Sunday, June 14, 2026 white wine review is a lovely blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Gros Manseng from Southwest France, that is a brand new arrival at the LCBO, landing in Ontario as part of last weekend's LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection on .
Like the delicious 2022 Maison Fontan Tattoo T&M Rouge I tasted in December, this white wine is produced by the historic and family-owned Maison Fontan, a wine estate located in the commune of Noulens, within the Gers department of southwestern France.
The story of the Fontan family began in 1907, when the first generation moved to Maubet Farm in Noulens, and practiced mixed farming. The farm was then given as a wedding gift to Ésilda and Maximen Fontan, the second generation of the family. In 1975, the husband and wife team of Jean-Claude and Aline Fontan, who represented the third generation of the family, began transforming the property into viticulture. Their passion for viticulture played a pivotal role by helping instigate the development of Côtes de Gascogne wines.
In 2001, the fourth generation of the family took over the reins as siblings Sylvain and Nadège Fontan, son and daughter, respectively, of Aline and Jean-Claude, began managing the 80 hectares of vineyards. Together, the siblings have continued to develop the estate, with Sylvain taking on the role of winemaking and cellar master, while Nadège handles marketing and sales.
Until 2021, the estate was known as Domaine de Maubet, at which point it was rebranded as Maison Fontan. The farmhouse in which their great-grandparents moved into is still central to the estate as it is a place where people live, come together and work. Nestled among vines, the traditional Gascon half-timbered building is also a place where the natural world is listened to and respected.
Today, with immense pride and unfailing courage, the Fontan siblings continue down the pathway forged by their great-grandparents. With passion and respect for their forebears and the natural environment that surrounds them, the family has always practiced sustainable winegrowing, while common sense is de rigueur. The winemaking philosophy at Fontan is based on respecting nature and the environment, along with the belief that if they nourish the soil to the right extent, and if they take care of it, it will give their vines the best grapes. From soil to glass, the family takes a thoughtful and thorough approach to every phase of production to deliver wines that are safe, well-controlled, and consistently high in quality.
This white wine is crafted using a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Gros Manseng that was grown on clay-limestone and boulbenne, a very fine, siliceous, and silty-sandy soil that is excellent terroir for white wine varieties. The grapes were machine-harvested and placed into vats to undergo 8 to 12 hours of maceration with the skins, then pressed using a pneumatic press. In order to separate the juice from the solids, it was stored at 8°C for 5 days, then underwent alcoholic fermentation at 18°C for 12 to 18 days. The wines are then filtered, assembled, and stabilized, and kept in vats at 8°C until they are bottled and released, which takes place all year round.
The growing season in 2024 in the French wine region of Southwest was, like much of the country, a difficult one with challenging weather conditions. Coulure, millerandage, mildew, frost, and hail resulted in reduced yields, which followed a poor harvest in 2023. Let's see how this 2024 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Gros Manseng from Côtes de Gascogne in Southwest France is tasting tonight...
Enclosed by screw cap, this blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Gros Manseng has a delicate, medium+ intensity nose that is ripe and sweet fruited with candied lemon, pear, apricot, floral, and tropical fruit aromas. On the medium-full bodied palate it is rich and flavourful with delicious ripe, candied lemon, citrus, apricot, tropical fruit, and pear flavours in a zesty, slightly off-dry (i.e. sweet) profile. Acids are juicy and well-balanced, while the candied lemon, citrus, pear, and tropical fruit notes taper savoury notes on a slightly sticky finish, with very good length. A quality wine that will be a crowd pleaser. Recommended buy! Score: 89 pts
Their Tattoo Rouge is available on clearance at the LCBO, while the full range of Maison Fontan wines can be ordered through their Agent - KOLONAKI Group of Companies.
Like the delicious 2022 Maison Fontan Tattoo T&M Rouge I tasted in December, this white wine is produced by the historic and family-owned Maison Fontan, a wine estate located in the commune of Noulens, within the Gers department of southwestern France.
The story of the Fontan family began in 1907, when the first generation moved to Maubet Farm in Noulens, and practiced mixed farming. The farm was then given as a wedding gift to Ésilda and Maximen Fontan, the second generation of the family. In 1975, the husband and wife team of Jean-Claude and Aline Fontan, who represented the third generation of the family, began transforming the property into viticulture. Their passion for viticulture played a pivotal role by helping instigate the development of Côtes de Gascogne wines.
In 2001, the fourth generation of the family took over the reins as siblings Sylvain and Nadège Fontan, son and daughter, respectively, of Aline and Jean-Claude, began managing the 80 hectares of vineyards. Together, the siblings have continued to develop the estate, with Sylvain taking on the role of winemaking and cellar master, while Nadège handles marketing and sales.
Until 2021, the estate was known as Domaine de Maubet, at which point it was rebranded as Maison Fontan. The farmhouse in which their great-grandparents moved into is still central to the estate as it is a place where people live, come together and work. Nestled among vines, the traditional Gascon half-timbered building is also a place where the natural world is listened to and respected.
Today, with immense pride and unfailing courage, the Fontan siblings continue down the pathway forged by their great-grandparents. With passion and respect for their forebears and the natural environment that surrounds them, the family has always practiced sustainable winegrowing, while common sense is de rigueur. The winemaking philosophy at Fontan is based on respecting nature and the environment, along with the belief that if they nourish the soil to the right extent, and if they take care of it, it will give their vines the best grapes. From soil to glass, the family takes a thoughtful and thorough approach to every phase of production to deliver wines that are safe, well-controlled, and consistently high in quality.
This white wine is crafted using a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Gros Manseng that was grown on clay-limestone and boulbenne, a very fine, siliceous, and silty-sandy soil that is excellent terroir for white wine varieties. The grapes were machine-harvested and placed into vats to undergo 8 to 12 hours of maceration with the skins, then pressed using a pneumatic press. In order to separate the juice from the solids, it was stored at 8°C for 5 days, then underwent alcoholic fermentation at 18°C for 12 to 18 days. The wines are then filtered, assembled, and stabilized, and kept in vats at 8°C until they are bottled and released, which takes place all year round.
The growing season in 2024 in the French wine region of Southwest was, like much of the country, a difficult one with challenging weather conditions. Coulure, millerandage, mildew, frost, and hail resulted in reduced yields, which followed a poor harvest in 2023. Let's see how this 2024 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Gros Manseng from Côtes de Gascogne in Southwest France is tasting tonight...
Tasting Note:
MAISON FONTAN TATTOO BLANC 2024 - IGP Côtes de Gascogne, Southwest, France (#48562) (D) - $19.95Enclosed by screw cap, this blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Gros Manseng has a delicate, medium+ intensity nose that is ripe and sweet fruited with candied lemon, pear, apricot, floral, and tropical fruit aromas. On the medium-full bodied palate it is rich and flavourful with delicious ripe, candied lemon, citrus, apricot, tropical fruit, and pear flavours in a zesty, slightly off-dry (i.e. sweet) profile. Acids are juicy and well-balanced, while the candied lemon, citrus, pear, and tropical fruit notes taper savoury notes on a slightly sticky finish, with very good length. A quality wine that will be a crowd pleaser. Recommended buy! Score: 89 pts
Their Tattoo Rouge is available on clearance at the LCBO, while the full range of Maison Fontan wines can be ordered through their Agent - KOLONAKI Group of Companies.
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