France · Madiran & Pyrénées

Domaine Horgelus/Earl Haut Cassou

Montréal-du-Gers domaine making Côtes de Gascogne wines and Armagnac, with morning harvests focused on fruit and freshness.

The producer

Domaine Horgelus is based at Le Cassou in Montréal-du-Gers, between Ténarèze and Bas-Armagnac. Joseph Le Menn founded the estate in 1978, and his son Yoan Le Menn now runs it. The vineyard covers 90 hectares. Horgelus makes Côtes de Gascogne IGP wines, including Blanc, Rosé and Gros Manseng & Sauvignon, while Armagnac sits alongside the wine production. Cool morning harvesting, limited oxidation and recovered carbon dioxide protect the fruit and freshness that mark the house style.

Known for

Côtes de Gascogne fruit and freshness

Notable facts

The story

Yoan Takes Over Young

In 2007, trained oenologist Yoan Le Menn took over Domaine Horgelus at age 21. He was Joseph Le Menn's son. Joseph had founded the estate, and Yoan entered the family property with formal oenological training already completed. The handover happened at Le Cassou in Montréal-du-Gers, where the operation makes Côtes de Gascogne IGP wines and offers Armagnac. Yoan now runs Domaine Horgelus.

From the atlas

Domaine Horgelus/Earl Haut Cassou

Domaine Horgelus, based at Le Cassou in Montréal-du-Gers, makes Côtes de Gascogne wines and Armagnac with fruit and freshness at the centre of its cellar work.

At A Glance

RegionSouthwest France
BaseLe Cassou, Montréal-du-Gers
AppellationIGP Côtes de Gascogne
Main grapesGros Manseng and Sauvignon Blanc
Named winesHorgelus Blanc, Horgelus Rosé, Gros Manseng & Sauvignon
Defining featureCool morning harvesting and recovered carbon dioxide

The Producer

At Le Cassou in Montréal-du-Gers, Domaine Horgelus has 90 hectares of vineyard. Yoan Le Menn now runs the estate as a trained oenologist and Joseph Le Menn's son. The range includes Côtes de Gascogne IGP wines, while Armagnac sits alongside the wine production.

Fruit flavors and freshness form the house signature. The cellar protects those qualities from grape handling through bottling.

Place

Domaine Horgelus lies between Ténarèze and Bas-Armagnac, with Le Cassou and Montréal-du-Gers naming the estate's base. Its wines use the IGP Côtes de Gascogne designation, a regional category that places the bottles within the wider Gascon wine area.

The named offering includes Horgelus Blanc and Horgelus Rosé, alongside the white Gros Manseng and Sauvignon Blanc wine. Armagnac belongs to the same operation.

Story

Joseph Le Menn, a native of Brittany, founded the domaine in 1978 after being drawn to the southwest's gastronomy and way of life. His son Yoan now carries the family property forward. The business combines estate production with négociant activity and offers Côtes de Gascogne IGP wines alongside Armagnac.

The family story has a clear regional shape, from Joseph's arrival in the southwest to a present operation with both vineyard production and a broader négociant arm.

Vineyards And Cellar

The property includes more than 30 hectares of woods and meadows in addition to the vineyard. Harvesting takes place from 03:00 to 11:00, using the cooler morning temperatures. Yoan favors night harvesting to preserve aromatic freshness.

Cellar work minimizes oxidation of both must and wine. Carbon dioxide from alcoholic fermentation is recovered to protect freshly pressed juice. From grape handling through bottling, the process is designed to preserve fruit flavors and freshness.

Wines

Horgelus Blanc and Horgelus Rosé provide the named white and rosé bottlings. Gros Manseng & Sauvignon is the named white made from those two grape varieties. The registry wine, Domaine Horgelus Sauvignon Gros Manseng, is a 2023 white under the IGP Côtes de Gascogne designation.

A 2024 Gros Manseng & Sauvignon is described as dry and light bodied. The range therefore includes a white style with a leaner frame alongside the separate rosé and Blanc labels.

In The Glass

The 2020 Gros Manseng & Sauvignon opens with pear drop and white flower aromas. Its palate is compact, juicy and crisp, with good balance. The wine carries 6 g/L residual sugar.

The 2016 shows grapefruit, passion fruit, peach and lilac, followed by a lively, persistent palate. The 2015 moves toward boxwood, citrus and exotic fruit, with a broad palate and a highly persistent finish carried by freshness.

A Bottle To Understand It

Choose the 2023 Domaine Horgelus Sauvignon Gros Manseng. It is a white Côtes de Gascogne IGP wine whose title names Gros Manseng and Sauvignon Blanc. The bottle places the regional designation and the two grape names together, while Horgelus Blanc and Horgelus Rosé occupy separate named color categories.

Anecdote

In 2007, trained oenologist Yoan Le Menn took over Domaine Horgelus at age 21. He was Joseph Le Menn's son. Joseph had founded the estate, and Yoan entered the family property with formal oenological training already completed. The handover happened at Le Cassou in Montréal-du-Gers, where the operation makes Côtes de Gascogne IGP wines and offers Armagnac. Yoan now runs Domaine Horgelus.

Final Word

The Le Menn estate at Le Cassou combines Côtes de Gascogne wines with Armagnac and keeps fruit and freshness central from harvest to bottling.

Sources

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