Château Montus Rouge
2018
A. Brumont represents the vision and dedication of Alain Brumont, a pioneering winemaker who transformed the once-overlooked Madiran appellation into one of the most respected wine regions in southwest France. Since inheriting the family estate Château Bouscass? in 1979 and acquiring Château Montus shortly after, Brumont has focused on rediscovering exceptional hillside terroirs and demonstrating the full potential of the Tannat grape. The winery’s philosophy is rooted in expressing the...
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Château Montus benefits from a superb terroir, unique in the Southwest, consisting of steep slopes with large pebbles on top of fine clay from the Pyrenees. A miracle occurred in 1985 when this wine upset the hierarchy of mythical red wines and was noticed all over the world, with its significant proportion of Tannat. Nicknamed the Petrus of the Southwest by a dozen wine critics for 30 years now, Château Montus expresses all the characteristics of these exceptional terroirs.
A selection of different plots from the Montus vineyard from vines with 25 to 30 years of age. A cold pre-fermentation maceration is followed by a slow fermentation. There is a long maceration of 30 to 45 days (depending on the vintage) and malolactic fermentation takes place in wooden vats. The wine is then aged for 36 months in 70% new barrels and 30% in oval wooden cases. It is then bottled for at least 2 years before release.
A smooth, deep wine, subtle notes of red fruit coulis, fine tannins, and controlled power culminating in an elegant, persistent finish.
Known as the showcase estate of Madiran, Alain Brumont always produces impressive wines. This latest release is in the same mold. It is rich in tannins with dark black fruits and a massive structure that needs time.
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Exhibiting notions of spices, tobacco, blackberries, licorice and herbs, the 2018 Château Montus is medium to full-bodied, broad and enveloping, with a fleshy core of fruit framed by fine tannins that gently assert themselves on the finish. More intense and tense than the 2018 Bouscassé, it needs a couple of years in the bottle to chill out, but you can already see the potential. This is a blend of 80% Tannat, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc sourced from vines planted on pebbles and clay soils, matured 36 months in barrels, of which 40% are new.
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The 2019 Chateau Montus demonstrates this property’s evolving style, exhibiting more density and seriousness without more extraction than its 2016 counterparts. It offers up aromas of loamy soils, blueberries, mulberries, spices and pencil lead, followed by a round, enveloping, charming palate with a layered core of fruit and a long, velvety and penetrating finish. This blend, consisting of 80% Tannat and 20% Cabernet Franc, showcases the roundness and fleshiness of clay soils. Keep it over the next decade and beyond.
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Black and red fruit fight for attention here, along with crushed cranberries, Christmas spicing, mint and underbrush. It's full-bodied and silky, with herbs and eucalyptus, dark chocolate and ash. The tannins are definitely there but they're fine and silky. Fermented in wooden vats, and then aged in barrels for 12 months, 60%-80% of which were new oak.
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A firm, serious and well-structured blend of 80% tannat and 20% cabernet sauvignon. Notes of dark plums, blackberries, dried herbs and baking spices emerge on the nose. It’s medium- to full-bodied with fine, firm tannins and fresh acidity. Plain and dense on the palate with more dark berry character and a touch of spices
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Neatly blending 80% Tannat with 20% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Château Montus is a wine of character and class. Pencil shavings, cedar wood, black cherry, black plum and forest floor are front and center. Time in the glass brings out iodine and herbal nuances. High levels of polished tannins elegantly frame this streamlined 2019 red that’s totally focused. It spent the first year in barriques (50% new) followed by two years in large 80-hectoliter foudres.
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