November 9, 2018 - Garnet coloured with a brick red rim. On the nose, dark jammy fruit, brambles and spice. A hint of currant and fruitcake. On the palate, rich, smooth and silky with only a hint of tannin at the end. It is packed with dark fruit flavours of blackberry and blackcurrant, liquorice and cedar with a rich port like finish. Full bodied, there's no mistaking the 13.5% alcohol level.
September 28, 2018 - Single piece cork, no seepage.
Decanted 15 min
Ganet with significant browning.
Must say this is evolved however its mature flavours are delicious and polished. Supple tannins. In a good place right now.
Drink up
13.5% abv
April 4, 2015 - Way past its peak.
January 5, 2015 - Losing weight and fruit, nice though with a sunday roast chicken.
October 29, 2014 - Slowly giving up. Will drink remaining bottles soon with rustic food.
May 31, 2014 - Nose with ripe dark fruit, dark plums, some spice and chocolatey oak notes. Medium bodied, dark fruit notes with blackberries and dark plums, rather good concentration and decent acidity, well integrated tannins, rather pronounced oak. 85 p.
Accessible style for a Madiran, not at all very tannic monster and feels quite ready. A bit too obvious oak for my taste, though.
February 7, 2013 - Uniform dark ruby in the glass. Muted nose which opened up after 10 mins in the glass with black fruits, vanilla and mint. Unfortunately the nose became progressively gloopy over the next hour or two. Full bodied with tannins present but not overwhelming - quite balanced with the dark fruits and oak palate. Medium length. A simple but decent mid week quaffer.
October 26, 2012 - Ruby colour. Muted nose that opened up only slightly with air, with hints of blackberry, olives and oak. On the palate, this is a robust wine with real power, yet it remains well balanced; it is very spicy and savoury, and ends with very drying tannins and some bitterness. For me this wine lacks finesse. Not sure how it will evolve with additional bottle age. Will wait at least 2 years before I open my next bottle. Improved on Day 2. 84-85
September 6, 2012 - Relative average. Nothing special.
September 1, 2012 - Provning Chateau Bouscasse 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008:
1 Sep 2012. Samtliga med hög syra och strävhet.
2004 - tegelfärgad och klar. Smakade bäst av de jämförda vinerna. Ren, men något liten doft med tydliga drag av hallon och pinje. Klart avrundade syror och balanserad men ändock påtagligt mycket strävhet kvar. Medelfylligt med lång eftersmak. Mer kryddor och fat i smak än doft. Smakar blåbär, med toner av choklad och lakrits. Borde finnas utrymme för ytterligare ett par års lagring för att växa i smak.
2005 - röd, klar i färgen. Börjar öppna sig men upplevs trots åldern mindre mogen än 2006:an. Doftar köttigt och örtigt. Relativt fyllig, ganska sammansatt, len, ganska lång eftersmak. Doft och smak av timjan och mandel. Spara.
2006 - tegelröd. Doft av fat, kryddor och kaffe. I smaken sträv med grön paprika, björnbär. Något bitter, men lång eftersmak. Intressant att se hur vinet utvecklas på ytterligare ett par år.
2008 - lila i färgen. Frisk, intensivt druvig doft. Påtagligt mycket syra med viss strävhet. Pepprig och fruktig i smaken. Lite bitter ton i eftersmaken. Bör definitivt sparas några år för att slipa av kanterna. Upplevdes lite spretigt nuläget.