Les Jardins de Babylone, Dagueneau

From their tiny 3 hectare estate in the village of Aubertin, south of Pau in the foothills of the Pyrenees.  A sweet wine made exclusively from Petit Manseng, planted on south-facing terraced vineyards with the soil a mixture of clay and large round galets.  Late-harvested by hand in successive ‘tries’, and delicately fermented and aged in oak barrels of different sizes.  A beautiful  wine that combines purity of fruit, texture and sweetness with racy, taut acidity.

Restricted by the area of Loire and its appellation laws, Dagueneau went searching outside of the area to pursue a unique dessert wine.  Ending up at the foot of the Pyrenees he discovered an amphitheatre of vines he nicknamed “Babylone”.  The Petit Manseng grapes produce a wine of sheer beauty, a late harvest wine that balances sweetness with incredible acidity and fruit.  The nose full of orange peel, mandarin and hints of Grand Marnier. The palate is rich, full bodied and yet with a screaming acidity that gives the wine a crystalline purity and deftness of touch rarely found.  Fresh and bright with tangerine, lemongrass, spice and nuts on the long finish.  Irresistible now but will last decades. 2016-2030+.
Stuart Rae, Private Account Manager