Forrest Petit Manseng 2025

Planted on a select parcel of stony, free-draining soils in Marlborough's upper Wairau Valley, Forrest's Petit Manseng is a rare, exacting expression of this Pyrenean variety in New Zealand. The 2024 vintage was shaped by a cool, luminous spring and an extended, sun-filled autumn, allowing for a gradual accumulation of flavour and phenolic ripeness while retaining the grape's hallmark acidity. Vines were managed to low yields and harvested late, when berries had begun to naturally desiccate, concentrating sugars, acids, and aromatics.

Fruit was whole-bunch pressed and fermented in a combination of stainless steel and seasoned French barriques, with partial wild yeast inoculation to build textural complexity. A long, cool fermentation preserved the crystalline fruit profile, while five months on fine lees contributed subtle creaminess and weight. The finished wine carries 78 g/L residual sugar, balanced by 9.2 g/L total acidity and 11.5% ABV, delivering a pitch-perfect equilibrium of richness and freshness.

Aromatically, the wine bursts with golden pineapple, poached quince, candied citrus peel, and honeysuckle, underpinned by hints of ginger spice and wet river stone. The palate is opulent yet tightly wound - layers of ripe tropical fruit, marmalade, and almond cream drawn taut by a rapier line of acidity. The finish is long, shimmering, and mouth-watering, leaving a resonant echo of citrus oil and mineral salinity.

Structured for longevity, this Petit Manseng will unfold beautifully over the next decade, its interplay of sweetness, acidity, and minerality offering both immediate allure and compelling cellaring potential.