs :, VS, VSOP, XO, Hors d’Age 20 ansIt is also present in rare Bas-Armagnacs such as Le Légendaire or Montreur d’Ours. Finally, it can be found as a single-varietal in the 10-year-old Bas-Armagnac Ugni blanc .
Colombard is an aromatic white grape variety than can be used in white wines and for distillation. It shows a wide palate of aromatics including citrus, grapefruit, passion fruit and peach.
At Domaine Tariquet, it is blended each year with other grape varieties to produce our dry white wine Classic .
At Domaine Tariquet, it is part of the blend of our two historical wines, Classic, Réserve and Côté. It can also be enjoyed as a single varietal..
Chardonnay is one of the world’s most well-known white grape varieties, and the grape behind the exceptional white wines of Burgundy. It was introduced in Gascony in the mid-1980s by the Grassa family.
It is known for its elegance, finesse, and texture. Depending on where its grown, delicate buttery notes combine with flavours of white-fleshed fruits and hazelnuts.
At Domaine Tariquet, it is part of both Classic, Réserve and Côté.
It can be found as a single varietal in our Chardonnay from the Charmers range and Chardonnay Tête de Cuvée.
