Chateau Montus

The leading estate of the region’s premier vigneron, Alain Brumont, who is also the owner of Chateau Bouscasse as well as La Tyre, Meinjarre and La Rosee. These are some of the most select estates of Madiran, spread over some twenty hills within the region. Montus is notable for boasting the most traditional terroir of all the domains, being situated on gravelly slopes. This is in contrast to the rich, heavy clay soils of, say, Bouscasse.

Brumont acquired the estate in the 1980s after his return to Bordeaux, and by the year 1990 he was being lauded as one of the South West’s greatest producers. Seamless improvements were made from the vineyard up, starting with a comprehensive replanting and a doubling of vine density. Yields are strictly low, enforced by a green harvest. Tannat is the key variety here, while Merlot features prominently, together with some white grapes. Harvest is a time that brings stringent selection prior to fermentation, which in turn is preceded by a cold soak of up to ten years (this is in order to boost extraction.) Both French and American oak are used, though the latter is not utilised nearly as much.

The grand vin Chateau Montus is Tannat-heavy, though a second variety is invariably blended in (sometimes Merlot, sometimes Cabernet Sauvignon.) The Cuvee Prestige is a selection of up to 100% Tannat, as is Cuvee XL. These two wines are subject to a different form of oak ageing: They reside in 400 litre barrels for up to three years. There is also a dry white to be had, Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec, which is 100% Petit Courbu. This wine is barrel fermented and partially aged in new oak.