Drinking nicely now. Tannins are more polished. Still lots of dark fruit and smoke. Some hint of bitterness in the finish. I haven’t tried older madiran but I think I will wait a couple of more years just to see what happens.
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A blend of Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from vineyards ranging from 20 to 100 years in age. Macerated with the skins for 3 to 6 weeks. Aged in French oak barriques (30% to 50% new). 13,5% alcohol.
Deep, moderately opaque blackish-red color with a slightly evolved brick-red hue. The nose feels savory and quite similar to a classic Bordeaux with aromas of fresh red plums, some herbaceous leafy tones, a little bit of brambly raspberry, light sweeter notes of dark-toned toasty oak, a hint of licorice root and a woody touch of pencil shavings. The wine feels dry, savory and quite dense on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of fresh blackcurrants and chokeberries, some tart red plums, a little bit of toasty oak spice, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of ripe black raspberry and a herbaceous touch of leafy greenness. The wine is impressively structured and quite sinewy with its high acidity and quite grippy yet not aggressive tannins. The finish is juicy, dry and moderately grippy with a rather lengthy aftertaste of ripe blackcurrants, some crunchy notes of chokeberries and fresh black raspberries, a little bit of toasty mocha oak, light gravelly mineral tones, a sweeter hint of ripe red plum and a touch of herbaceous greenness.
A nice, firm and structured Madiran with very harmonious overall feel. With its somewhat - but not overdone - oak influence, the wine doesn't really come across as that old-school, but at the same time the wine (with its quite noticeable Cab component) feels very similar to a Bordeaux, just more "traditional" than most of the Bordeaux reds produced today. When it comes to the reds of Alain Brumont, I prefer these slightly leaner and more structure-driven Bouscassé wines to the Montus wines, which feel softer, more modern and less structured in comparison. This wine seemed still pretty youthful and I have no doubts it could continue to develop and improve for at least another decade - perhaps even more. At just 15,22€, this wine has been a bargain.
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Really like it! Interesting and complex nose for the price. Lovely balanced mix of leather, oak, pepper, plum, game and barnyard. Still young and fresh with moderately high acidity and tannins that are more polished now. Medium finish. Can be cellared several more years.
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Beaucoup de puissance. On sent un côté fumé, mêlé au travers du fruits encore bien présent. Excellent équilibre entre l'acidité et les tanins. Demeure très agréable et complet. On sent une petite touche florale probablement amené par le cabernet franc (pétale de rose séchée). Pour le prix, c'est excellent. On excellent achat pour la cave.
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Dunkles Bordeauxrot, violette Reflexe. Sehr kräftige Nase, sauber, noch etwas vom Holz geprägt, dunkle Beeren, vor allem Brombeeren aber auch etwas Cassis und eine schöne Würze, gute Komplexität. Sehr sauberer, präziser Auftakt, herrlich frische, knackige Frucht, wieder Brombeeren, dazu etwas weisser Pfeffer, das Holz sehr gut eingebunden, die Gerbstoffe fein und reif, dazu eine sehr gute Säure, gute Komplexität und Länge. Jetzt bis 2025, 17 vvPunkte (86/100) www.vvwine.ch
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Tha faintest little taint of tca, blew off but still. I think this was underperforming relative to expectations. Not tired though, the fruit is still there - and rather berry-driven. As this comes across as a little too generic right now i am going to hold remaining 2 btls - min. 5 yrs.
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Dark fruit, cassis, balanced oak, licorice, hint of perfume, medium+ tannins, medium+ body, lemon cest. Missing something in the middle, especially when paired with barbeque of lamb and beef. Even though good value for money. Still in its youth!
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Very oaky upon opening. Blew off after 1hr decant. There are signs of aging here, palate felt like the aged notes were the core with the fruit and acid placed on top. Tannin integrated. Typical Bouscassé although perhaps not the best vintage? Beginning of drinking window but plenty fruit still so dont rush it. Next bottle by 2023 ca.
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Integrated oak, dark fruit, leather and not to tannic despite its reputation. Really good value for money. After 2 hours a nice perfume appears. Good wine!
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Très tertiaire et terreux. Sol humide et feuilles morte avec des champignons. Tannins hyper serrés et finale longue mais asséchante. Pas pour moi et trop long à attendre.
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Really delicious and classically styled Madiran. The tannins are still present and thick but smoothing out into a blanket. Robust flavors of earth, herbs, roasted pepper, dark fruits. Extremely long finish. I think this is drinking really ideally right now.
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Drank this at home with my spouse over lunch and a hearty ribeye steak.
Bright, vibrant purple with crimson hues. Notes of fresh floral bouquet on the nose and violets. On the palate, the wine is amazingly balanced with rich berries, plums, notes of vanilla, fresh acidity and smoothness.
A blend of 3 grape types (50% Tannat, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Cabernet Franc), this is a variation from the usual style and line-up from the Bordeaux wines. Good structure and character.
Bought from Cellarmasters Wines.
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A gift from our friends who are opening up a little wine shop in France. This was a bottle that they thought I would really appreciate and they were right! I don’t often drink Tannat, mostly because I rarely see it, but I would totally be down to drink it more often if this is representative of the grape. On the nose, it was a little horse blanket giving me the impression that there was just a touch of Brett but only just. Mostly, it was raspberries and espresso. On the palate, it was raspberries, tart cherries, dark chocolate and espresso. The tannins seems to build over the two hours we enjoyed the bottle but I didn’t find them punishing. Good acid. I want more of this!
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Kind of a Bordeaux-esque flavor profile, with strong tannins. Some hard edges at this point, but they softened with extended air and more fruit emerged. Did not get overwhelming oak as mentioned in a previous note, and I am very sensitive oak influence. Overall, I found this to not be a very memorable or distinctive red, but may improve with some age.
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Brumont's Wines Masterclass (Bouscasse et Montus) (Lavinia - Madrid): Hard as a pelota of baseball in the mouth. All wood with roasted notes. Its time will come. Or not. On the nose stands out for a vegetable note with some minerality. Also smells like memories of fresh red fruit. The three varieties are mixed just at the end of the process.
Duro como una pelota de frontón en boca. Todo madera con nota torrefactas. Su hora llegará. O no. En nariz destaca por una nota vegetal con algo de mineralidad. También parecen recuerdos de fruta roja fresca. Se mezclan al final las tres variedades.
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A nice wine for the price for sure, but not very standout nor recognizable as having French character. Blackberry, light spice, very drinkable. The Ch. Montus from the same producer was much more memorable for not much more $.
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Closed extremely tight; only the last glass more than 24 hours after opening shows much of anything at all, offering hints of chocolate, blackberry, mint and anise. Massive tannins, as one expects. Good acidity. Seems perfectly promising, but needs at least some short term cellaring to even begin to evaluate. Right now it's useful mainly just for polyphenol delivery.
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12/30/2023 - stesod wrote:
2023
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10/8/2023 - Sebastian80 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking nicely now. Tannins are more polished. Still lots of dark fruit and smoke. Some hint of bitterness in the finish. I haven’t tried older madiran but I think I will wait a couple of more years just to see what happens.
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8/6/2023 - Ozric wrote: 88 Points
Nose: Vanilla, soft sweet fruit.
Palate: Balanced entry, sour fruit. Mid-palate is a bit hollow with fine but a slightly sandy tannins. Not much on the aftertaste.
What is there is nice, but there is not enough of it.
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5/13/2023 - forceberry wrote: 91 Points
A blend of Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from vineyards ranging from 20 to 100 years in age. Macerated with the skins for 3 to 6 weeks. Aged in French oak barriques (30% to 50% new). 13,5% alcohol.
Deep, moderately opaque blackish-red color with a slightly evolved brick-red hue. The nose feels savory and quite similar to a classic Bordeaux with aromas of fresh red plums, some herbaceous leafy tones, a little bit of brambly raspberry, light sweeter notes of dark-toned toasty oak, a hint of licorice root and a woody touch of pencil shavings. The wine feels dry, savory and quite dense on the palate with a medium body and intense flavors of fresh blackcurrants and chokeberries, some tart red plums, a little bit of toasty oak spice, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of ripe black raspberry and a herbaceous touch of leafy greenness. The wine is impressively structured and quite sinewy with its high acidity and quite grippy yet not aggressive tannins. The finish is juicy, dry and moderately grippy with a rather lengthy aftertaste of ripe blackcurrants, some crunchy notes of chokeberries and fresh black raspberries, a little bit of toasty mocha oak, light gravelly mineral tones, a sweeter hint of ripe red plum and a touch of herbaceous greenness.
A nice, firm and structured Madiran with very harmonious overall feel. With its somewhat - but not overdone - oak influence, the wine doesn't really come across as that old-school, but at the same time the wine (with its quite noticeable Cab component) feels very similar to a Bordeaux, just more "traditional" than most of the Bordeaux reds produced today. When it comes to the reds of Alain Brumont, I prefer these slightly leaner and more structure-driven Bouscassé wines to the Montus wines, which feel softer, more modern and less structured in comparison. This wine seemed still pretty youthful and I have no doubts it could continue to develop and improve for at least another decade - perhaps even more. At just 15,22€, this wine has been a bargain.
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4/30/2023 - Sebastian80 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really like it! Interesting and complex nose for the price. Lovely balanced mix of leather, oak, pepper, plum, game and barnyard. Still young and fresh with moderately high acidity and tannins that are more polished now. Medium finish. Can be cellared several more years.
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3/5/2023 - Annika Karlbom wrote:
Smakrikt, ok.
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1/15/2023 - Vince_chip Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beaucoup de puissance. On sent un côté fumé, mêlé au travers du fruits encore bien présent. Excellent équilibre entre l'acidité et les tanins. Demeure très agréable et complet. On sent une petite touche florale probablement amené par le cabernet franc (pétale de rose séchée).
Pour le prix, c'est excellent. On excellent achat pour la cave.
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1/9/2023 - vvWine.ch wrote: 86 Points
Dunkles Bordeauxrot, violette Reflexe. Sehr kräftige Nase, sauber, noch etwas vom Holz geprägt, dunkle Beeren, vor allem Brombeeren aber auch etwas Cassis und eine schöne Würze, gute Komplexität. Sehr sauberer, präziser Auftakt, herrlich frische, knackige Frucht, wieder Brombeeren, dazu etwas weisser Pfeffer, das Holz sehr gut eingebunden, die Gerbstoffe fein und reif, dazu eine sehr gute Säure, gute Komplexität und Länge. Jetzt bis 2025, 17 vvPunkte (86/100) www.vvwine.ch
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10/30/2022 - JNebs wrote: 87 Points
Strong blackberries and cassis balanced with equally strong acidity and moderate tannin. Moderately long finish
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8/20/2022 - Martin_G wrote: 88 Points
Tha faintest little taint of tca, blew off but still. I think this was underperforming relative to expectations. Not tired though, the fruit is still there - and rather berry-driven. As this comes across as a little too generic right now i am going to hold remaining 2 btls - min. 5 yrs.
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6/18/2022 - Ulveström Likes this wine: 88 Points
Dark fruit, cassis, balanced oak, licorice, hint of perfume, medium+ tannins, medium+ body, lemon cest. Missing something in the middle, especially when paired with barbeque of lamb and beef. Even though good value for money. Still in its youth!
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7/8/2021 - UFGators Likes this wine: 92 Points
A solid performing wine at a cheap price point. Didn’t hold up second day but at 20 a bottle who cares?
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6/10/2021 - Henrik B Likes this wine: 84 Points
Ok. Not so tannic as 2017
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3/13/2021 - Martin_G wrote: 88 Points
Very oaky upon opening. Blew off after 1hr decant. There are signs of aging here, palate felt like the aged notes were the core with the fruit and acid placed on top. Tannin integrated. Typical Bouscassé although perhaps not the best vintage? Beginning of drinking window but plenty fruit still so dont rush it. Next bottle by 2023 ca.
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1/23/2021 - Vince_chip Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bien bon, pas prêt d’être a son peak. Encore beaucoup d’astringente et de tanins. Peu vieillir encore.
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1/9/2021 - adamanko wrote: 88 Points
No signs of tiredness. 88.
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12/20/2020 - Ulveström wrote: 88 Points
Integrated oak, dark fruit, leather and not to tannic despite its reputation. Really good value for money. After 2 hours a nice perfume appears. Good wine!
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11/14/2020 - joraesque wrote: 88 Points
A bit of a brute...
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11/1/2020 - maxima wrote: 86 Points
Très tertiaire et terreux.
Sol humide et feuilles morte avec
des champignons. Tannins hyper serrés
et finale longue mais asséchante.
Pas pour moi et trop long à attendre.
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10/8/2020 - Cosmo M. Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really delicious and classically styled Madiran. The tannins are still present and thick but smoothing out into a blanket. Robust flavors of earth, herbs, roasted pepper, dark fruits. Extremely long finish. I think this is drinking really ideally right now.
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8/5/2020 - SpicyMartini wrote: 87 Points
Strong earth, dirt, leaves. Blackberries, then overflowing with acidity. Low tannin, medium finish.
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5/25/2020 - stayhappy21 wrote: 88 Points
Drank this at home with my spouse over lunch and a hearty ribeye steak.
Bright, vibrant purple with crimson hues. Notes of fresh floral bouquet on the nose and violets. On the palate, the wine is amazingly balanced with rich berries, plums, notes of vanilla, fresh acidity and smoothness.
A blend of 3 grape types (50% Tannat, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Cabernet Franc), this is a variation from the usual style and line-up from the Bordeaux wines. Good structure and character.
Bought from Cellarmasters Wines.
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3/11/2020 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
A lot of rosemary and green herb,
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11/4/2019 - thesternowl Likes this wine: 91 Points
A gift from our friends who are opening up a little wine shop in France. This was a bottle that they thought I would really appreciate and they were right! I don’t often drink Tannat, mostly because I rarely see it, but I would totally be down to drink it more often if this is representative of the grape. On the nose, it was a little horse blanket giving me the impression that there was just a touch of Brett but only just. Mostly, it was raspberries and espresso. On the palate, it was raspberries, tart cherries, dark chocolate and espresso. The tannins seems to build over the two hours we enjoyed the bottle but I didn’t find them punishing. Good acid. I want more of this!
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7/5/2019 - Rune Schwartz Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark berries and some spices in the aroma and palate. Medium acid and tannins. Very well integrated oak. Some bitterness.
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5/17/2019 - BillsWine wrote:
A red blend: 60% Tannat; 20% CS; 20% CF.
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5/14/2019 - PIntag wrote: 88 Points
Kind of a Bordeaux-esque flavor profile, with strong tannins. Some hard edges at this point, but they softened with extended air and more fruit emerged. Did not get overwhelming oak as mentioned in a previous note, and I am very sensitive oak influence. Overall, I found this to not be a very memorable or distinctive red, but may improve with some age.
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11/7/2018 - Harley1199 wrote:
Brumont's Wines Masterclass (Bouscasse et Montus) (Lavinia - Madrid): Hard as a pelota of baseball in the mouth. All wood with roasted notes. Its time will come. Or not. On the nose stands out for a vegetable note with some minerality. Also smells like memories of fresh red fruit. The three varieties are mixed just at the end of the process.
Duro como una pelota de frontón en boca. Todo madera con nota torrefactas. Su hora llegará. O no. En nariz destaca por una nota vegetal con algo de mineralidad. También parecen recuerdos de fruta roja fresca. Se mezclan al final las tres variedades.
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10/27/2018 - sid_loves_wine wrote: 89 Points
A nice wine for the price for sure, but not very standout nor recognizable as having French character. Blackberry, light spice, very drinkable. The Ch. Montus from the same producer was much more memorable for not much more $.
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9/3/2018 - Beerzebub wrote:
Closed extremely tight; only the last glass more than 24 hours after opening shows much of anything at all, offering hints of chocolate, blackberry, mint and anise. Massive tannins, as one expects. Good acidity. Seems perfectly promising, but needs at least some short term cellaring to even begin to evaluate. Right now it's useful mainly just for polyphenol delivery.
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