By Camille Bernard – Photographs: courtesy of the estates, posted on 22 January 2025
Sandwiched between the storied vineyards of Bordeaux and the equally famous wine region of Languedoc, South-West France continues to be unjustly overlooked by the public. And yet, from the Lot Valley to the foothills of the Pyrenees via Gascony, this extensive wine region is home to appellations that most certainly deserve our attention.
Château Montus spearheads the Madiran appellation
South-West France is a land of contrasts and diversity but it is often overshadowed by its illustrious neighbours, Bordeaux and Languedoc. And yet, it is home to a mosaic of unique vineyard sites and a raft of native grape varieties which produce superior quality wines across the length and breadth of the region. Here, every valley, every hillside and every vineyard block tells a different story, one that is rooted in centuries of winegrowing traditions.
Despite the fact that they are heirs to ancient crafts, winegrowers in South-West France have a decidedly modern approach aimed at revealing the true identity of their vineyards whilst also adapting to climate issues and newly-minted consumer expectations. From AOC Madiran with its powerful, structured, Tannat-based wines, to Jurançon, the birthplace of white wines showing unique complexity, AOC Buzet which has pioneered sustainable winegrowing and PGI Côtes de Gascogne, renowned for its fresh, fruity wines spanning the colour spectrum, this feature report invites you to explore some of South-West France’s most treasured appellations.
Vignobles Brumont, championing AOC Madiran
As appellations from South-West France go, Château Montus and Château Bouscassé not only epitomise the most successful rendition of the Tannat grape variety, but also spearhead AOC Madiran. “The appellation really changed in the 1980s when my father-in-law (Ed. Alain Brumont) arrived with a vision of terroir that was as yet uncharted”, explains Antoine Veiry who took over at the helm of both properties in 2018. Alain Brumont provided the catalyst for a redefinition of AOC Madiran based on an approach that focused on the quality of the soils and the area’s unique native varietals. “He proved that these long overlooked vineyard sites could produce extremely elegant wines showing great complexity”, explains Veiry. In fact, labels like Montus and La Tyre have become standard-bearers for the Madiran appellation.
The barrel cellar at Château Montus
Antoine Veiry is excelling at following in the footsteps of Alain Brumont – aka the Pope of Madiran – and aims to drill down even deeper in his understanding of the vineyard sites that make Vignobles Brumont so distinctive. “Since I joined the property, we have vinted each vineyard block separately in order to get a better grasp of their unique features before blending them. We are also continuing to restructure the vineyards, building on the achievements of Alain, with a geologist specialising in mountain soils so as to identify those that are best suited to growing quality wines”.
But his work doesn’t stop there. Although these prime vineyard sites yield stellar quality fruit, this potential still has to be maximised throughout the winemaking and maturation processes. “Our wines have a raw strength but our aim is to tame that to craft wines showing remarkable elegance and balance”, stresses Veiry. This quest for excellence places all the Brumont vineyards at the pinnacle of the South-West wine industry, a status that has been confirmed by their globally renowned single-vineyard labels but also by some lovely wines in the Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh and Côtes de Gascogne appellations that form a varied collection ranging from vibrant dry whites to elegant, complex reds.
Antoine Veiry, the overachieving successor to Alain Brumont
Plaimont, the custodian of heirloom varietals and promoter of Gascon vineyards
Established in 1979 from the merger of the Plaisance, Aignan and Saint-Mont co-operative wineries, Plaimont is now a household name on the South-West wine scene. “Our appellations, such as Saint-Mont, Madiran, Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh and Jurançon boast differing and unique soil types but they share the same temperate climate with marked contrasts, yielding wines that are energetic and show incredible freshness”, explains Plaimont’s export director Fabien Olaiz.
But let’s wind back the clocks slightly. Alongside the four appellations produced by the Gers co-operative there is also PGI Côtes de Gascogne, its “economic powerhouse”, insists Olaiz. Back in the 1970s when wines from South-West France suffered from their outdated image, Plaimont’s founder André Dubosc set himself the challenge of reinventing the Gascon wine region by producing dry white wines. His ambitions materialised in the form of the Colombard grape variety, which until then had been used to distil Armagnac. His pioneering vision continues to reap rewards: PGI Côtes de Gascogne is still Plaimont’s core business and its Colombelle label – the designation’s standard-bearer – continues to conquer wine enthusiasts around the world.
Another source of pride for Plaimont is AOC Saint-Mont, “our real gem”, admits Olaiz. “It also owes a lot to André Dubosc who identified a whole slew of abandoned grape varieties in the century-old Sarragachies vineyards and turned them into the starting point for the appellation”.
After a lengthy process of rediscovering and safeguarding heirloom grape varieties, the Saint-Mont vine conservation centre was born. Established in 2002, it is the largest private, approved conservation centre for grape varieties in France and offers the perfect illustration of how heirloom grape varieties were rediscovered and protected. “It promotes the entire region which has now become the cradle of historic grape varieties from the foothills of the Pyrenees”, concludes Olaiz.
Olivier Bourdet-Pees, managing director of Plaimont and the custodian of indigenous grape varieties
Domaine Guillaman, the ambassador of PGI Côtes de Gascogne
In Gondrin, in the heart of Gascony, Domaine Guillaman epitomises the history of a family saga that dates back to the 17th century. Stéphanie and Dominique Ferret currently run the estate with their son already preparing to take over. “Dominique started at the very early age of 15 when the estate was focused on production of Armagnac”, recounts Stéphanie Ferret. The year 2000 marked a decisive turning point in its history when it transitioned from bulk to bottled sales. Since then, the property has thrived and now covers 200 hectares under vine in PGI Côtes de Gascogne, producing all three colours of wine.
Despite this, Domaine Guillaman’s vineyards are primarily planted to white grapes – Colombard, Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, Ugni blanc, Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng – which make up 80% of the varietal range. Of these, Colombard – the flagship grape of PGI Côtes de Gascogne – holds a majority share. “It is perfectly suited to our terroir and defines our appellation’s identity”, explains owner Stéphanie Ferret.
For the other colours, Merlot and Cabernet-Sauvignon are used to make two red labels and one rosé which, just like their white counterparts, are particularly representative of Gascony’s terroir.
The winery is driven by a desire to “rein in yields and produce clean wines with minimum impact on the environment” and it now ships two thirds of its wines overseas. It is gaining traction in Asian and American markets but also remains strong in France where its wines are sold through the on-trade and direct-to-consumers.
Domaine Guillaman recounts the story of a family saga
Domaine Nigri, the iconic Jurançon winery
In Monein, at the foot of the Pyrenees, Domaine Nigri has been growing vines since 1685. Jean-Louis Lacoste, a trained winemaker who graduated from Bordeaux, joined the estate in 1993. “My father had extensive knowledge of grape varieties and passed on to us his respect for this legacy”, recounts Lacoste. The 16-hectare vineyard is farmed organically and is home to a distinctive range of Pyrenean grape varieties.
Jean-Louis Lacoste, the owner of Domaine Nigri
“At the time, when everyone was restructuring their vineyards, we chose to hold onto our viticultural heritage”, he explains. Domaine Nigri is therefore one of only a few wineries that have developed a proper collection of autochthonous varietals such as Camaraou, Cruchen noir, Printiu Aigut and Lercat. Its range of soil types – clay-silica, pudding stones and clay-limestone soils – allows it to make highly typical Jurançon blends.
The winery has thus garnered an impressive reputation, particularly for its dry white wines which now account for two thirds of sales. And according to Jean-Louis Lacoste, the sweet wines “are not suffering from the waning popularity of other appellations because their sweetness and acidity are very well balanced”. Although AOC Jurançon requires a certain amount of education internationally, it continues to grow in export markets, which represent some 20% of the winery’s sales. “Our distribution is spread throughout the European Union and we are seeing growth in the American market”. Confirming its status as one of Jurançon’s key players and innovative wineries, Domaine Nigri is enjoying buoyant sales.
Domaine Nigri’s vineyards are home to a distinctive range of Pyrenean grape varieties
Les Vignerons de Buzet, the beating heart of AOC Buzet
On the edge of the Landes region and the outskirts of Agen, AOC Buzet stands out for one particular reason: it is the virtual monopoly (95% to be precise) of the Les Vignerons de Buzet co-operative winery. “The name Buzet speaks to people but they don’t know where to place it on a map”, admits marketing and communications director Sébastien Bourguignon.
Vignerons de Buzet’s marketing and communications director Sébastien Bourguignon
Founded in 1953, even before the advent of the Buzet appellation (Ed. 1973), the Les Vignerons de Buzet co-operative has always been ahead of its time. By dividing its vineyards into 4,200 basic units, defined by their grape varieties, types of soil and potential, it has been able to map out an inspired strategy: it crafts wines based on consumer demand whilst remaining true to the appellation’s identity.
However, the co-operative does more than just go with the flow. In 2019, it launched a 17-hectare experimental vineyard whose role is that of an open-air laboratory aimed at exploring every possible solution faced with climate change. “We planted resistant Mediterranean grape varieties and experiment with techniques such as agro-forestry*” explains Bourguignon. This innovative initiative is an apt illustration of the pioneering spirit that drives this low-key but determined appellation. Buzet may stay well out of the limelight of the major appellations, but its ability to take you by surprise is endearing.
The acquisition of Château de Buzet in 2018 bolstered the co-operative’s wine tourism activities, drawing in increasing numbers of visitors keen to discover the hidden gem that is AOC Buzet. For seventy years now, the appellation has continually been an inspiration and source of surprises.
Buzet’s vineyards are divided into 4,200 basic units
Wines for enthusiasts and connoisseurs
The vineyards of South-West France may often remain under-the-radar but the estates and co-operatives within the region certainly go to great lengths to promote their unique sites, safeguard their valuable viticultural heritage, respond to climate issues and adapt to the continual ebb and flow of the marketplace.
These passionate players and custodians of their wine region invite wine enthusiasts to venture outside of the comfort zone of the classic appellations to discover wines with a unique persona that stem from time-honoured traditions and great resilience. By shedding light on the vinous treasure trove of South-West France, our aim is to encourage you to take another look at wines which you may be less familiar with but which certainly rank up there with their more famous neighbours.
* A range of farming techniques which combine trees and/or animal rearing with other crops like vines
