Earlier this year, Stockholm was visited by Antoine Veiry, stepson of the wine legend Alain Brumont, and now winemaker at Brumont’s estate. Alain Brumont is the person who transformed Madiran from a somewhat dormant and relatively unknown wine region into one of the greats in the wine world. BKWine Magazine’s reporter Anders Åhlén tasted a series of Brumont’s wines.
In 1979, Alain Brumont inherited the estate Château Bouscassé, in the French part of the Basque Country. His dream and goal was to make wines from the tannat grape that could compete with the best from Bordeaux. And he succeeded. In 1981 he bought the nearby estate Château Montus. His stepson Antoine Veiry worked all over the world in winemaking before returning to Madiran and Brumont. I told Antoine that I met his father and mother when they were last in Sweden and that they were such incredibly nice people. “Yes, we’re working on it”, was his joking reply.
Brumont is best known for its red wines, but the whites are absolutely fantastic, they are also at a very high level. As for the reds, Brumont’s focus is on the grape tannat, even with hints of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. As for the whites, the grapes gros manseng, petit manseng and petit courbu are the ones that count.
We tasted the following wines under Antoine’s guidance:
White wines from Brumont
La Gascogne Sauvignon Banc Gros Manseng 2023
Price SEK 109 (prices are from the Swedish monopoly Systembolaget)
Grapes: gros manseng 50%, sauvignon blanc 50%
A very enjoyable and affordable wine. This is a new vintage of the wine, and according to Antoine, 2023 is very good.
The wine is young, but very drinkable already now.
Château Bouscassé Les Jardins Philosophiques 2018
Price SEK 189
Grapes: petit courbu 70%, petit manseng 30%
A step up from La Gascogne. Elegant and very good, very good value.
Some maturity, and a promising future, a wine made for long ageing.
Château Montus Blanc 2015
Price SEK 425
Grapes: petit courbu 85%, petit manseng 15%
Here we take a few more steps up in quality. Elegance and chiselled. Wonderful maturity already now, but according to Brumont, can be put in the cellar for another six years without any problems. A lot of wine for your money, one can understand the greatness of Brumont’s work.
With the white wines, a Crème Ninon with grilled scallops was served.
Red wines from Brumont
Château Bouscassé 2018
Price SEK 185
Grapes: tannat 60%, cabernet franc 20%, cabernet sauvignon 20%
Still young, it feels like it needs a few more years.
Much improved with the food.
Château Montus Rouge 2019
Price SEK 279
Grapes: cabernet sauvignon, tannat
Also young, but a real step up in quality.
Elegance and grace.
Was incredibly good with food.
Château Montus Rouge 2012
Price SEK 419
Grapes: cabernet sauvignon, tannat
Wonderful maturity. Elegance.
This is truly a treat. You have to pay more for an aged and mature wine, but this is unbeatable.
One understands why Brumont enjoys respect in the wine world.
These wines were served with mushroom-filled agnolotti with black French truffle and mushroom velouté.
Château Bouscassé Vieilles Vignes 2020
Price SEK 379
Grapes: tannat 100%
Young and a bit closed now, but has incredible potential.
Château Montus Prestige 2020
Price SEK 589
Grapes: tannat 100%
Dark red berries, blackberries. A great and generous wine with power and elegance.
Long aftertaste.
Already excellent, but needs time in the cellar to show its full potential.
A fantastically good wine.
Château Montus XL 2015
From Brumont’s cellar.
Grapes: tannat 100%
Same vineyard as Prestige, but a selective selection of grapes and longer time in barrel.
An incredibly complex wine, with power. Lovely maturity, but can definitely stay longer in the cellar.
Château Montus La Tyre 2006
Price SEK 3995
Grapes: tannat 100%
The grapes come from a previously unplanted vineyard that Alain found and bought in 1990, located on the highest hill in Madiran.
This is a wine of exceptional quality.
There’s plenty of everything here – barrels, dark blue-red berries like blackberry, coffee, maturity and elegance. A real powerhouse and an absolutely wonderful wine.
With these wines, red wine-braised beef cheek with bacon, small onions, tomato and potato puree was served.
