Domaine Berthoumieu

Didier Barré, owner of Domaine Berthoumieu is a superb example of a craftsman winemaker. Didier is the 6th generation to own and run the estate since 1850 and has a tremendous reputation for his wines. The estate is 26 hectares in the village of Villa. The premium Cuvee’ Charles de Batz rouge won a gold medal at the International Wine Challenge 2004 and received the Tannat Trophy.

The oldest vines are 100 years old and cropped down to seven bunches per vine. Their roots are long and extract more mineral and trace element characters. Two typical Madiran soil types are found on the estate, a stony-clay-silt plateau overlooking the Pyrenees to the south and a south-easterly slope with clay-gravel-marl soil.

Didier attended enology school in Bordeaux and immediately upon taking over the domaine, lowered the yields in the vineyard and began aging his wines with a judicious amount of oak. As with many other Madiran winemakers the use of new French oak has improved the the wines in recent years.

The grape varieties are Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Fer Servadou (one of the the three regions in the Southwest that plant this grape.) 90% of the grapes are harvested by hand. While Barré also makes very good sweet and dry white wines under the appellation Pacherenc du Vic Bilh, his main focus is his Madiran red wines.

Domaine Berthoumieu is situated in the land of the famous “d’Artagnan” Earl of Batz in the North of Madiran Appellation. Hence the name of Didier's premium wine Cuvee’ Charles de Batz.  We stock this wine.  Along with other local winemakers Barré formed a new band of Mousquetaires, fitting as the birthplace of d'Artagnan is just a few towns away.