Châteaux Montus & Bouscassé – the twin jewels of Madiran

The calm tranquillity of Madiran, nestled in the south-western corner of France at the confluence of the Hautes-Pyrenées, Pyrenées-Atlantiques and Gers, is deceptive. It hides an appellation in profound transition, negotiating the trials and tribulations that all European winemakers face in a diversity of ways – and, in the case of Montus and Bouscassé above all, more successfully than most.

Château Montus

A new generation of winemakers – Antoine Veiry the most prominent among them – is bringing new ideas and, at least in his case, a wealth of experience to the task. That experience comes from the vineyards of Spain, the Northern Rhône (at Guigal), Champagne (at Selosse) and Bordeaux (at Carmes Haut Brion) and it is taking both Montus and Bouscassé to new qualitative heights.

The trend in Madiran, he explains to me, is for lighter wines – with less extraction, less density and less of the signature of the varietal at its heart, Tannat. But that is not Antoine’s philosophy. For him the essence of this singular varietal needs to be preserved and, at the same time, sublimated through the use of contemporary viticultural techniques. That means not shorter but more gentle extraction, with fruit picked at full phenolic maturity. The quality (not the volume) of Tannat’s legendary tannins is his signature. And in all of this he is fully supported by his step-father and mentor, the redoubtable Alain Brumont. This is not so much a change in style as the continuation and technical finessing of a gentle evolution.

The history of the appellation: from Bonaparte to Brumont

Wines have been produced in Madiran for a very long time. Indeed, the seigneurs of Montus – the Du Morets – to whom the property belonged at the time grew vines on the lands until the 14th century. The estate was then entrusted to the church, with the parishioners maintaining the tradition that has forever linked the faithful to the vineyard.

But it is the French Revolution that really served to put Montus on the map. For the wines were apparently very highly regarded by none other than Napoléon himself, the Via Impériale running just below the entrance to the estate paying testimony to that association. Indeed the départmental archives show that, in 1806, the then owners of the estate – the three Frères Nogues, each of them a general in the imperial army – offered a 5-year old barrel of Tannat from Montus to Napoléon. The very same wine features, alongside Champagne Roederer, in a painting depicting the Emperor in the area at the time.

Alain Brumont and Antoine Veiry – a continuation and technical finessing of a gentle evolution

That was then. In the rather less auspicious century and a half that followed, Madiran fell from its imperial grace to became little more than a filler for Bordeaux. During this period over 80 per cent of the production of the vineyards that now comprise the appellation was sold off in VRAC to the négociants of Bordeaux. It was cheaper than Hermitage and it produced much the same effect – bringing colour, tannin and substance to wines which might otherwise have been rather light, insubstantial and ‘claire’ (‘clairet’, or, as the Brits would have it, ‘claret’!). It became, as Antoine Veiry put it to us over an exceptional lunch shared with vineyard workers at Chateau Bouscassé, a ‘vin médecin’.

That was before Alain Brumont’s arrival on the scene. Born in 1946 (two years before the creation of the appellation) in the room next to that in which we were eating at Chateau Bouscassé, he is almost singlehandedly responsible for the renaissance of Madiran – and much else besides.

It was he who placed the appellation on the map and he who established its intimate association with the varietal Tannat. Indeed, it was he who first dared to propose a monovarietal Tannat with the 1985 vintage of Château Montus – a wine whose mythic reputation belies the fact that the conseil of the appellation refused to confer upon it appellation status.

Montus and Bouscassé today

Situated at the confluence of the Hautes-Pyrenées, Pyrenées-Atlantiques and Gers in Gascogne, Madiran has a unique combination of marine and mountain influences on its climate. Arguably this prepares it well for the rigours of climate change. Its altitude, latitude and proximity both to the sea and to the Pyrenées gives it both the great diurnal range (the difference between night and day time temperatures) and the seasonal range in temperature that, in their different ways, are the keys to the freshness and age-worthiness of its wines.

With only a third of the appellation planted – the rest a combination of forest and plain – it benefits from great natural biodiversity. It is also a rich mosaic of diverse argilo-calcaire terroirs – white, red, orange, grey and brown clays over fissured limestone, with galets roulées (rounded pebbles of various diameters) at higher altitudes.

The actual vineyard area of Châteaux and Bouscassé are similar, each at around 50 hectares. The properties are worked by two entirely different teams, with the pooling of their considerable resources only when it comes to vinification. The whites at Montus are 100% Petit Courbu, those at Bouscassé, 70% Petit Courbu and 30% Petit Manseng.

Château Montus, surrounded by its vineyards

Antoine Veiry is currently working closely with a geologist to survey the great variety of terroir types the two estates offer, with the aim being to match terroir typicity to planting even more precisely. Montus and Bouscassé are the only two properties in the appellation currently expanding their total vineyard footprint, with projects to plant both white varietals, Petit Courbu and Petit Manseng, depending on the soil analysis.

The whites today represent around 20% of the total production of the two estates and, as the new planting suggests, that proportion is growing. But here, once again, Montus and Bouscassé are the exception to the more general appellation rule. If the proportion of whites produced in the immediate area is growing more generally it is from a much lower level. And it only really the product of the disproportionate grubbing up of red varietals (with global and domestic demand for Madiran falling more rapidly than demand for the region’s whites, generally Pacherenc du Vic Bilh).

But this is far from the two properties’ only point of distinctiveness. Since Alain Brumont’s acquisition of Montus in 1980, his vineyards have been characterised by a density of plantation that is twice that of the appellation average (at around 8000 plants per hectare). This encourages the deep rooting necessary for both optimal terroir expression and the management of the hydric stress to which the appellation is increasingly prone.

Each parcel is managed – and, of course, vinified – separately. The vineyard is a mosaic characterised by a great diversity of expositions and soil types with each plot managed separately and with great sensitivity to its location, with the number of bunches per vine varying considerably between plots and, indeed, for the same plot between vintages.

Mirroring the move towards agroforestry in certain leading Bordeaux estates, shade is currently being introduced in certain vineyard plots to provide protection from the sun and Antoine places great emphasis on carbon capture in his soil management practices.

The signature of both wines, another legacy of Alain Brumont, is the search for concentration from the appellations’ long-ripening, late-maturing varietals – Tannat, Petit Courbu and Petit Manseng. Though accessible in their youth they are all made with the capacity for exceptional aging and only released to the market when they are first ready for drinking.

Tasting notes
Château Bouscassé

Château Bouscassé Les Jardins Philosophiques 2019 (Pacherenc du Vic Bilh; 70% Petit Courbu; 30% Petit Manseng; sourced from parcels at 150 metres on a terroir of variegated yellow and white clay over fissured limestone; vinification and aging, for a year on the fine lees in stainless steel; 14% alcohol). Undoubtedly the best vintage of this that I have tasted. The quality-to-price ratio is incredible. As that suggests, there’s lots of potential damage to be done here in a blind tasting, though its singularity ensures that this is not a wine to be easily confused. Fresher than the 2020 and purer than the 2018, with a lot more vertical lift. Blood orange; lime; linden; fresh ginger. Waxy in texture and with a distinct hint of beeswax aromatically. Fennel seeds – as if crushed in a pestle and mortar to accentuate the sense of freshness and the aromatic presence. A hint of hay. Intriguingly, the Petit Corbu brings almost a suggestion of wild strawberry too. This has a lovely glassy crystallinity indicating the ripeness of the fruit and the technical prowess of the vinification. 91.

Château Montus blanc sec 2020 (Pacherenc du Vic Bilh; 100% Petit Courbu planted on a terraced vineyards at 250 metres with a south-eastern exposition on a terroir of rolled pebbles over fine clay; fermented in 228-litre and 600-litre French oak barrels on the fine lees for 30 days before 2 years of aging in oak, the first year in barrel, the second in larger format foudres with much less protection of the wine early on to give it the capacity to deal with oxidation later on). More classical and rather more serious too, with a certain aromatic richness, swagger and opulence evident from the get-go. But it’s wonderfully fresh on the palate. Fuller, richer and creamier than the Bouscassé blanc sec, but with a delicate florality imparting a palpable sense of lift. Candlewax. Toasted almonds. Peach. White pear. A little apricot. Confit fruits. Mirabelle. This is wonderfully fresh and vivid in the mouth, with a dynamism that comes from the naturally low pH that really takes the rich, full and viscous fruit in charge immediately. But this is also gracious, glassy and crystalline in the mid-palate, an impression reinforced by the swirls and eddies of freshness. It’s as if one can see the clarity of the stream better for the ripples, bubbles and undercurrents in the water. Vibrant, racy and energetic. Very youthful and with considerable aging potential. The élevage on the lees is very important here, imparting richness and depth and giving this a certain viscosity but not at the expense of clarity and precision. A wine that speaks again both the quality of the vinification and of the vintage. Probably the greatest vintage of this – though watch out too for the similar 2025 (tasted, just after vinification, from barrel). 94.

Château Bouscassé Pinot Noir 2023 (Vin de France; 100% Pinot Noir planted on a cool clay-limestone soil on a northern-facing slope at 110 metres; aged in larger format foudres for one year before bottling; 13% alcohol). Clear. Limpid. Crunchy in its fruit signature. Vertical and lifted, like a fountain of fresh fruit. If this were Burgundy, we’d be in the environs of Beaune. Cranberry. Redcurrant. A little hint of wild strawberry. The low pH in evident, rendering this vivid and fresh. It’s simple in a way, but very pure and focussed and there’s a reassuring Brumont-Veiry signature to this that is very ‘Bouscassé’. A touch of ferrous minerality too gives this an almost bloody mouthfeel. There’s a decent quality of grainy limestone tannin here to give this medium-term aging potential, but the finesse of those tannins means I’d be drinking this soon. Excellent value – you’re not getting much in Burgundy for the c. 17 euros that this retails for in France! 91.

Château Montus Pinot Noir 2021 (Vin de France; 100% Pinot Noir; planted on quite steep sloping parcels with a cooler Eastern exposure on a terroir of galets and clay; 70% new oak for a year and then further aging in older oak barrels for a further year; around 2000 bottles produced; 12.5% alcohol). Richer. Fuller. Rather more ample and with greater viscosity and natural density too. But, once again, this never lacks in freshness or vivacity. Rich and layered with the natural viscosity and concentration offering more resistance to the desire of the acidity to fold the wine in on itself. Tense, as a consequence. Layered with the tannins entering between the layers. Succulent. Long and refined with a finely focussed finish. Have I been teleported to Pommard? 93.

Château Bouscassé 2020 (Madiran; predominantly Tannat, with a little Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc ; 13.5% alcohol). Lovely and very youthful. Fresh and lifted, pure and crystalline – the signature of Bouscassé in all its various expressions. Smokey too. Limpid; succulent; sapid. There’s already a little touch of graphite which is charming and which reinforces the sense of class. The elegant and refined mouthfeel does the same, with the sheer quality of the tannin management here an elegant refutation of the reputation of the appellation and the varietal! Fluid and sinuous in form, with a lovely sense of the energy of the whirlpool in the mid-palate. There’s a certain tannic presence, but those tannins have a gentleness and a spherical quality that is rare indeed. Grippy on the finish where one is again reminded of its youth. Almost Bordelais in character – rather Pessac-like in fact. 92+.

Château Montus 2021 (Madiran; 80% Tannat; 10% Cabernet Franc ; 10% Cabernet Sauvignon; from a terroir of rolled pebbles on very fine clay at 250 metres; aged for 3 years in oak barrels, 70% of which are new; 13% alcohol). Very classical and again very youthful (tasted blind you might think this to be the 2024 – a truly excellent wine in a much more ostensibly difficult vintage with which this has much in common). Graphite. Cedar. Crunchy-croquant in its dark berry and plum fruits. Dense, compact and high-impact in the mouth. Grippy, but with incredibly fine-grained yet tactile tannins. Succulent. Svelte. Sapid. This comes from a top vintage and that is evident immediately in the sense of balance and harmony that this exudes. It seems at first rather Bordelais, but to be honest there’s a deal more depth and concentration here than in most of the top wines of Bordeaux in this vintage. More right-bank than left-bank in this vintage with a lovely natural sweetness to the fruit. 94.

Chateau Bouscassé Vieilles Vignes 2017 (Madiran; 100% old-vine Tannat of 80 to 100 years of age from 2.5 hectares at 110 metres on clay-limestone; 12% alcohol). This feels already like it comes from an earlier period in the history of the property – and it does. It has more of an oak signature than any of the other wines in the current release, certainly in comparison with the Montus 2019 grands cuvées. The tannins are impressively svelte, but they are certainly not as refined – as the side-by-side comparison afforded by the tasting allows one to confirm. Nutty, with a hint of game – boudin noir (black pudding) and sanglier (wild boar)! This is smoky too (like the Bouscassé 2020). I love the vein of acidity that comes with the white current and sloe elements alongside the more classical, darker and richer berry and stone fruits. There’s a little flinty minerality too. Excellent, but there is more poise and finesse in the more recent vintages. 94.

Château Montus XL 2019 (Madiran; 100% Tannat from a steeply-sloping, south-facing terroir parcel on a terroir of rolled pebbles (galets roulés) over striated brown and orange clays; 40 months of aging in different wood formats; 13.5% alcohol). Black at the core, just as it should be and, like all of these wines, remarkably youthful. Nutty. Dense. Compact. Viscous. Full and rich – and generous with it. Black cherry, kirsch but also much fresher black raspberry and mulberry notes. Graphite, graphite and more graphite. There’s a pleasingly stalky/bulby character to the florality – with a hint of peony and gladiolus bulb. A little hint of the leather that will come through with the bottle aging this deserves. Full and ample, but very youthful, just a tad closed at first and slow to reveal its secrets. Sweeter and sweeter with aeration, this is still a baby. It needs time and has decades ahead of it. 96.

Château Montus La Tyre 2019 (Madiran; 100% Tannat; from a steeply-sloping single parcel planted high on the summit of the crest, with a western-exposition on a distinct terroir of iron-rich red clay over galets; 13.5% alcohol). The Petrus of Madiran, with the red clay being to La Tyre what blue clay is to Petrus! Brilliant. Singular. Exceptional. And distinctly animal! Black and red cherries, picked just à point. But there’s a remarkable concentration to these – as if they have been worked on by the alchemist to make an essence for the parfumier. Talking of which, there’s a subtle hint of the same parfumier’s essence of violet too that I really love. But there’s also that gamey Montus element – lièvre a la royale, venison and the slight sweetness of wild boar. Oh, and walnut shell too. And there’s a redolent black chocolate theme (something I always expect from La Tyre). Full and ample, opulent and more seductive than the rather more serious, austere and aristocratic XL. This is also, surprisingly perhaps (but actually rather true to its identity), more accessible and approachable even in its relative infancy. This pushes at the cheeks and has a remarkable sense of viscosity. But, despite that, there’s still a vivid sense of energy, a lovely crystallinity and a purity and precision that I find remarkable. The acidity, in particular, is very vertical in its presentation – like a rocket fired upwards in the mouth appearing out of the dark depths of the layered and dense mid-palate bringing incredible lift and dynamism. La Tyre is the expression of a singular and unique terroir, XL is rather more a sublimation of Montus itself. They are both wonderful. 98.

Chateau Bouscassé Brumaire 2014 (Pacherenc du Vic Bilh; 100% Petit Manseng; residual sugar of c. 120 g/l though you’d never guess). A vendanges tardives wine with no botrytis. This is defined by the acidity not at all by the residual sugar and that renders it light and lifted, aerial and attractive. It also remains incredibly youthful and you could easily find yourself half a decade out in a blind tasting. Fresh, nutty, pure and precise with a very tempered sense of sucrosity and a very lifted, aerial fruit signature – peach, white pear (with a hint of the texture of the skin of both, from the tannins), a little fresh banana and a subtle compote of exotic fruits (guava, mango, pineapple). There’s fresh ginger too, as one finds in the blanc sec in certain vintages. One senses the white truffle that will flood through with a little more aging just starting to appear. Very accessible and elegant. 92+.

*All tasted with Antoine Veiry at Chateau Bouscassé in October 2025.