Château Montus

Château Montus XL,Madiran 1996 0,75l

Montus XL is an exceptionally ambitious cuvée from Château Montus, made entirely from Tannat. The grapes come from steep, south-facing slopes strewn with large pebbles over clay, producing very ripe, concentrated fruit. After hand-picking and a long maceration, the wine is aged for around 40 months in 600-litre French oak barrels, all of them new. The bouquet is intense and complex, with black cherry, blackberry and plum framed by cocoa, mocha, leather, cigar box and balsamic notes. On the palate Montus XL is extraordinarily dense, silky and layered, with fine-grained tannins, great depth and a very long, savoury finish that rewards extended cellaring.

Forty months of ageing on the lees in large 600-litre barrels shape a deep, complex and harmoniously mature Madiran.