Domaine Laougué

How we found them/How Richard found them: I read about Laougué’s wine in “The Wine Diet” and was intrigued to try them. I was immediately blown away by their modern version of the traditionally rustic and unexciting Madiran.

Sylvain’s father, Pierre, was part of the movement of winemakers who innovated farming methods and brought modern winemaking techniques to the region in order to revitalise and ennoble the Madiran appellation. Sylvain combines his father’s technical awareness with a renewed concern for biodiversity, environmental sustainability and resource preservation. The estate is therefore transitioning into organic farming.

His “Grand-Cru” approach (i.e. all wines are single varietals made solely with the fruit from a single plot) and his uncompromisingly careful work in the vineyard (all grapes and hand-harvested and hand selected) are the basis of wines that have deep expressiveness and are firmly rooted in the tradition of their appellations: Madiran AOC for the reds made from Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Cabernet Franc; Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh for the dry and sweet whites for which Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng and Petit Courbu provide the base material.