48x 1990 (37x Bdx, 6x Napa, 5x others): I think this might have been my first Tannat ever. More interesting as it is different from what I drink usually, than really good. The highlight was the quite well-rounded and balanced structural frame, which often seems to be a problem with this grape, according to our host. Reading the other notes here, a long decant might have opened-up the wine more and bring out more complexity. 89 pts
TN: The nose gives the impression that this will be a dark, dense, tannic monster, with high alcohol and lots of herbs and minerality. The palate brings some vindication but shows a bit simple with lots ripe dark fruits, and loads of minerality but not much more. The tannins are round(er than anticipated), the acidity is medium+ and well-integrated and the balance is quite good.
Decanting: Quick double decant roughly 4 hours before the tasting. Maybe a few hours in the decanter would have helped to bring out more complexity.
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The most elegant and resolved Madiran I have ever had. Not that I have had much, but this is an excellent wine that bears no resemblance to rustic and heady Madirans I have sometimes had.
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Such a beauty and more friendly and open than three '94 Montus we had alongside. Mellowed fruits, forest floor on the nose. Juicy and you can drink it on your own, which is not so often for Madiran.
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In the bouquet autumn forest, mushrooms, earth and leather. On the palate still some juicy dark berries, sweet licorice, firm acidity and tannin which still has some bite. Good length. Still alive and kicking.
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Weekly tasting group #172; Bordeaux 1998 (@ VD): Beautiful and expressive, mature bouquet with red and dark forest fruits, some chocolate, luxurious oak and some pleasant barnyard. On the palate soft red and still somewhat creamy fruits, green herbs, luxurious oak, some toast, beautiful acidity and mature and soft tannin. The wine is completely ready, but there is no hurry at all when this is coming from a good cellar. To be honest I should be ashamed. Tasting it blind I thought this was a beautiful and mature Bordeaux. Madiran did not come into my mind. 91 – 92.
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fabulous example of Madiran! very deep color, almost black in appearance. complex nose of black and red fruit, double decanted for 2 hours. medium to full bodied, a bit sturdy in character but that is exactly what a Madiran should be. great vintage from mature ripe Tannat-grapes. It seems this wine is able to last for much longer, although I have to presume it is at peak, but will keep for a number of years. lots of sediment, cork saturated for 3/4.
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Beautiful mature bouquet, rustic and a bit earthy. On the palate black as well as red fruits and some chocolate and earthy impressions as well. The tannin is soft and round. The wine is completely ready, but no real hurry to drink it. It will probably stay on this level for another year or 2.
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Decanted 2h but another 2-3h are in fact needed. Big nose, lot of eucalyptus, cassis, a touch of raspberry with a cedary note. Very Bordeaux in its profile. Full body, 12.5%, powerful wine but without heaviness. Palate matches the nose, tarry notes. Complex wine overall but needs a few more years to fully mature and integrate even better the oak. This was a great wine without the elegance of the Montus Prestige.
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I have a few of these the last 10 years, and nothing seems to happen to this wine. It is almost the same wine it was back in 1998. Still quite tannic, but with a wonderful fruit and terroirfeeling. This wine is heavliy oaked, and the nose can easliy be mistaken as a good Bordeaux's. The Tannatgrape is more evident in the tase, and the bitter tannins will probably never go away. Still - it is a great wine for a rougher meal - steak bearnaise?
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double decanted 45 minutes in advance; exceptional colour for a 17 year old! almost "black as Egypt's night" (although not as exceptional as I remember Chateau d'Aydie, another wine form Madiran), no sign of age at all. The nose showed dark fruit impressions at first, later on followed by more secondary impressions of leather. On the palate the wine tasted, at first, a bit thin and harsh, but this changed considerably after about appr. 30 minutes or so. It put on more weight and the warmth of the 1990 summer came through. Very good wine, although the tannins in this grape (Tannat) remain somewhat harsh and will probably take a much longer period of time to soften completely. lots of life in it. May be kept for many more years; not everyone's friend though because of its sturdy character. Very good example of Madiran in a top vintage.
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Colour: Pretty dark and not showing much of age. By looking at the wine I would never guess it is a 17 years old wine. There is just a slight touch of amber at the rim.
Nose: If you can talk about texture in the nose, this would be a soft texture. Black currants are mixed with some toffee and red and black cherries.
Taste: A full bodied taste of mixed cherries, pencil led, licorice. The tannins are starting to soften up a little bit, but still very rough for being 17 years old. The acidity is very much alive, may be a bit to dominant. The taste is a bit on the short side. I’m not sure if the fruit in this wine will last the time it will take to break down the tannins. However a fine effort from Bouscasse that shows that you can make some very good wines with the Tannat grape. Really looking forward to try the 1990 Montus, which should be better.
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Straigtht from the bottle. Not sure about this wine. It is still very dark and dense. The nose is not giving up that much, but one can sence that this is not a young wine. The mouth is is rich but held back and not really showing the full potential. However I am a bit alarmed by the high acidity in this wine.
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4/24/2022 - Cailles wrote: 89 Points
48x 1990 (37x Bdx, 6x Napa, 5x others): I think this might have been my first Tannat ever. More interesting as it is different from what I drink usually, than really good. The highlight was the quite well-rounded and balanced structural frame, which often seems to be a problem with this grape, according to our host. Reading the other notes here, a long decant might have opened-up the wine more and bring out more complexity. 89 pts
TN: The nose gives the impression that this will be a dark, dense, tannic monster, with high alcohol and lots of herbs and minerality. The palate brings some vindication but shows a bit simple with lots ripe dark fruits, and loads of minerality but not much more. The tannins are round(er than anticipated), the acidity is medium+ and well-integrated and the balance is quite good.
Decanting: Quick double decant roughly 4 hours before the tasting. Maybe a few hours in the decanter would have helped to bring out more complexity.
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10/8/2018 - AV2012 wrote: 92 Points
The most elegant and resolved Madiran I have ever had. Not that I have had much, but this is an excellent wine that bears no resemblance to rustic and heady Madirans I have sometimes had.
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1/23/2018 - AV2012 wrote: 92 Points
Such a beauty and more friendly and open than three '94 Montus we had alongside. Mellowed fruits, forest floor on the nose. Juicy and you can drink it on your own, which is not so often for Madiran.
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4/20/2017 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
In the bouquet autumn forest, mushrooms, earth and leather. On the palate still some juicy dark berries, sweet licorice, firm acidity and tannin which still has some bite. Good length. Still alive and kicking.
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6/22/2015 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Weekly tasting group #172; Bordeaux 1998 (@ VD): Beautiful and expressive, mature bouquet with red and dark forest fruits, some chocolate, luxurious oak and some pleasant barnyard. On the palate soft red and still somewhat creamy fruits, green herbs, luxurious oak, some toast, beautiful acidity and mature and soft tannin. The wine is completely ready, but there is no hurry at all when this is coming from a good cellar. To be honest I should be ashamed. Tasting it blind I thought this was a beautiful and mature Bordeaux. Madiran did not come into my mind. 91 – 92.
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2/15/2013 - costamalfitana wrote: 92 Points
fabulous example of Madiran! very deep color, almost black in appearance. complex nose of black and red fruit, double decanted for 2 hours. medium to full bodied, a bit sturdy in character but that is exactly what a Madiran should be. great vintage from mature ripe Tannat-grapes.
It seems this wine is able to last for much longer, although I have to presume it is at peak, but will keep for a number of years.
lots of sediment, cork saturated for 3/4.
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7/20/2012 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Beautiful mature bouquet, rustic and a bit earthy. On the palate black as well as red fruits and some chocolate and earthy impressions as well. The tannin is soft and round. The wine is completely ready, but no real hurry to drink it. It will probably stay on this level for another year or 2.
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1/15/2012 - 911henrik wrote: 68 Points
Game over. No smell, no taste. Just flat.
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8/19/2010 - meinweinkeller wrote: 92 Points
Oohhh, my good! still young. This nose - so riche with a touche animalic. Opulent mouth like a riche bordeaux.
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2/13/2010 - french16 wrote:
Decanted 2h but another 2-3h are in fact needed. Big nose, lot of eucalyptus, cassis, a touch of raspberry with a cedary note. Very Bordeaux in its profile. Full body, 12.5%, powerful wine but without heaviness. Palate matches the nose, tarry notes. Complex wine overall but needs a few more years to fully mature and integrate even better the oak.
This was a great wine without the elegance of the Montus Prestige.
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11/19/2008 - Barbalax wrote: 89 Points
I have a few of these the last 10 years, and nothing seems to happen to this wine. It is almost the same wine it was back in 1998. Still quite tannic, but with a wonderful fruit and terroirfeeling. This wine is heavliy oaked, and the nose can easliy be mistaken as a good Bordeaux's. The Tannatgrape is more evident in the tase, and the bitter tannins will probably never go away. Still - it is a great wine for a rougher meal - steak bearnaise?
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12/2/2007 - costamalfitana wrote: 91 Points
double decanted 45 minutes in advance; exceptional colour for a 17 year old! almost "black as Egypt's night" (although not as exceptional as I remember Chateau d'Aydie, another wine form Madiran), no sign of age at all. The nose showed dark fruit impressions at first, later on followed by more secondary impressions of leather. On the palate the wine tasted, at first, a bit thin and harsh, but this changed considerably after about appr. 30 minutes or so. It put on more weight and the warmth of the 1990 summer came through. Very good wine, although the tannins in this grape (Tannat) remain somewhat harsh and will probably take a much longer period of time to soften completely. lots of life in it. May be kept for many more years; not everyone's friend though because of its sturdy character. Very good example of Madiran in a top vintage.
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11/30/2007 - Dawa wrote: 88 Points
Colour: Pretty dark and not showing much of age. By looking at the wine I would never guess it is a 17 years old wine. There is just a slight touch of amber at the rim.
Nose: If you can talk about texture in the nose, this would be a soft texture. Black currants are mixed with some toffee and red and black cherries.
Taste: A full bodied taste of mixed cherries, pencil led, licorice. The tannins are starting to soften up a little bit, but still very rough for being 17 years old. The acidity is very much alive, may be a bit to dominant. The taste is a bit on the short side. I’m not sure if the fruit in this wine will last the time it will take to break down the tannins. However a fine effort from Bouscasse that shows that you can make some very good wines with the Tannat grape. Really looking forward to try the 1990 Montus, which should be better.
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8/26/2005 - Dawa wrote: 88 Points
Straigtht from the bottle. Not sure about this wine. It is still very dark and dense. The nose is not giving up that much, but one can sence that this is not a young wine. The mouth is is rich but held back and not really showing the full potential. However I am a bit alarmed by the high acidity in this wine.
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