Description

From the fantastic vintage of 2009, this is a wine for lovers of Bordeaux, Margaret River and Coonawarra. You get bold flavours, big tannins and the ability to age long term. It is fantastic value compared to Bordeaux of this quality. Dark, dense, smoke, hint red, hint floral, ash, complex, plummy and prunes. The palate was sweetly fruited, hint of aniseed, dense and silky with nice balance and savoury elements. 80% Tannat 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. I like the wine now, but having just tasted the 1995 I can guarantee you this wine will age for a long while yet.

Andrew Jefford describes Alain Brumont as ‘the Citizen Kane of Madiran’ for his ability to build an empire and disagree with almost everyone he comes into contact with!
“Others were there before him, but it was Alain Brumont who put Madiran on the wine map. He left the family domaine at Boucasse in 1980, dissatisfied by his father’s lack of ambition for quality, and set up on his own. In a mere 20 years, Brumont has succeeded by a combination of breathtaking chutzpah and brilliant winemaking in creating the largest fine wine domaine in the south-west and establishing without a doubt that Tannat is a first division quality grape variety.” Clive Coates, The Wines and Domaines of France

Madiran – This shares the same footprint as white only Pacherenc region. Madiran makes reds from Tannat, Cabs Sauvignon and Franc and local variety Fer Servadou. These are seriously tannic wines, easily outstripping all contenders for this title. The troublesome variety Tannat was the inspiration for developing the micro oxygenation technique which is used worldwide in wine production.

Tannat – Makes darkly coloured wines with monstrous tannins but with underlying depth and complexity. Madiran is obviously Tannat’s happy place judging by the wines.

Cabernet Sauvignon – The main grape of Bordeaux’s left bank. Cabernet is late ripening and full of acid and tannin. The great wines are structured but finessed with beautiful cassis, violets and it also transmits the flavours of the soil it is grown in really well. Cabernet isn’t a drink now variety, it really needs 10 or more years to show its best. But when you get there, WOW! Often blended with Merlot, Cabernet Franc or in Australia Shiraz to fill out its mid-palate referred to as the ‘Cabernet doughnut’.