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Appellation Madiran AOC

The Appellation Madiran AOC lies roughly 150km to the south of Bordeaux, on the west bank of the river Ardour on gently undulating valley slopes that contain a combination of rich clay-loam peppered with limestone boulders and the occasional patch of gravel and stones. When Madiran achieved appellation status in 1948 there were only 50 hectares of vines in cultivation, now there are 1,650. After the First World War the vineyards of the area went into decline and Madiran almost disappeared. But now there is a renaissance and from this dynamic area the quality has moved upwards hand-in hand with quantity.

The main grape variety here is Tannat which is so rich in procyanidins that the wines are usually a deep red-purple colour, often almost black. When young they are fruity (hints of raspberries and blackcurrants). As they age they develop aromas of spices, coffee, cocoa and vanilla. These are strong, intense, complex wines that are generally well structured, with long-lasting tannins and good acidity. These wines age gracefully into treasures you will enjoy for many years.

Producers have found two strongly contrasting methods of increasing the approachability of the traditionally made wines when younger. One is the use of new oak barriques, which serve to soften and sweeten Tannat. The other is the technique of micro-oxygenation which is now used quite widely internationally. Micro-oxygenation was the invention the the Madiran winemaker Patrick Docournau whose Vignobles Laplace wines we sell.

This is a region on the move, producing serious wines in the hands of the top producers. Alain Brumont is the best known, and possibly the best of the Madiran producers. He has done more than anyone to lift the profile of the region. His holdings include several estates across the appellation, allowing him to explore the different terroirs of the region. Combined these account for about 10% of the region.

Didier Barré, another of our winemakers, has a tremendous reputation for his wines and has won gold and trophy at the International Wine Challenge. Didier, like many of the best Madiran winemakers has reduced his yields in recent years in order to make more concentrated and powerful wines. During our visit to the Madiran in May 2007 we were told of this 'green harvesting' reducing yields to as low as only four bunches per vine.

Wine Appreciation
In the words of a Madiran winemaker "It is good to prepare the mouth with food before Madiran".

Serve Madiran red wines at 15º to 18ºC. Too cold and the tannins (dryness) are too evident. Too warm and the alcohol can burn on the tongue which deminishes the pleasure. To store the wine over several days in hot temperatures put them in the fridge and returm them to drinking temperature before consuming.

For immediate consumption of a bottle, particularly the richer most concentrated Madiran reds, decanting the wine is beneficial to your experience and pleasure of the wine. Click for food matching recommendations.