Brett happens

Madiran 2011, Odé d’Aydie, Château Aydie/Vignobles Laplace ($17.95, 10675298)
100% Tannat. Manually harvested. The various plots are vinified separately. A pre-fermentation cold soak (10 to 12°C) in wooden tanks lasts three to five days. Maceration and alcoholic fermentation at 25°C with repeated pump-overs last 30 days. Maturated 12 to 15 months in oak tuns and wooden tanks. Reducing sugar: 2.7 g/l. 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: Le Maître de Chai.
Appealing nose: blackberry, drying leaves, fresh mushrooms, cedary wood and a hint of vanilla. Dry and, despite the high alcohol, medium-bodied. A mouthful of tannins, saved from overwhelmingness by their sleek ripeness, the cloaking fruit and a ripple of creamy oak. Lingering mineral and wood flavours colour the fairly sustained finish. Approachable now but probably better in a year or two. Needs food (duck confit, cassoulet, grilled duck breast – you get the idea). Great to find such typicité – true-to-typeness, authenticity – for under $20; for an affordable introduction to Madiran wines, you’d be hard pressed to find better at the SAQ. (Buy again? Sure.)