Why it matters
The producer
Alain Brumont found a previously unplanted hillside in Madiran in 1990 and bought it for Tannat. The plot became Montus La Tyre. Château Bouscassé, a 17 hectare vineyard, came to him from his father in 1979; he bought Château Montus in 1980 after deciding Tannat could make outstanding wines. The two estates make Madiran reds built around Tannat.
Brumont's stepson Antoine Veiry, after working internationally, now serves as winemaker at Domaines Alain Brumont.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Château Bouscassé and Château Montus carry the Madiran appellation. Montus La Tyre sits on Madiran's highest hill at 260 metres. Elevation changes drainage and ripening conditions. The range includes this hillside wine beside the two estate wines.
Château Bouscassé has clay limestone terroir, with fine yellow and white variegated clays over fissured limestone. Clay holds water, while fissured limestone lets excess water drain, a combination that supports even ripening. Montus La Tyre has rounded pebbles on a steep slope with red and variegated clay beneath. Each vine is limited to five or six bunches. Fewer bunches lower the crop and can increase concentration in the finished red wine.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
Bouscassé undergoes three to six weeks of maceration, with fermentation at 28°C. Maturation follows in barrels with 30 to 50 percent new oak. Barrel ageing adds wood flavour and gradual oxygen exposure, while the percentage of new oak controls how strongly those effects enter the wine. Brumont rejected microoxygenation, a technique that introduces small amounts of oxygen during red wine making, to preserve Tannat's ageing potential.
Wines to know
The range in view
Château Bouscassé is the estate wine. Château Bouscassé Vieilles Vignes is pure Tannat from vines more than 50 years old and often requires 10 years to deliver its full potential. Château Montus is 80 percent Tannat and 20 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in oak with about three quarters in new oak and one quarter in one year old barrels. Montus La Tyre is the single hillside wine, matured on its lees in 100 percent new barrels for 14 to 16 months.
Château Bouscassé combines harmony and power with delicate fruit, blackberry aromas, well integrated tannins and a full bodied palate. Château Montus is deep garnet, with a dark fragrance of blackberry and blackcurrant that begins to develop cedarwood and cinnamon. Powerful tannins surround a juicy core of fruit, and the finish is long and gently chewy. Montus La Tyre is rich and deep, with refined tannins and a harmonious, fresh finish.