Sat 18 Jul: Meet the Mansengs, featuring Chateau Lafitte (Jurançon, France)
Meet the Mansengs: The Dynamic Duo of Jurançon
Every wine region has its star grapes, and in Jurançon, nestled in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, the spotlight belongs to two local legends: Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng.
Think of them as siblings with very different personalities. Petit Manseng is the smaller, more intense one — tiny berries packed with exotic fruit, honeyed richness and mouthwatering acidity. It's the grape behind some of France's most thrilling sweet wines and has become a darling among sommeliers worldwide.
Gros Manseng, on the other hand, is the easy-going older sibling. With larger berries and higher yields, it produces vibrant, refreshing wines bursting with notes of apricot, quince and citrus. While it may be less dramatic than Petit, it's incredibly charming and often plays the perfect supporting role.
The Manseng family has called Jurançon home for centuries, surviving everything from changing fashions to the devastating phylloxera crisis that nearly wiped them out. Today, they're enjoying a well-deserved renaissance, with winegrowers from New Zealand to Japan to China falling in love with their irresistible combination of ripe fruit and electric freshness.
Join us on Saturday 18th July and explore two Pyrenean natives through the wines of Château Lafitte.
A Little About Château Lafitte
When most people hear "Lafitte", their minds immediately jump to Bordeaux. But here we're heading somewhere a little less famous and, arguably, a lot more exciting — the rolling foothills of the Pyrenees in Jurançon.
Château Lafitte has been a family estate for generations and is one of the great champions of the region's native Manseng grapes. Rather than chasing trends, the family has focused on what Jurançon does best: producing wines that combine vibrant freshness, aromatic intensity and a real sense of place.
At the helm is Antoine Arraou, a passionate grower and winemaker who believes that great wine starts in the vineyard. His philosophy is refreshingly simple: farm thoughtfully, intervene as little as possible, and let the grapes and terroir do the talking.
The vineyards benefit from warm sunny days, cool nights and fresh Pyrenean air, creating ideal conditions for Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng to develop their hallmark combination of aromatic intensity and electrifying acidity. The estate is farmed using sustainable practices, with a strong focus on biodiversity and healthy soils. In the cellar, Antoine takes a "less is more" approach, producing wines with zero additions — no sulphites, no flavour enhancers, and minimal intervention throughout the winemaking process. The result is wines that feel vibrant, honest and unmistakably of their place.
We love that his wines are both deeply authentic and incredibly drinkable. Whether dry or sweet, they capture everything that makes Jurançon special: bright fruit, freshness, texture and a real sense of energy.
LINE UP
Argile 2022
Argile means clay. Petit Manseng planted on clay harvested in the second half of September. Fermented and aged in clay before being bottled in clay bottles. Layers of complexity!
Sec 2023
Made from an 80-20 split of Petit Manseng to Gros Manseng. A dry, round white combining freshness and complexity.
Orange 2022
The ‘Orange’ is Antoine’s skin contact Petit Manseng macerated for 21 days.
Funambule 2022 Pet Nat
A wonderful ancestral method sparkling beautifully marrying tropical fruit notes, with beeswax and citric edge.
DETAILS
Saturday 18th July 2026
3pm - 4pm / 4.30pm - 5.30pm
31 Binjai Park
$43pp for tasting of 4 wines or $48pp at the door
10% off all Chateau Lafitte wines purchased in-store
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