Madiran is a dark masculine wine from the south of France. I'm a big fan of this style and the Montus is from Alain Brumont, by far the best known producer in the region. A lot of it is the mouthfeel. The tannins are big but not harsh and the wine coats your mouth with smooth persistence. But with all that said, I didn't like this as much as I expected. The nose is great. Restrained but with a distinct menthol note as well as some earthier notes I can't put my finger on (Kelly is the one with all the wine words) . But the palate is a bit disappointing in comparison. Great mouthfeel but not a whole lot else going on.
Kelly felt generally the same, but liked it better: here's her note: "Dark, luscious nose of stewed plum, cedar, violets, anise, campfire. Mostly fruit, licorice, and lots of tar on the palate. Long, with grippy tannins. The nose promises a bit more than the palate delivers, but on the whole this is a nicely structured wine with lots of interest."
Day 2 update: I like this quite a lot more on the second time around, even though Kelly says it may have faded in the half bottle. Maybe I'm just paying more attention today. There's lots going on, but mostly in the low notes, so you have to kind of pay attention. But it pays off if you do. I'm going to raise my original score from 88 to 91. (I should have known better than to disagree with Kelly.)
Price: $38.29
Value: 4/5
Score: 91
Alcohol: 14.5%
Tasted: Oct 2008
ANBL UPC: 3372220021019
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On Friday, by coincidence we had the 2002 Montus as well. The colour was dark purple rim to opaque core. Aromas of Dark, Dark Cherries and dried Cocoa Powder underlining warm oak and dried cloves- accenting a fine wine smell of cassis. The Palate was dominated by chewy tannins and a powerful mouth fell that went straight through the top of your month. Bone dry- persistent acidity almost phenol. The strength of the wine as a perfect match with the grilled prime rib with a balsamic reduction- the wine was even better with food. I had to rush out to replace the bottle as it could cellar for a long time- Great Cork as well. One of the best wines I have had this year.
ReplyDeleteValue 5/5
Score 96