Alain Brumont has resurrected the Madiran appellation.

He has spent the last thirty years working with passion to restore the reputation of the Madiran appellation. Full of ambition, Alain Brumont, winemaker of ChâteauxMontus & Bouscassé knows that his work and patience are the keys to his success.He tells us with great honesty about his career, from his young years in his father's vineyards to the worldwide fame he enjoys today!

The Brumonts: a family of winegrowers

I come from a family of winemakers. My great-grandfather was already producing medical wines until the arrival of the "appellations contrôlées" in the 1930s. I was interested in agriculture and viticulture from an early age. The passion for wine came to me quickly and I never stopped documenting myself.

The wine that looks like Alain Brumont: his 100% Tannat

The wine that resembles me the most is my100% Tannat, 100% native, 100% Gascon. This grape variety is complete, generous, sincere, without any input, additive or artifice. Without any complex in front of the icons! My 100% Tannat 1985 has been around the world. Of the 50,000 bottles, I have only 12 or 13 left today and I keep them preciously!

Alain's sources of inspiration

There are three men I have never been able to leave. The first is Baron de Rothschild, someone who impressed me. In three words, we took 10 years of training. The second person was Marcel Guigal, always precise and accurate. And the third is Jean-Michel Cazes. I was visiting his estate one day and he said to me "I'll give you a case of Lynch Bages and you give me a case of your wine". That was 30 years ago, a gesture that few people were capable of making.

Alain Brumont has resurrected the Madiran appellation

There have been 3 eras in the history of the Madiran appellation. Before 1930, there was the period of Bordeaux medical wines. From 1950 to 1980, astringent, bitter, overly tannic Madirans were marketed without any maturation. When I arrived in 1980, I brought back theancient Madiran. By selecting the best terroirs and then planting the appropriate grape varieties. Constant work and research!

AlainBrumont, an ambitious winemaker

My father passed on to me his values: hard work, endurance, honesty and transparency in his work as a winegrower. He was one of the three best winegrowers in Madiran, but he did not have the ambition to regain the leading position that Château Bouscassé held a century ago. I got this taste for challenge by meeting extraordinary people: artists, musicians, researchers etc. (but from the age of 16 to 30 I was on a tractor every day!)

Changes at Château Bouscassé & Purchase of Château Montus

I started from scratch at Château Bouscassé, to try to create the greatest wine in the South West, an "iconic" wine. I wanted sophisticated vinification and 100% new barrel ageing like the world's great wines. I had the taste and the desire to aim for excellence.

As for the purchase of Château Montus in the 1980s, documents in the departmental archives show that Napoleon I was already buying his wine from this Château. The building was in ruins. It was a childhood dream, and then I also felt the potential of the place... I have often been told that I have the power to sense great terroirs (sometimes even in other regions or 8000 km from my native land)!

Châteaux Montus & Bouscassé on Les Grappes

I chose Les Grappesbecause I like new concepts, it interests me! Innovation is my life! Les Grappes is also a philosophy, another way of looking at the wine trade!

FindAlain Brumont's wines on Les Grappes

Loïc Tanguy (Les Grappes)