Madiran
Château Montus
Cuvée Prestige Madiran Tannat 1998
Château Montus
XL Madiran Tannat 1999
This 25-year old really is a testament to the power and longevity of Tannat.
A bouquet of stewed blackberries, dried figs, and prunes mingling with tobacco leaf, leather, and hint of barnyard. subtle waft of black dark cocoa as well. On the palate the bold structure remains mostly intact. Bright acidity adds intensity. The finish is long, candied and savory. — 9 months ago
Alain Brumont
Madiran Meinjarre Tannat 2016
No notes, to go along arguably the best cassoulet in the region. Black fruits on the nose, a bit of leather too. Great acid drive and great width, nice tannins all along and fine tannins that kick in the rear before a nice and delicate finish. Great stuff and pairing made in heaven. — 3 years ago
Château Bouscassé
Madiran Tannat Blend 2019
Costco $17 — 4 months ago
Château Montus
Madiran Tannat Blend 2007
Sturdy and tannic. Not dark nor brooding. Still enough fruit to keep things balanced. I actually kinda missed the usual barn, poop and cattle smell. — 8 months ago
Willem Booij
There are bottles I expect to be great, and then there are bottles that still manage to stop me in your tracks.
Château Montus Cuvée Prestige 1998 is firmly in that second category.
This wine has rested quietly in my cellar for nearly three decades, patiently waiting, gathering depth rather than dust. Opening it tonight feels less like uncorking a bottle and more like releasing a memory that has been maturing alongside time itself.
I use to secretly hide this wine among a line up of great clarets and it always stood out!
From the first pour, it’s clear: this wine is fully evolved, yet beautifully alive. The once powerful Tannat backbone has softened into something remarkably refined. The texture is silky, rich, almost velvety, no rough edges left, only harmony.
Dark fruit has given way to layers of leather, cedar, dried plum, cocoa and subtle spice. Everything is integrated, calm, confident. A wine that no longer needs to prove anything.
What amazes me most is not just how good it is, but how complete it feels. This is maturity without fatigue. Depth without heaviness. Power transformed into elegance, love it!
I’ve always known that wines from Château Montus, under the vision of the great Alain Brumont, were built for the long haul. Crafted from old-vine Tannat, grown on the steep, clay-limestone slopes of Madiran, Cuvée Prestige is fermented and aged with patience and intent, often spending extended time in new French oak. It was never meant to be rushed i learned decades ago.
Still, every time I open a mature Montus, I surprise myself all over again.
1998 has reached a point where everything makes sense. It is fully on its drinking window, perhaps right at its sweet spot, and it delivers pure pleasure, calmly and generously.
A reminder that great wine is not about price, prestige, power or extraction, but about time, trust, and restraint.
This bottle didn’t just age well.
It became something greater. 95 WBP — 6 days ago