Alain Brumont Chateau Bouscasse Madiran 2017
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Very deep garnet color right out to the rim. This wine is full of vibrant, rich black cherry and blackberry fruit with a hint of spice on the nose. With great balance and structure this wine is meant to be enjoyed now or every year after for the next decade.
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From the home estate of Madiran's guru Alain Brumont, the wine is a rich blend of Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Still so young but with great potential, it is a ripe, black fruit and spice flavored wine, a fine summation of greatness in Madiran. The tannins are still dense and the wine needs plenty of time. Drink from 2024.
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The steeply-sloped vineyards at Montus face south and southwest, the vines planted in pebbly, well-draining soil. Eighty percent tannat (the rest cabernet sauvignon), this is a hefty but restrained wine, with richness in the dried-blueberry and bay-leaf flavors. It feels hearty, like a €50 entrée at a country restaurant, a classic dish where you’re just paying for the food cost, not the culinary innovation.
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Alain Brumont took over the little family wine estate, Chateau Bouscassé, in 1979, then purchased Chateau Montus to create the wine of his dreams. He constructed his first underground cellars at Bouscassé in 1988, then the new Chateau Montus cellars in 1995. By 2003, the chateau had been renovated to receive seminars and special events. In 1990 he discovered the ideal stretch of land that would become a world-renowned icon: La Tyre. Alain has been voted best French winemaker and, at the international level, the producer of one of the ten finest wines in the world.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Offering the perfect balance of quality and value, Southwest, France is a recognized appellation that encompasses all wine regions in France’s southwestern corner (except for Bordeaux and Cognac, which merit their very own). Two of the more famous subregions here are Cahors, known for its Malbec, and Madiran, home of the robust Tannat grape. Bordeaux Blends are also popular red wines of the Southwest; Petit Manseng is the regions’s star autochthonous white variety.