Domaine Berthoumieu Madiran Cuvee Charles de Batz 2020

	From Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon from vines over 50 years old
	Powerful and oak-aged, with notes of dark fruit and vanilla
	Excellent with confit de canard, leg of lamb or a local pate

Description

The southwestern wine region of Madiran still remains quite under the radar. And this despite the fact that magnificent, prestigious wines are produced there that rival Bordeaux in terms of power and aging potential, but not in terms of price.

Take, for instance, this magnificent wine from Domaine Berthoumieu, one of the region's benchmarks. The Cuvée Charles de Batz is a tribute to the historical and literary figure better known as the musketeer D'Artagnan – just like the wine, it originates from Gascony.

It is made from the local specialty Tannat, supplemented with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes are harvested from vines aged 50 to as much as 100 years, planted on soil rich in limestone and clay. The wine ages for a year in (50% new) oak barrels.

The result is majestic. The wine has an intense dark red color, aromas of blackberries, cherries, and vanilla, a powerful yet polished taste, and an endlessly lingering finish. Great with, for example, confit de canard or a tournedos, and also easy to age for years.

Drinks with
Full-bodied, oak-aged red wine that impresses at the table, for example with roast leg of lamb, venison steak with roasted garlic, sage and celeriac, or hard cheeses.

Tasting note
Deep ruby red wine with an intense aroma of blueberry, plum, fig, vanilla, and mocha. Full-bodied and powerful with ripe black fruit, balanced acidity, and firm, polished tannins. Impressively long finish with notes of fine oak and cocoa.

Shelf life
Great now; easily keeps for up to 15 years after the harvest date.