When I saw a bottle labelled Manseng Noir at a local caviste, I immediately reached for it out of curiosity because this was a grape variety of which I had never heard. My Google research tells me that this grape belongs to the Tannat family but is almost extinct https://plantgrape.plantnet-project.org ... eng%20noir . The enterprising Producteurs de Plaimont are making a big effort to revive local varieties which have been forgotten and this wine represents one such example. A marked plus point is low alcohol (about 11.5%) and my guess is that it has good ageing potential.
2018 Producteurs Plaimont Côtes de Gascogne Le Manseng Noir - France, Southwest France, Gascony, Côtes de Gascogne (10/18/2019)
Lovers of wines from the South-west are familiar with Gros & Petit Manseng which are capable of making outstanding whites in the Pyrenees foothills. However Manseng Noir is a rarity and was almost extinct until a small plot was developed by the Plaimont co-op from one surviving vine. The wine is very dark and dense in colour and shows a pronounced bouquet of red fruit and violets. The palate is medium/full bodied with bright savoury fruit with strong red and black currant notes, some clayey earth, tangy acidity and leathery tannins on the finish. It is very young and still quite rough but very enjoyable. It is very South-west in style and the nearest simile I can think of is a cross between Madiran and Marcillac. Good.