Domaine de Barbazan
Posted by Katarina Maloney on Nov 29, 2009 in Features
Thierry Casse of Domaine de Barbazan
Everyone is familiar with the great wine regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne. But when I had the chance to work with a producer in the small Madiran wine region in the south west of France, I jumped at the opportunity. It’s gorgeous, and the quiet countryside is overlooked by the huge and majestic Pyrenees mountains. The wine region historically supported the mountain workers with wine as extra calories to fill up on for the cold. On a clear day the view of vineyards with snow topped mountains in the distance is just heavenly.
Madiran is known for the Tannant grape which is, like its name suggests, extremely tannic. Because of this, traditional Madiran wines made with Tannant were aged for at least four years before consumption, but the use of modern micro-oxygenation has enabled winemakers to get their wines on the shelves after only one.
Madiran – Vieilles Vignes
Domaine de Barbazan, the only organic vineyard in Madiran and a petite operation of just five hectares, is a one man show run by Thierry Casse. Thierry likes to keep things simple by living in a non-renovated 18th century farm house, working with wooden farm tools from the turn of the century and driving a tractor from the 50s. As a result, seeing the whole overall simplicity of Thierry’s work style is to experience how wine in France has been made for hundreds of years.
The star of Barbazan is Madiran – Vieilles Vignes (Old Vineyards). The wine is produced from vines planted before 1900 and are thought to be some of the few lasting vineyards in the country that were not destroyed by Phylloxera, a plant parasite that wiped out more than half of the vineyards in France in 1865. Even without the impressive history, the wine itself is amazing. Rich, but balanced, complex but easily drinkable, the experience of Madiran – Vieilles Vignes brought to mind comparisons of a finely aged Barolo with just the right amount of French funk. In conclusion, a happy discovery that definitely made the trip to Madiran worth it.
