Top Alain Brumont wines from 1989 divides diners

 1989 Château Bouscassé, Vieilles Vignes, 

Madiran, Alain Brumont 

1989 Château Montus, Cuvée Prestige, 

Madiran, Alain Brumont

Recently we partnered a pair of Alain Brumont's top 1989 wines with a poached chicken. Both of these wines have a very high percentage of Tannat – at least 100% although not allowed under the rules of the appellation even though Tannat has a long tradition as a local grape variety.

The four of us were agreed that both 1989s were lovely wines but we were equally split over which of the two we preferred. Two of us went for the soft complexity of the Montus with its attractively textured structure and tannins, while the other two preferred the more tannic and 'rustic' Bouscassé as a more authentic representation of Madiran. They felt the more 'sophisticated and smoother' Montus could have come from elsewhere, whereas the Bouscassé was more representative of the local terroir and a more representative example of Madiran.       

Brooding 2011 Montus – first red of 2017

 2011 Château Montus, Madiran, Alain Brumont 

We started 2017 with a slow cooked roast leg of lamb go match a fine bottle of Alain Brumont's 2011 Château Montus, Madiran. The Montus was still very deep and sombre coloured with impressively rich, concentrated black fruits and very long. An impressive bottle!