In Occitania, Madiran vines flourish on foothills that straddle the departments of Gers, Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées Atlantiques. Also bordering the Landes, the vineyard benefits from oceanic influences to the west and the proximity of the Pyrenean mountain range to the south. In this humid and temperate oceanic climate, the preferred grape variety of Madiran wines : le Tannat, whose fame took off in the 70s thanks to the winemaker Alain BrumontThis tannic, well-structured wine with a scarlet red color is today matured with a know-how that has propelled it to the rank of the most renowned wines of the southwest. Once intended to enrich the wines of Bordeaux, Le Madiran has now acquired its letters of nobility, often enhanced by its alliances with other grape varieties such as Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon or Servadou iron, the latter baptized Pinenc on the terroir. During the harvest, the grapes are necessarily destemmed. Tannat itself is required for at least half of the wine blend. Local particularity: another appellation of great interest for white grape varieties coexists on the terroir: the Pacherenc-du-Vic-Bilh. Close relative of the Jurançon area, it is distinguished by the production of dry, sweet or sweet white wines from particularly late harvests.
Where to find Madiran wines?
Plaimont: wine tourism destination
Château Bouscassé and Château Montus
Domaine Laougue
Chateau Laffitte Teston
Laplace family
Pouey Castle
Get to know the Madiran vineyard better
What is special about Suns of the Madiran vineyard?
Le Madiran vineyard which shares its terroir with that of Pacherenc-du-Vic-Bilh, is typically a Pyrenean foothills vineyardThe river Adour, which borders the appellation to the east and north, played a major role in the formation of the geological strata. The tectonic thrusts associated with the work of the river have sculpted a hilly landscape on which moors et oak forests coexist with the vine. In the plains, a mixed crop remains where corn dominates. The soils, resulting from sedimentary folds fed by the erosion of the Pyrenees, present variations in composition depending on their location. At the top of the reliefs, outcrop gravel clays and pebble sheetsThe west-facing slopes are interspersed with limestone benches, while in the east there have been accumulations of stringers carried by the winds.
What is myStory of the Madiran vineyard?
As with the majority of Occitania vineyards, monastic activity contributed to the rooting and notorious development of Madiran wine. The archives of Madiran Priory confirm that the vine is well established throughout the territory from the beginning of the XNUMXth centurye century. During the XVe century, the Adour, which joins the ocean through Bayonne, facilitated the growth of river trade. Madiran wines, whose rich material offers strong aging potential, have lent themselves to transport and export across the Atlantic. At the same time, they are particularly consumed on the tables of the natural regions of the Bigorre and Béarn. If we look at the notarial registers of the 16the and XVIIthe century, it appears that regional demand was strong for these red wines, which are distinguished by their dense and concentrated color. Historical texts also report that local wine-growing customs ordered the plantings in rows with a singular particularity: high trellising, still current on the Madiran vineyard and Pacherenc-du-Vic-Bilh.
What is Tannat, the main grape variety of Madiran?
The grape variety Tannat is inseparable from Madiran wine. However, in the eighteenthe century, it is not yet the dominant grape variety of the appellation. The pioneers are Fer Servadou, locally called Pinenc, and Cabernet Franc. The notoriety of Madiran really took off from the XNUMXe and XIXe centuries. The Tannat introduced at this time gives the wine a denser dress and especially tannic structure favorable to long-term storage and transport. The territory then acquired its status as a wine-growing region. In 1906, the collective identity of winegrowers was affirmed with the creation of the Madiran winegrowers' union, followed in 1936 by that of Vic-Bilh wine union. It was finally in 1948 that the decree recognizing theAOC Madiran. Two cooperative cellars therefore contribute to uniting the wine-growing identity: the cellar of Saint-Mont, which has now become Plaimont, and the Crouseilles cellar. On the independent winegrowers' side, several estates are seeing their reputation grow. Among them, Alain Brumont, who operates the Château Bouscassé and Château Montus will establish itself as an ambassador of the appellation during the 70s. Today, the succession is assured by all a generation of young winegrowers. Dynamic local players, they are reinventing the work of Tannat, moving away from the traditions of wooded aging, to restore to this grape variety its beautiful expressions of fruit and freshness.