Madiran

Grape and style

Madiran is a red wine in which tannat plays the lead role, a grape with a thick skin, plenty of colour and very firm tannins. The wine is dark, intense and powerful, with aromas of blackcurrant, blueberry, spices, leather and smoke. In its youth it is austere and dry on the finish.

Tannat is often rounded off with cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon or fer servadou, which add softness and aroma. The result is one of the most tannic red wines in France, and one that needs plenty of time.

Location and soil

Madiran lies in Gascony, in south-west France, at the foot of the Pyrenees, in the area between the departments of Gers, Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques. The vineyards lie on hills with a warm, sometimes humid influence from the Atlantic Ocean, alternating with dry, sunny autumn spells that ripen the late tannat.

The soil consists of clay and limestone, with gravelly or sandy ground in some parts. The variation in subsoil gives differences in style: clay soil generally yields more powerful wine, while gravel gives more finesse.

Classification and rules

Madiran is an AOC in its own right for red wine. Tannat must be the principal component, supplemented by a few other permitted varieties. The area overlaps with Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh, the appellation for white wine from the same region, made from petit manseng and gros manseng, among others, and sometimes sweet.

Producers use various techniques to tame the tannins, such as longer ageing in wood or special micro-oxygenation during fermentation. This sets Madiran apart from the more broadly conceived regional wines of South-West France.

Ageing and serving

Madiran needs time. Young bottles are often stubborn and benefit from at least one or two hours in the decanter; afterwards, good wine can age for decades, during which the tannins soften and notes of leather, truffle and dried fruit develop.

Serve at 16 to 18 °C. The wine naturally goes well with the cuisine of the region: confit de canard, cassoulet, grilled meat and spicy sausage, and with mature, hard sheep’s cheese. You will find the regional context under South-West France.

Producers in our range

These producers feature in our Madiran range: Château Montus (Cuvée Prestige) and Château Bouscassé.