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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.6 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 27 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Member 592 on 7/15/2023: The normal Bouscassé is already excellent, but the Vielles Vignes is indeed a notch up.
This 1995 V.V. demonstrates it is mostly greater complexity, depth and finer texture while losing nothing of its power and size. All the while the extraction is not forced at all and the wine is fresh and cool which makes it very drinkable. The best Madiran I have drunk yet (and that includes Montus Prestige '98). (423 views) | | | Tasted by eboracum on 12/23/2022 & rated 92 points: This bottle (which according to my CT inventory didn't exist!) was even better than the previous. Most of the descriptors from a year ago still apply but the acidity and tannins were less marked and the overall impression more fragrant and inviting without losing old fashioned Madiran character. Not decanted and not apparently diminished by that. A good pairing for venison accompanied by Soissons beans. Very good. (827 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 3/11/2022 flawed bottle: Corked (1524 views) | | | Tasted by eboracum on 11/7/2021 & rated 91 points: I've has some disappointments with bottles of Montus and Bouscassé from the 90s, mainly excessive brett, but this one is a very good example of traditional Madiran, a far cry from Brumont's more international and crowd pleasing offerings from the mid-00s onwards. I decanted this but it was quite austere, if distinguished, at first with strong acidity and tannins backing up some classy and savoury red and dark fruit laced with wet leather and earthy minerals. As the bottle progressed it filled out and and developed some underlying roundness and warmth making the acidity and tannins seem to soften. It was noticeable than about a glassful left in the bottle after decanting had not developed in the same way. Therefore I would recommend decanting a good time in advance. Very good. (1628 views) | | | Tasted by Renevin on 2/2/2019 & rated 90 points: Encore tout en jeunesse au départ, en bouche, les tanins sont fermés, presque durs et plutôt court. Toutefois, un trente minutes d aération le rend de plus en plus souple. Les tanins sont plus fondus, la bouche est plus équilibré et démontre plus de corps. Fort agréable à ce moment. Un deux heures de carafe nous aurait sûrement permis de le voir sur un autre jour. (2651 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 4/12/2018 flawed bottle: UWS; A mixed set of wines (@ JB): Corked (3266 views) | | | Tasted by iByron on 9/25/2017 & rated 91 points: Dark purple garnet in the glass. Raspberry and leather on the opulent nose. Medium plus acidity surrounds the palate of raspberry, leather, and cassis. The aggressive tannins of youth have been time-tamed down to an approachable medium (we’re twenty-two years on, after all). Drink up! It’s delicious! Merci, Mssr. Brumont. (3130 views) | | | Tasted by finewinebuff57 on 2/6/2016 & rated 91 points: 50 - 100 year old Tannat wines, and like the Montus Prestige this is a very long lived wine. From a bottle in perfect condition this is still youthful but the potential is clear. Beginning to drink - will get better and last 20 years. (3852 views) | | | Tasted by Y.Nantel on 1/18/2015 & rated 92 points: bouteille épaulée pendant 6 heures. Couleur rouge brique, note de fruits noir avec un coté animale, feuilles morte et tabac. Tout est bien fondu, de beaux tanins rendu soyeux avec une légère touche de bois qui balance le tout, belle longueur. (4480 views) | | | Tasted by Alex H on 12/28/2013 & rated 88 points: Dark leather and brooding fruit at first impressions. This has mysterious exotic Moroccan spices , black spiced plums and cigar box. Tasting very much like a pauillac and in fact a pichon baron I thought. A serious wine. (4887 views) | | | Tasted by Strikermax on 12/22/2013 & rated 91 points: Donkerrood, vrijwel zwart, nauwelijks verkleuring aan de rand. In de geur naast leder, bosgrond en potloodslijpsel ook dik, nog jeugdig zwart fruit en chocolade. In de mond cassis en fraaie, sappige zuren. Ferme, afgeronde tannines, lang aanhoudend. Nog een jonkie. (4142 views) | | | Tasted by Christine Beevers on 7/25/2013: Beautiful. Very smooth and has years to go. (4237 views) | | | Tasted by humagne on 6/14/2013 & rated 91 points: Beautiful wine. Mature but still has plenty of potential. (3156 views) | | | Tasted by iByron on 3/13/2013 & rated 91 points: Deep red purple in the glass; near black in a drinking poor. Still very young looking at just over 17. Closed nose on opening, but with air yields leather, meaty black fruit, cedar, menthol, and red spices. Right where it should be now on the palate. Intense leathery dark fruit -- think blackberries and currants on a tanned saddle -- with supple, new-velvety tannins and a lengthy meaty menthol-y dark chocolate black coffee finish. I'm going to say drink this one before it turns twenty. It's at a real sweet spot right now. (3285 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 6/15/2012 & rated 89 points: Beautiful and fresh bouquet with still almost primary black berry fruits. Very juicy and fruity dark berry fruits in the mouth with pleasant acidity and supple tannin. Ready now and probably still perfectly ok around 2015. (2902 views) | | | Tasted by Chomsky on 10/12/2011: Two bottles: the first one was maderized and dead, hence the second bottle. It was a very nice old Bouscassé, fully mature and superbly on point, with an intriguingly raspy nose of leather, sage, truffle, cardamom, and tiny black fruits -- this is what an aged Tannat nose is all about. It's almost as good on the palate, with a slight tannic scrim on the finish. Really good; not as good as a great Montus but still really good. Perhaps a bottle in truly perfect condition might age well for a few years longer, but I'd drink these closer to now than later. (3357 views) | | | Tasted by humagne on 6/20/2011 & rated 92 points: This is still in excellent shape. Dark fruit, licorice, smoke. Loads of smooth tannins, quite long finish. (2952 views) | | | Tasted by prettydeceextrap on 10/9/2010 & rated 94 points: (A+) Amazing Tannat, and what an example of how gracefully these Madiran wines can age. Tons of earth and ripe fruit up front, slowly dissipating over 15-20 seconds. Coats the palate without being heavy. I hope they continue to produce wines like Bouscasse and Montus, because a nicely aged Madiran is an eye-opener. Drink now, though this particular wine probably had 5-10 more years! (3331 views) | | | Tasted by AN on 6/7/2010 & rated 91 points: South West France Journey; 5/30/2010-6/19/2010 (South West France): This 15-year old Tannat based wine was still amazingly fruity, having a good tannic grip and a very good length. Tasted it alongside 2002, so you could barely notice any differences in colour. The 95 was still medium ruby with deep garnet rim. Absolutely stunning together with veal stew (the ingredients purchased at Navarrenx market and prepared at home, cooked in Uroulat's Jurancon Sec 2005 + 2008 :). Cheers! (3927 views) | | | Tasted by lilacwine_400 on 3/28/2010 & rated 89 points: très bien. encore vif & tannique à l'ouverture, s'est bien assoupli au bout d'une heure de carafe. puissant, épicé, assez long en bouche. (2848 views) | | | Tasted by Northern on 2/10/2007 & rated 89 points: Fully mature, soft tannins with cassis, blackberries, iron, some tertiary aromas of saddle, sous-bois. Actually improved with 30 mins of air. Drinking very well, something I could easily mistake for a Bordeuax if served blind. Very french and very nice even if not spectacular, my kind of wine. (3508 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 1/21/2007 & rated 86 points: Internet forum group magnum tasting. (@ Klap): Mature cabernet bouquet with cassis and good oak. Juicy. Chocolate. Cherries. The tannin is a bit drying. Fairly complex and a long finish. (3080 views) | | | Tasted by d'Artagnan on 1/2/2006 & rated 88 points: Bue le 26 décembre chez Charles, inférieur au Montus, très bien et à boire sans trop attendre. (3964 views) | | | Tasted by swyang on 9/16/2005 & rated 87 points: a little bit disappointing, perhaps already on a down hill. Strange how the tannin was very present, and yet the fruit was already a bit 'tired'. Still a lot of licorice, and powerful. (3755 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Château Bouscassé Producer website
U.S. Importer (Addt'l Info)Tannat Varietal character (Appellation America) | Wikipedia
A southern French variety, it's most commonly found in the southwest part of the country near the Pyrenees. Characteristically, it has hard tannins, raspberry aromas, and a fair amount of astringency. Given those tannins, it's successful as the base for French roses, where tannins are minimized by little skin contact. In blends, particularly in California, Tannat adds bite to what might otherwise be flabby or soft wines resulting from overripe grapes.
Wine from the Tannat grape is typically rough and tannic when young, but with aging will mature into a full-bodied red wine. Modern winemaking in France (Madiran appellation) has begun to emphasize the fruit more and utilize barrel aging to help soften the tannins, with the wines typically spending about twenty months in oak prior to bottling.
The Tannat vine was introduced in Uruguay by Basque settlers in the 1870’s and began to flourish as it readily adapted to the local soil and climate. Today it is often blended with Pinot Noir and Merlot, and is made in a variety of styles including those reminiscent of Port and Beaujolais. Although considered Uruguay’s national grape, Tannat is also grown in Argentina, Australia, Brazil and in Italy's Puglia region where it is used as a blending grape.
Tannat wines produced in Uruguay are usually lighter in body and lower in tannins than those from France. In France, efforts to solve the harsh tannic nature of this grape led to the development of the winemaking technique known as micro-oxygenation. Vineyards in Uruguay have begun to distinguish between the "old vines" that are descendants from the original European cuttings and the new clones introduced in the 1990’s. The newer vines tend to produce more powerful wines with higher alcohol levels but less acidity and complex fruit characteristics, although some wineries utilize both vines to make blends.
First brought to the US late in the 19th century by a UC Berkeley agricultural professor, Tannat plantings did not receive much attention until the 1990’s when California producers, most notably in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Paso Robles viticultural areas, began using it in blends with Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese and Syrah. In 2002, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms formally recognized Tannat as a separate varietal.
In the vineyard, Tannat is one of the easiest varietals to grow, ripening late and being frost hardy. Unlike other varietals, it is not prone to overproduction and so does not require thinning. The grape’s berries have thick skins, which make it resistant to powdery mildew and botrytis, and which contributes to the varietals naturally high tannins. One notable difficulty with growing Tannat is its thick stems, which cling tightly to the berries and can be difficult to remove at harvest.
Tannat has significantly higher polyphenol content than other red grapes, making it the most bioactive variety with regards to oxidative reactions in food. Doctors have recommended Tannat as being the best wine grape for cardiopulmonary health because it contains a large amount of the antioxidant procyanidin, a chemical which helps bolster blood vessels and increase oxygen flow to red blood cells, ultimately helping to avert cardiovascular disease.
Tannat makes decidedly robust wines, with pronounced aromas of tobacco smoke, plum or ripe berries. The wines also tend to be dense purple-red in color, with significant tannins and a wonderfully spicy finish. Notable California producers include Bonny Doon Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Tablas Creek Vineyards in Paso Robles.Vieilles Vignes Old Vine/Vieilles Vignes (Wikipedia)France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comSouthwest France Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins du Sud Ouest | Les vins du Tarn-et-Garonne on-lineMadiran Vin de Madiran (l'ESAT de Madiran)
The Madiran appellation is where red wines were born to go with magret and confit de canard. Alain Brumont is a master of this deep, dark-fruited, powerfully grippy style, the tannins melding satisfyingly with the fat of the meat. HT: |
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