The character of the 2021 vintage is its multiple climatic hazards, with frost in April and a cool
temperate summer. The mild, dry winter enhanced a fairly early bud break in the vines, with increased sensitivity to frost at the end of March/beginning of April. The effects of frost were largely underestimated because not very visible, but on the most precocious grape varieties, such as Colombard, at harvest the yields were down 30%. The vegetative period from April to July was marked by cool humid weather, which required meticulous monitoring of the vineyard. Some mildew-related damage was observed on sensitive grape varieties. The temperate and humid summer caused disease in certain sectors and most of all on the Gros Manseng, a very sensitive grape variety. To prevent this risk, part of the grass was removed at the end of June with trimming and leaf stripping kept to a minimum. In mid-August, the summer heat caused hailstorms that affected part of Gascony with welcome rain allowing a smooth ripening of the Sauvignon Blanc. Warm and dry late August, picking of the Sauvignon Blanc began on
In Gascony, Sauvignon Blanc is the grape variety that performed best this year, it was spared from the hazards; too late for frost, not sensitive enough for mildew, harvested early before the
September heat and softened by the mid-August rains.

Gascogny, the mythical land of D’Artagnan that was once the epicenter of western Roman Gaul (2^nd century), and that later the English held, is a beautiful part of the French Southwest – speckled with medieval hilltop towns. Gascogny had once 100,000 hectares of vines and now has just 15,000 hectares. Bordering the enormous Landes pine forest and wedged between the Atlantic and the Pyreneés, the vines breathe pure air and oceanic winds mixed with a warm foehn wind from the Saharan Desert. IGP Côtes de Gascogne shares the same land surface as Armagnac. Of the 3 subzones, our domaine is deeply in the Bas-Armagnac. The soils here are clay and sand, more specifically red sable and alluvial subsoil.

Having immigrated from Switzerland, the Gessler family settled here in 1928. We are now on the 4^th generation – operating a robust family business with 20 full time employees. This is one of the more thoughtfully farmed properties – registered HVE 3 and in organic conversion. They tend to indigenous varietals with which dry white and red wines along with Armagnac are made.

Colombard is the offspring of Chenin Blanc and Gouais Blanc. This makes the grape the sibling of the Armagnac Meslier-Saint-François and the nearly extinct Cognac grape Balzac blanc. Tart and fruity Ugni Blanc is also known as Trebbiano. Gros Manseng is a dry varietal found in Jurançon wines.