chateau montus la tyre 2009

"the rise of the madiran appellation owes much to the person of alain brumont, whose ambition and perseverance made it a success story for his peers. coming from a family of owners - château bouscassé on the same appellation -, alain brumont acquired montus in 1979, replanting the vineyard himself and producing his first vintages with basic equipment, attracting the mockery of neighbouring producers. however, the success is immediate and, in the wake, he launches into the production of dry white wine, of appellation pacherenc-du-vic-bilh. now also the owner of bouscassé, he works to maintain the reputation of his estates, whose wines are the delight of lovers of epicurean nectars. on the 90 hectares dedicated to red wine at château montus, the cultivation of soils and plants is done in reasoned control and the harvest is entirely manual. the wines undergo a traditional vinification in stainless steel vats, then a 14-month aging in new oak barrels (between 50% and 100% depending on the cuvées), for an exceptional density and creaminess. the château currently produces three red cuvées: château montus, montus xl and la tyre, the montus-prestige cuvée having been abandoned in 2004 in favour of a superior château montus. mainly from the tannat grape variety, the wines are powerful and tannic but elegant at the same time, and develop splendid aromas of blackberry, cherry, licorice, clove and spices. very pleasant from their early youth, they nevertheless possess a beautiful ability to aging. a little anecdote, la tyre is no other than the name of a district of the commune of castelnau-rivière-basse, today great terroir. in the cellar, the tannat macerates between 3 and 6 weeks, the wine ferments with pigeages and the wine is aged on its lees in new barrels between 14 and 16 months."