2020 Vignobles Marie Maria 'Novel' Madiran Southwest France

Vignobles Marie Maria is a grower collective born within Plaimont, the cooperative union that has championed the wines of France's Gascony and Pyrenean foothills since 1979.

The Marie Maria project was created by vine-growers of the Crouseilles cellar with a clear purpose: to make Madiran in a fresher, more approachable style, stepping away from the appellation's old reputation for sheer power and concentration.

The range's name nods to the Benedictine abbey of Madiran — later the parish of Sainte-Marie — whose monks helped establish the vineyard centuries ago.

Novel is the collective's modern statement of intent. It is a 100% Tannat made without added sulfites, drawn from the three principal terroirs of the appellation — the Maucor gravels, gravelly clays, and clay-limestone soils. Where classic Madiran can demand years of patience, Novel is built to be enjoyed young: moderate extraction keeps the structure supple while preserving the dark-fruited backbone and freshness that define the Tannat grape.

It's Madiran with the rough edges rounded off — recognizably of its place, but immediately drinkable.