2005 Domaine Labranche-Laffont Madiran 'Vielles Vignes, Madiran

Could it be the fact that this gem of a wine is made by a woman that gives it a silky elegance, softening the edges of the beefy, brooding fruit? Perhaps it is just the fact the Christine Dupuis is an incredibly talented wine maker and gender has nothing to do with it.

The region of Madiran is famous for very structured red wines with tremendous grip and power on the palate. The Tannat grape variety is a bit of a beast and given that this is usually blended with Cabernet Sauvignon (certainly no wimp either), these wines are not for those who favour softness in their reds. Madame Dupuis uses fruit from vines with an average age of 50 years, and she even has a small parcel dating back to 1870. She ferments carefully and only uses one third new oak, keeping everything fine and balanced. This has delicious dark flavours – damson plums, prunes, tobacco and black coffee and if you like maximum power (which is not the same as heavy weight) in your wines, this one is for you.

Good With

Big, beefy dishes