Domaine Berthoumieu Madiran Cuvee Charles de Batz 2018

	Made from Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon from vines over 50 years old
	Powerful and oak-matured, 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 remains relatively under the radar. Yet, it produces magnificent, prestigious wines that rival Bordeaux in terms of power and aging potential, but not in price.

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

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

The result is majestic. The wine has an intense dark red color, aromas of blackberry, cherry, and vanilla, a powerful yet polished flavor, and a lingering finish. Excellent with, for example, confit de canard or tournedos, and also easily aging for years.

Drinking at
A full-bodied, oak-matured red wine that makes an impression at the table, for example with oven-baked leg of lamb, venison steak with roasted garlic, sage and celeriac, or hard cheeses.

Tasting note
A deep ruby-red wine with intense aromas of blueberry, plum, fig, vanilla, and mocha. Full-bodied and powerful with ripe black fruit, balanced acidity, and firm, polished tannins. An impressively long finish with notes of fine oak and cocoa.

Shelf life
Beautiful now; easily kept for up to 15 years after harvest date.