2022 Chateau Cauhape L’Eclipse, South France

From the rolling foothills of the Pyrenees in Jurançon, this wine shows the richness and aromatic drama that make the region one of France’s hidden treasures. Château Cauhapé is a specialist in Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng, varieties perfectly suited to the warm days and cool mountain nights of southwest France. L’Eclipse is crafted in a dry, powerful style that balances exotic fruit with firm acidity, capturing both sunshine and altitude in the same glass. The steep vineyards and clay limestone soils give natural concentration while preserving freshness.

The estate focuses on precision harvesting and gentle handling to protect the grape’s intense aromatics. Fermentation is managed to build texture without dulling the wine’s natural brightness. The result is a white that feels generous yet sharply defined, shaped by tension as much as flavour.

In the glass it shows a deep straw gold. Aromas are explosive and layered, opening with pineapple, mango and ripe citrus, followed by honey, white flowers and spice. There is a lifted freshness beneath the exotic fruit that keeps the bouquet vibrant.

The palate is full flavoured and textural, with tropical and stone fruit wrapped in bright acidity. A subtle phenolic grip adds structure, preventing the wine from feeling heavy. Flavours move from citrus and mango into honeyed and mineral tones, finishing long and mouthwatering. The balance between richness and freshness is the wine’s defining feature.

It pairs beautifully with seafood, roast poultry, spicy cuisine and dishes with fruit or aromatic herbs. Drinking impressively now for its intensity, it will cellar comfortably for six to ten years, developing nutty and honeyed complexity.

L’Eclipse captures the drama of Jurançon, sun, mountain air and aromatic power shaped into a white that is both exuberant and precise.