Coteaux du Languedoc Montpeyroux Prince Pégase 1999 – Domaine l’Aiguelière – Alc.13%. This was sold to me in the early 00s as something special; a wine made from "100% Cabernet Sauvignon" (how comes it had the appellation?) and only in the best years. The colour was already showing significant browning at the rim and at first orange peel note dominated the nose but some red fruit and minerals later pushed these into the background. Body was medium/full with less signs of age than the colour and nose suggested and there were some red/dark fruit and still firm and rather dry Cabernet type tannins towards the finish. The overall effect was quite one dimensional and boring; Daumas Gassac and Aupilhac make much better Cab dominated cuvées in Languedoc but these are not 100% Cab. 14.5/20.
(Aiguelière used to enjoy quite a vogue in the 90s and early 00s but it seems to have dropped off most radar screens. Its Syrah based cuvées, Côte Rousse and Côte Dorée, were much better than this.)
Madiran 1997 – Château Bouscassé, Alain Brumont – Alc.12.5% - made from Tannat 65% together with CabSauv and Franc. It had personality and complexity of the sort which the Aiguelière Pégase lacked . The nose showed a well developed bouquet of damson, earth and leather and the palate was quite full-bodied and brimming over with interesting tangy fruit and leather infused minerals with a firm tannic support for the finish and an element of charm unusual in austere Bouscassé; 16.5/20.
(Note on the varietal mix. I looked at a bottle of Bouscassé 2005 in a shop yesterday and was surprised to note from the back label that Tannat content was down to 50%. I believe that bankers now have a substantial role in the running of this estate and wonder whether some dumbing down is not going on here and at Montus.)
Chinon Vieilles Vignes 1999 – Philippe Alliet – Alc.12.5% - was a charming medium bodied Chinon, sweeter seeming and more “easy drinking” than sometimes from this robust producer, with red fruit with raspberry and currant, some pencil shavings and faint touches of wet leather and enough roundness and ripe tannic grip for balance; 16/20+.
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