Madiran wine is produced around the village of Madiran in

Gascony Gascony (; french: Gascogne ; oc, Gasconha ; eu, Gaskoinia) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part ...

under three '' Appellations d'Origine Contrôlées'' (AOCs): Madiran for red wines and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec for white wines. The production area for Madiran wine is spread over three '' départments'' –

Gers Gers (; oc, Gers or , ) is a department in the region of Occitania, Southwestern France. Named after the Gers River, its inhabitants are called the ''Gersois'' and ''Gersoises'' in French. In 2019, it had a population of 191,377.

Hautes-Pyrénées Hautes-Pyrénées (; Gascon/ Occitan: ''Nauts Pirenèus / Hauts Pirenèus'' awts piɾeˈnɛʊs es, Altos Pirineos; ca, Alts Pirineus alts piɾiˈneʊs English: Upper Pyrenees) is a department in the region of Occitania, southwestern France. ...

and

Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon Occitan: ''Pirenèus Atlantics''; eu, Pirinio Atlantiarrak or ) is a department in the southwest corner of France and of the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Pyrenees mountain range and the Atlant ...

– and is a part of the South West France wine region. There are of Madiran vineyards.CIVSO: AOC MADIRAN carte d'identité
accessed on May 17, 2008

Madiran AOC

Madiran was created as an AOC in 1948, and only red wine can be produced under this appellation. The main grape variety in Madiran AOC is

Tannat Tannat is a red wine grape, historically grown in South West France in the Madiran AOC, and is now one of the most prominent grapes in Uruguay, where it is considered the "national grape". Tannat is also grown in Argentina, Australia, Brazi ...

, which must make up at least 60% of the vineyard (Vineyards with less than 60% Tannat are still entitled to the appellation through 2022). Permitted as supplemental to Tannat are

Cabernet Franc Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being u ...

(locally also called Bouchy),

Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon ...

and Fer (locally also called Pinenc). Some of the appellation's top wines are in fact made from 100% Tannat; this is within AOC regulations.Vintage and Wine: Château Montus
, accessed May 17, 2008 The wine is typically very concentrated, high in

tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'' ...

and traditionally requires several years ageing to be at its best. The style of really good Madiran is not unlike that of high-end Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated

Bordeaux wine Bordeaux wine ( oc, vin de Bordèu, french: vin de Bordeaux) is produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France, around the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the ...

s. However, recently some of the younger generations of winemakers have been experimenting with and producing wines which are softer and more approachable in their youth, mirroring a similar tendency in Bordeaux and elsewhere. The modern technique of introducing minute amounts of oxygen into the wine,

micro-oxygenation Micro-oxygenation is a process used in winemaking to introduce oxygen into wine in a controlled manner. Developed in 1991 by Patrick DuCournau, working with the exceptionally tannic grape Tannat in Madiran, the process gained usage in modern win ...

or micro-bullage, was developed here by Patrick Ducournau at Château Aydie and is a significant development in modern French

winemaking Winemaking or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over millennia. The science of wine and ...

. Some of the leading producers are Alain Brumont, who is the proprietor of Château Bouscassé and Château Montus, Didier Barre of Domaine Berthoumieu and Alain Bortolussi at Château Viella.

Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh AOC

The area also produces sweet and dry white wine and

sparkling wine Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne regi ...

under the two appellations Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec, which cover the same area as Madiran AOC. The main grape varieties for the dry wine are

Courbu Courbu is the name of three different, but related varieties of wine grapes primarily found in South West France. All are ''Vitis vinifera'' grapes. The name Courbu, without suffix, can refer to both Petit Courbu and Courbu blanc, and not all sou ...

and

Petit Manseng Petit Manseng (sometimes translated: Small Manseng, rarely "Little Manseng") is a white wine grape variety that is grown primarily in South West France. It produces the highest quality wine of any grape in the Manseng family. The name is deriv ...

, which together must make up at least 60%, and neither of which may exceed 80%. Accessory grape varieties (up to 40%) are

Arrufiac Arrufiac (or Arrufiat) is a white French wine grape varietyArrufiac

Gros Manseng Gros Manseng (sometimes translated: Large Manseng, rarely "Big Manseng") is a white wine grape variety that is grown primarily in South West France, and is part of the Manseng family. It produces dry wines in the Jurançon and Béarn regions ...

and

Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...

, with Sauvignon blanc being limited to a maximum of 10%.INAO May 31, 1997 AOC regulations for Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec, last amended April 24, 2007
/ref> The proportions of grape varieties allowed have been modified in recent years, with the most recent changes being implemented in 2005. Previously, a certain proportion of Arrufiac was prescribed, and

Sémillon Sémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, mostly in France and Australia. Its thin skin and susceptibility to botrytis make it dominate the sweet wine region Sauternes AOC and Barsac AOC. History The Sémil ...

was allowed. Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec, which are dry white wines, must be made from grapes with a minimum

potential alcohol Must weight is a measure of the amount of sugar in grape juice (must) and, hence, indicates the amount of alcohol that could be produced if it is all fermented to alcohol, rather than left as residual sugar.residual sugar The subjective sweetness of a wine is determined by the interaction of several factors, including the amount of sugar in the wine, but also the relative levels of alcohol, acids, and tannins. Sugars and alcohol enhance a wine's sweetness, whi ...

. Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh, without the "Sec" (dry) designation, is reserved for semi-sweet and sweet wines and must be made from manually harvested grapes with a minimum

References

{{Reflist South West France AOCs