Madiran
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Accessory grape varieties
Terroir
Natural factors
- Area covering 5 parallel N–S ridges ('échines') between the Adour valley (east) and the silty plateau (west)
- Tertiary molasse (Pyrenean erosion deposits) topped by an alluvial layer of rounded pebbles, both shaped by Quaternary erosion
- Two soil types: clay-limestone over molasse (western slopes) and boulbènes (acid, leached soils) on gentle slopes and plateaus (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Mild, humid oceanic climate with a continental tendency; a foehn-type wind (southerly, warm and dry) blows roughly one day in three at the end of summer and in autumn
- 37 communes spread across 3 départements: Pyrénées-Atlantiques (28), Hautes-Pyrénées (6), and Gers (3)
Human factors
- From the 15th century onward, deep-coloured, full-bodied red wines were traded into the Pyrenees, then in the 17th century to the French West Indies
Product characteristics
- Mandatory ageing until 15 April following the harvest to soften the tannins; the only wine that cannot be released commercially without at least 12 months in the cellar (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Aromatic profile evolving from red and black fruits toward candied fruits and spices; intense tannic structure with roundness and a fresh finish
Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.
Sources
- Product specification (BO Agri, PDF), JORF 29 novembre 2025
- Official INAO text (show_texte)
- INAO product entry
- Official trade body site — Syndicat de Madiran et Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh