Outside the Bordeaux Box

I don’t normally write too much about French wines. There are many reasons but mostly because it is expected that if you write about French wines you must at some point give Bordeaux and Burgundy their due. Not to be disrespectful to these two world-renowned wine regions but I am not much into either of them. Not to say I don’t enjoy a Saint-Émilion, a St-Estèphe or a Gevrey-Chambertin every now and again but you really would be hard-pressed to find the last time that I craved and raved about these regions. But there are regions of France that tickle my fancy and Madiran is one of them. Madiran is actually not that far from the city of Bordeaux – about two hours due south; it is situated in southwest France in the Pyrénées and grows some of the same grapes as Bordeaux, with one exception – Tannât. Tannât is what makes Madiran wines standout in the crowd. The grape varietal is relatively unknown and is grown mainly in southwest France and in Uruguay (more on Uruguayan Tannât at a later date). If you have not had a chance to please your palate with a Madiran wine, then let me suggest the Torus from Alain Brumont (Madiran AOC 2003 – 15.99). This wine is a blend of 50% Tannât, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc. With a deep purple color, the Torus has black berry flavors and some smokiness on the nose. It has powerful tannins – think of the name Tannât and that tells you almost all you need to know in the tannins department. The finish is medium to long with a little heat at the end but it dissipates quickly with a dark fruit aftertaste. Because Madiran wines are so tannic, you should pair with hearty foods that can stand up to this characteristic. The famous dish from Southwest France is Cassoulet; it translates as “bean pot stew" or "white bean stew" or "meat and bean casserole". Cassoulet is a simmered dish and has to include 70% of haricot beans and 30% of meat; either pork; lamb or sausage; or partridge or duck. You could also pair with beef like standing rib roast, grilled T-Bone or a notoriously thick, grilled burger. If you pair with cheese, buy the aged heartier cheeses that have a lot of oomph to them.