Côtes de Gascogne: Domaine Horgelus Gros Manseng & Sauvignon

First cultivated by the Romans, the South West is one of France's largest wine-producing regions, encompassing a vast and varied area to the west of (but not including) Bordeaux. Its local rivers, such as the Garonne and Dordogne, once played an important role in transporting the wines to market, though having to pass through Bordeaux and its protective trade laws left the region long overshadowed by its famous neighbour. Today, the South West is celebrated for its sweet, dry, and sparkling whites and its robust reds, made from an exceptional diversity of local grape varieties rarely found elsewhere. Its varying climates and elevations produce some genuinely distinctive and characterful wines.

A celebrated IGP in the Gers department of South-West France, an area historically devoted to producing the fine grape spirit Armagnac, with which it still shares its vineyards. Recognised as a quality wine region in 1968, it is best known today for its fresh, lively white wines, built chiefly on Colombard, Sauvignon Blanc, and the local Gros and Petit Manseng, alongside structured, fruit-forward reds and pretty rosés. Its oceanic climate, Atlantic influence, and varied soils and altitudes give the wines their signature freshness and character.