Domaine Berthoumieu

Wines of France / Southwest / Madiran / Domaine Berthoumieu

Domaine Berthoumieu - Madiran

Viella, Gers

Domaine Berthoumieux was founded in the 1850’s in the commune of Viella (the heart of the area of the famous Three Musketeers of Louis XIV). After being passed down through the generations it was taken over by Marie-Line and Didier Barré, who took over for his father Louis in the 1990’s. Didier was one of many young winemakers at that time greatly inspired by Alain Brumont of Domaine Bouscasse/Chateau Montus fame, who could be called the founder of modern Madiran. Didier attended enology school in Bordeaux and, immediately upon taking over the domaine, lowered the yields in the vineyard and began aging his wines with a judicious amount of oak. He can be credited with turning the domaine into one of the references of the appellation.

Domaine Berthoumieu's winemaker Didier Barré

Current owners Claire and Marion Bortolussi are putting their heart and soul into maintaining this reputation as well as continuing Didier’s passionate work. The domaine has 26 hectares of vineyard, whose vines include Tannat (the majority grape and one that thrives here), Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Fer Servadou grapes. There are two types of soil: one a stony clay on a south-facing plateau with a great view of the Pyrenees, and the other a gravelly soil on a southeast-facing slope. They farm the vineyards using lutte raisonée—no chemical treatments are used and the soil is treated gently and naturally. A green harvest is done during the summer to limit the yields to around 3 tons/acre. Harvest takes place late at Berthoumieu—normally around the beginning of October—exclusively by hand.

For the dry white wines (which fall into the unusually named appellation Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec), the grapes are Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng, and Courbu. These undergo a pre-maceration cold soak and are then fermented in both stainless steel and barrique. The wines are then aged in barrique on their lees (with stirring) for 6 months. There is also a sweet Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh with raisinated Petit Manseng and Courbu grapes, which is fermented and aged in barrel. For the red wines, after being completely destemmed, the Cabernet and Tannat are fermented separately in cement tanks. During this time, a bit of micro-oxygenation or microboullage takes place. The wine then goes into oak (50% new) in an underground cellar where it also undergoes malolactic fermentation. After 12 months in wood, it is blended and bottled after a very light filtration.

Picture of Madiran Charles de Batz label

Domaine Berthoumieu Cuvée Charles de Batz
The domaine’s top red wine is the cuvée Charles de Batz, which was the original name of d'Artignan. The wine is composed of 90% Tannat with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from vines that are between 50 and 100 years old. After being completely destemmed, the Cabernet and Tannat are fermented separately in cement tanks. During this time, a bit of micro-oxygenation or microboullage takes place. The wine then goes into oak (50% new) in an underground cellar where it also undergoes malolactic fermentation. After 12 months in wood, it is blended and bottled after a very light filtration.
Very ripe, rich Madiran that takes no prisoners. This wine succeeds in obtaining more fruit than tannin! The color is nearly opaque—wine doesn't get much darker than this. It displays notes of black fruit (blackcurrant and blackberry) along with just a hint of red fruit. There is a cedar-like creaminess to the oak which is extremely well-integrated. Tannins pick up on the finish but, let's face it, this is Madiran and that is to be expected. These tannins seem to dissolve when the wine is matched with richly flavored meats like leg of lamb, duck, goose or game.

Domaine Berthoumieu Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh “Symphonie d’Automne”
90% Petit Manseng and 10% Courbu, from 50 year-old vines on gravelly clay-limestone soils. The grapes are harvested raisinated in 3 pass-throughs that take place between the beginning of November and the beginning of December, then fermented and aged for 9 months in new oak barrels, with stirring on the lees for 6 of those months.
This surprising sweet wine is a greenish-yellow color with a nose of chanterelles, exotic fruits and acacia flowers. Its broad palate is perfectly balanced between rich fruit and fresh acidity. A delicious partner for foie gras, the region’s cheeses, paté, or desserts like sabayon.