A native of the Jurançon region in the foothills of the French Atlantic Pyrenees, the small-berried, thick-skinned Petit Manseng grape from which this white wine is made, is more highly regarded than its larger-berried sibling, Gros Manseng. As Petit Manseng’s small berries yield very little juice, they are not harvested until late autumn. By this time the grapes have shrivelled and their sugar content is at its most concentrated. This is the process known in French as ‘passerillage’. Interest in the grape’s potential is growing in the Agro Pontino valley, where it was planted for the first time by Casale del Giglio in their vineyards at Le Ferriere, near the town of Latina, 50 km south of Rome.