Domaine Labranche Laffont TanNat 2023

Name: Domaine Labranche Laffont TanNat 2023 | Bine & Vine
Brand: France
Price: 26.99 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

$26.99

This comes from a small parcel Christine obtained in 2019 and immediately converted to organic farming. Vines were planted in the late 1990s. The wine is made in the opposite style of classic Madiran with a very short maceration (and no carbonic; the skins of Tannat are too fragile) followed by a short élevage in concrete. It’s bottled as naturally as possible–no yeasting, SO2 or other additions, and bottled without fining or filtration. The CO2 that came about naturally during fermentation was purposefully not entirely voided to help with preservation.

This wine is best decanted and served with a slight chill.

775 cases.

Out of stock

Categories: France, Other French, Other Red, Red, Region, Wine Tags: B&V Wine Club, Biodynamic Farming, Certified Organic, Domaine Labranche Laffont, France, French, Madiran, Organic, tannat

Domaine Labranche Laffont TanNat 2023

VINEYARD
Site: Madiran, deep in France’s Southwest, has made wine since Gallo-Roman times. Its microclimate, and the native Tannat grape, normally make for dense, deep, dark wines.

Soil: France’s classic mix of clay and limestone.

Vines: From a small parcel of vines planted in the late 1990s. Christine leased the plot in 2019 and immediately converted it to organic farming.

Yield: 45 hectoliters per hectare; 775/ 12-bottle cases.

Varieties: Tannat.

CELLAR
Vinification & Aging: Unusually short maceration of 4 days (never happens with classical Madiran). Spontaneous ferments with ambient yeast. Aged for a relatively short 8 months in concrete vats.

Bottling: No fining, no filtration, no SO2 or other additions.

Profile: Nose of blackberry, black currant and licorice. The tannins are soft and supple, the mouth is fresh; a juicy, sweet, beautifully ripe and generous Tannat–a different view of Madiran.

Service: Lightly chilled. Note that the slight presence of carbon dioxide is a natural product of fermentation and guarantees freshness. Decanting will eliminate any excess gas.

Note that vintage 2023 saw a higher production, because all of the domaine’s Tannat went into this cuvée. Shatter, frost, hail and mildew pressure wreaked havoc in 2023, the domaine’s harvest of red grapes was around 5% of normal, and Christine produced no classic Madiran that year–all the Tannat went into the TanNat cuvée.

The quality of the grapes was quite high, the short macerations and élevage in concrete remained the same, but the vineyard sources were obviously greater than normal and consequently the intensity of the wine transcended its typical juicy delightfulness.

Indeed, the ’23 TanNat stands out for its depth and drive. It benefits from aeration and should be decanted.