A medium-deep garnet red colour. Whilst at the same time spicy, herby, savoury and ever-so-slightly meaty, this wine certainly isn't short on fruit aromas, with an abundance of red and black fruits steeped in eau de vie. It is also mature enough to have developed plenty of secondary citrus peel, blackcurrant leaf, cedar and forest floor aromas. And what the palate might lack in true complexity is more than made up for in its sheer drinkability. It still has the slightly tannic grip of a traditional Cahors, but the absence of any oak influence means that the fruit sings through in a deliciously vibrant way, with flavours of bramble, blackcurrant, tart red cherry and a streak of lip-smacking acidity. It really is a beautiful combination of sweet and sour, perfectly balanced and seemingly approaching the peak of its powers, although it certainly has the structure to stay there for a few years yet. A really delicious wine.

A medium garnet red colour, with aromas of bramble fruits, dried orange peel, smoke, damp earth, mushroom/truffle and some pretty attractive polished wood.... and what seems like an unmistakeable - though completely harmonious - touch of farmyard. The fruit is bright and still relatively fresh, perhaps just heading towards the secondary/tertiary stage, whilst the tannins are present, even slightly grippy, but certainly not drying. Flavours of cherry kernel and red and black fruits abound, and there is a lovely layer of juicy acidity keeping it beautifully fresh. My first impression on tasting this wine was that this is mature and needs drinking within the next 2 to 3 years, but tasting the rest of the bottle on day 2, it remains fresh and really quite delicious, so perhaps there's even more life in it. Either way, it really is one of the most enjoyable Cahors I've tasted - soft, but with real character, and well worth the price for such a lovely, mature wine. Cracking stuff, which does great credit to the Cahors appellation.

The colour of this wine is something to behold - an opaque, yet vivid purple, with a barely 2mm rim. The nose is packed with aromas of bramble, stewed plum, citrus, cedar and leather, with a hint of meaty/herby savouriness. The palate is full-bodied, young and vibrant, yet beautifully poised and fresh, with plenty of acidity to match the ripe fruit and grippy tannins. I guess the faint of heart might want to give this 2 or 3 years in the cellar to let the tannins soften a little, but I was quite happy to drink it now - with food, of course. I just happened to pair it with a grilled pork chop, but it would be ideal with a medium-rare steak, sausages, or a hearty winter stew.

It isn't quite black, but it is almost blue! As dark as the Tradition, if not a little more so. It has pungent aromas of bramble, black cherry and plum, with all sorts of spice, tobacco and kirsch notes and a strong whiff of freshly-baked bread. And despite the colour (which is a bit daunting!) this is certainly no highly-extracted brute - rather, it is beautifully balanced, supple and not without elegance, even at this early stage. Yes, there are tannins in abundance, but they are wonderfully ripe and velvety, and once again the acidity is ample. The fruit is very ripe, but nicely extracted, whilst the judicious oak-ageing keeps it all together. It really is a lovely wine, which doesn't bore you after a single glass. Another wine which can be drunk now, with pleasure (and of course with food) or aged for a further 5 to 8 years.

Not quite black, but not far off - the colour is deep, dark, opaque purple with barely even a visible rim! On day one, this is pretty difficult to taste, such is the sheer taughtness of its structure, although there is clearly a very serious wine lurking beneath. On day 2, it begins to open-up and show real class, displaying intense aromas of bramble, blackcurrant, black cherry and plum, with background notes of damp earth, polished leather, cedar and charred oak. And whilst the tannins are still very grippy and tight, the fruit is much more expressive - ripe, extracted and spicy, though certainly not overtly rich or sweet, with plenty of balancing acidity. Previous vintages of this wine have come across as rather modern and - though possibly also built to last - made to be approachable at a relatively young age. This one, however, makes no attempt to please the moderinists and probably needs at least 5 more years (and possibly 10+) to even begin to show its true potential. But with that much structure - and that much fruit - this is a wine which will eventually blossom into something rather special - and blow much loftier (and far more expensive) so-called "classed growth" Claret out of the water.

Purple/magenta colour with a deep ruby rim. The nose is redolent of plums, blackcurrants and black cherries in eau de vie, with additional notes of cream soda and cigar box/cedar. The palate is medium-rich and quite full-bodied, with flavours of black fruits, dark chocolate and tar - enjoyably rustic, with good acidity and a decent finish. A touch bigger and more concentrated than the 2005, this is still a somewhat lighter, more approachable style of Madiran - but it is still best drunk with hearty food.

A bright, clear purple/magenta colour with a light ruby rim. This is a Madiran which (amazingly) says "drink me now!" The nose offers copious aromas of plum, blackcurrant, cherry and even a hint of fresh apple, with subtle notes of cream and tobacco. The palate is light, airy and fresh, encompassing flavours of red, black and white fruits, with hints of Asian spice and bitter chocolate, agreeably soft tannins and really juicy acidity. For a wine so young, this is a really juicy, tangy, approachable style of Madiran, which is deliciously soft and drinkable now, or to be enjoyed over the next couple of years.

A deep, impenetrable purple core with a dark ruby rim - a real glass-stainer!  Classic aromas of blackcurrant, plum, bramble and cedar, together with a hint of eau de vie and peppermint, all complemented by well integrated coffee-infused oak. Ripe bramble, cassis and bitter cherry flavours, infused with bitter chocolate and spice, great acidity and firm, but fine tannins. A stunning wine, and a match for expensive classed-growth Claret at three times the price. 

A deep purple core with a narrow, dark ruby rim.  This vintage offers the classic Peyros aromas of blackcurrant, plum, bramble, cedar and a hint of peppermint, but also displays some wonderfully quirky (and rather unusual - for Madiran) notes of smoked beef and flowers. It is a nose that changes  and evolves over time in the glass - and indeed, over the next day or two - which is a nice surprise, for Madiran is one wine that I don't normally expect to show better on the second day. But this one certainly does, for it becomes even more beguiling and expressive, as those smoky/meaty notes fade into the background, whilst the floral, almost elegantly-perfumed aromas come to the fore, along with hints of cedar and fine tobacco. The ripe bramble, cassis and bitter cherry flavours are ever-present, of course, infused with bitter chocolate and spice, ample acidity and firm, but fine tannins. Matched with some hearty food, this is remarkably good to drink now, although it certainly has all the stucture - and the fruit - necessary for it to age beautifully. A very fine Madiran, which again puts many a classed growth Claret to shame. 

An immensely rich and full-bodied wine, with masses of dark fruit flavours, spicy, chocolatey tannins and excellent underlying acidity - well balanced, in a big sort of way. It can be drunk now, but definitely needs rich food to bring the best out of it - something flavoursome and fatty, such as a rib of beef, lamb chops or duck. An excellent wine for the long haul.

A deep-ish purple core with a small ruby rim. Oodles of black and red fruit aromas, allied to notes of cedar, tobacco and spice. The palate is wonderfully open and expressive - flavours of black and red cherry, blackcurrant and spices, with a sweet/sour and agnostura bitters finish. The zesty acidity and ripe tannins make for a gloriously balanced and drinkable wine. The rich texture and lovely sweet/sour fruit flavours make this a good wine to drink on its own, but also makes it a great accompaniment to meats. Fronton is not far from Toulouse, so get those garlic and herb-infused sausages on the barbie! 

This is the estate's flagship wine - and what a wine! A deep, dark purple colour, with a narrow ruby rim. The nose is heady with the scents of bramble, plum skin, black cherry and citrus, with further notes of cedar, new leather, forest floor, vanilla and an enticing hint of eau de vie. If that isn't enough, there are subtle hints of flowers and lapsang tea in there too, making for a nose of impressive depth and complexity. For a wine with 14.5% abv, the palate is beautifully balanced and fleet of foot, with intense red and black fruit flavours balanced by nervy, citrus-tinged acidity and surprisingly supple, elegant tannins - and nary a hint of alcohol. All of which makes for a delicious sweet and sour quality, with flavours of black cherry, blackcurrant, bramble, cranberry and a hint of licorice and spice lingering long on the palate. This wine won a gold medal at the 2011 Paris Concours General and was awarded a Coup de Coeur in the 2011 Guide Hachette - so you don't even have to take my word for how good it is!

A deep, dark, almost blue/purple with a tiny rim. The nose is extremely fragrant with aromas of bramble and tar, tobacco, mixed spice and a touch of citrus peel. The palate is big too, but with an extremely fresh core of red cherry, bramble and blackcurrant fruit, with deliciously bright, juicy acidity. Silky tannins add plenty of grip to the fruit, whilst the acidity carries through to a long, juicy finish. This is really good Syrah, with lots of varietal character, combined with plenty of south-west terroir. From a region not normally renowned for Syrah, it just shows what can be achieved, in the hands of a talented winemaker.