©2008, The Birmingham Post
The wines of South-West France comprise a patchwork of appellations (AOCs) spread over an enormous area; from south of Bordeaux to the Pyrenees; and from the Atlantic to north-east of Toulouse. Due to its size, the region reveals a great deal of diversity, in terms of grape varieties and styles, but all are centred around the gastronomic heartland of Gascony, and enjoy the moderating influence of the Atlantic.
Tucked away in a forgotten corner of France, the wines are easily overlooked. The grape varieties are often unusual, too, with whites from Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng, and reds from Malbec or Tannat, amongst others.
In general, the whites are easy to appreciate, and offer great value, but the reds are harder to befriend, often revealing harsh and austere characters, particularly demonstrated by the traditional "black wines" of Cahors and Madiran.
These are wines that cry out for food, but modern methods, both in the vineyard and winery, have helped to put more flesh on the bones, and tame some of those fierce tannins. Perhaps it is no coincidence that micro-oxygenation was developed in Madiran to make the prodigiously tannic Tannat grape palatable to the modern consumer.
To gain a better insight into the regional reds, I sampled a flight stocked by the specialists, Les Caves de Pyrene, established by Eric Narioo, a native and fanatical advocate. Their list is exemplary in terms of its representation of the best vignerons and expression of terroir.
It is the least well-known regions, though, that hold the greatest fascination. Not far from Toulouse are the Cotes du Frontonnais, where they exclusively use the Negrette grape. Characteristically, this produces juicy raspberry and liquorice flavours, supported by a vibrant astringency. The Chateau Plaisance Classique 2004 (£6.09) is exemplary.
The reds from Gaillac and the lesser known Marcillac AOCs employ the Fer-Servadou grape. The key flavours are black-cherry or loganberry, again refreshed with some rasping tannins. Leading properties include Domaine d'Escausses and Domaine du Cros, with prices ranging between £5.70 to £8.84.
Cahors vies with Madiran in terms of reputation for producing the region's finest reds. Here, the wines are based on Malbec, known locally as Cot or Auxerrois.
Pascal Verhaeghe is the driving force behind a more approachable style, and his wines from Chateau de Cedre simply ooze class and quality. Le Prestige 2004 (£10.28) has crushed blackberry flavours judiciously seasoned with oak. The premium Le Cedre 2002 (£22.49) revealed a greater concentration with a marked cream and caramel finish.
Clos Triguedina is another leading estate and their prestige Prince Probus 2001 (£21.54) is firm, structured and correct. Nevertheless, the wine is elegant and well-balanced, with the damson fruit supported by a firm backbone of tannin and spice.
By contrast, Chateau Lagrazette is a great deal more flamboyant. Their medieval showpiece chateau has been lovingly restored by its owner Alain-Dominique Perrin, who made his fortune in luxury brands. No expense is spared, and the leading Bordeaux guru, Michel Rolland consults.
The Cahors 2004 (£14.22) is ripe and concentrated, with vibrant smoky blackberry fruit. The Dame d'Honneur (£31.18) has powerful coconut characters, pierced through by ripe tannins.
The Madiran AOC is dominated by one man, Alain Brumont, the owner of the two finest properties, Chateaux Bouscasse and Montus. Here, the Tannat grape reigns supreme, and a Vieilles Vignes 1996 from Bouscasse was leathery, svelte and elegant, with flavours of damsons and prunes (current release 1999 is £17.57).
The more recent vintages of Montus indicate a more subtle change of style, as the wines appear to be softer and more approachable. The Prestige 1999 (£29.49) , the penultimate cuvee, has more generous primary fruit, and a fuller, richer mouthfeel.
In comparison, the Domaine Berthoumieu by Didier Barre is a blockbuster. His 2004 cuvee, Charles de Batz, (£9.89) the real-life character upon which d'Artagnan was based, takes no prisoners with ripe damson fruit, underpinned with earthy characters.
The final AOC is Irouleguy, deep in the heart of Basque country on the Spanish border. Here, Tannat is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, but I found the wines from Domaines Abotia and Arretxea rather gauche and not to my liking.
It could be seen that enormous progress has been made by leading producers to modernise the style of their reds. That said, the wines still cry out for hearty stews and casseroles, whereby the protein does much to tame the tannins. Although the wines are somewhat remote and difficult to befriend, a little patience can be rewarded.
Les Caves de Pyrene, 01483.538820 or e.mail: sales@ lescaves.co.uk