Madiran ‘Tradition’ Domaine Sergent is a beautiful, modern wine with soft bramble fruit, blackberry, liquorice, spice and cinnamon notes. It is a super silky wine with soft tannins and elegant structure. The wine is aged in cement rather than oak and the blend is made up of 80% Tannat, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. It is a super little wine.

Domaine Sergent is a 21-hectare estate based in the town of Maumusson in the heart of the Madiran appellation in South-west France. The Domaine is run by sisters Brigitte and Corinne Dousseau who have done much to improve the wines since they took over from Gilbert, their father, in 1995. The vines, which average 35 years of age and are currently being converted to organic, are spread over a gentle south facing slope which faces the Pyrenees. The area’s reds used to be characterised by harsh tannins, but the sisters have managed to tame the Tannat grape which must constitute 40% of the blend and produce reds that are approachable, modern, elegant and most importantly super tasty. The sisters produce a style of wine which retains its rustic country French roots but is fully fit for modern tastes.

There is no appellation for Madiran white so the French wine police came up with the catchy Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh AOC which can be either Sec (dry) or Doux (sweet) and is traditionally a blend of Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng.