Country: France

Region: Madiran

Grapes: Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc

Vintage: 2016

ABV: 14%

Bottle size: 75cl

Viticulture: minimimal intervention

Winemaking: aged in 30% new oak barrels, then spends 14 months on lees. 

Vegan?: no

When young, expect rich and fruity blackberry and blackcurrant. This will mellow with age, with tertiary flavours developing such as clove spice and leather. Enjoy with red meats and game. 

About the producer: If Alain Brumont didn't invent Madiran, it is largely thanks to him that it still exists and is thriving. He began in general farming and was driving tractors from the age of 16. Wine, though, was a passion and against all the odds he managed to create an estate from scratch and with no money.

Madiran is red only and is made using a majority of tannat. White grapes are also grown here and these are turned into a wine with a separate appellation name: Pacherenc de Vic Bihl; and Alain has been a pioneer here as well, pushing out the boundaries with ever more concentrated wines.