Community Tasting Notes 1

• Illaheman Likes this wine: 89 points

  March 2, 2013 - This wine from Chateau Viella is a blend of 80% Tannat and 20% Cabernet. This is a negotiant/cooperative wine from Saint Mont. This 2000 vintage wine, (a big ripe vintage in France), has some very noticeable tannins that are starting to integrate. This is a full-bodied wine, and you notice immediately that the winemaker made a choice to use a lot of oak. The oak presence is surprising to me, given the years in the bottle, however, the more I learn, the more I understand that these wines sit in the barrel longer to help out with the tannins. To me, the wine shows too much influence from new oak. At first, I was taken aback by the oak. However, over a few days, I really was won over by this wine, even with the oak.
  
  This wine is layered, rich, and offers you a great deal of character. Like so many good french wines, this wines attributes and subtlety unfold slowly. Its quality is parsed out during its time in the glass, and one waits patiently for it to grudgingly yield each step and depth of concentration. I found myself wanting "just a bit more" of this wine each evening. It is very flavorful and the fruit is forward. You notice easily the attributes of terrior showing in its earthy finish.
  
  If you like the slightly austere attributes and old school styled French Bordeaux, I suggest you give this a try. You will need to overlook the incredible amount of oak, but its worth a look. Its food friendly, and it's already aged out a bit, given it's a 2000. Buy one, try it, and see if you want more. This wine has got a lot of life ahead in it. I believe it will continue to get better with some more time in the bottle. I enjoyed it over three nights enough to buy more, and to recommend it.

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Wine Definition

• Vintage 2000
• Type Red
• Producer Producteurs Plaimont
• Varietal Tannat
• Designation Château Viella Village
• Vineyard n/a
• Country France
• Region Southwest France
• SubRegion n/a
• Appellation Madiran

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• Pending Delivery 0 (0%)
• In Cellars 9 (100%)
• Consumed 0 (0%)

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