Chateau Montus Madiran 2003

We normally don't review two wines back to back but this time I had to make an exception. A few members of Tex and Gidget's wine crew met at Marche Bacchus for the normal wine tasting they have every Saturday. We sat down for lunch and we had them bring us a blind red wine. In the glass it showed medium to full body with a deep reddish color. the age ring seemed to indicated about 2004-2005 vintage. On the nose there was leather, cassis, musky and very little fruit. Some members also reported high alcohol. One member even suggested alcohol as high as 14%. On the palette the cassis really came through with very strong tannins and very little fruit. Most everyone in the group now agreed we were looking at a Cabernet Sauvignon or a blend with Cabernet Sauvignon. However, there was disagreement on new world vs old world. Most of the group decided on new world but two members decided on a Cabernet Sauvigon Bordeaux blend. The bottle was reveled to us as a Chateau Montus Madiran 2003. This wine is a blend of 80% Tannat and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The alcohol content was an amazing 15.5 % ! . The appellation Madiran is southwestern France in the foothills of the Pyrenees in the Bordeaux region. Congratulations to the people in the group that got this one right on !!