Château Bouscassé AOC Madiran Vieilles-Vignes 1997
It is the charm of the occasional smile of an austere, rugged and upright country gentleman. But I have never seen him smile before in other vintages.
C: Very dense. N: Well developed with strong notes of wet leather and a background of ripe acidic plum and some raspberry. P: Fully open with good body and “gras”, lots of dark fruit like damsons (but even some hints of "sweetness"), quite ripe tannic structure with a broadening and crescendo to the rear of palate and long diminuendo thereafter. Aromas are as on the nose with a touch meat and acidity is marked but appealing with a touch of minerality. A fine wine, 17,5/20, which went beautifully with rare steak and a rich périgordine sauce.
This is the first time I have glimpsed some hedonism in a Madiran and I am tempted to put it down to that ubiquitously “easy” vintage, 1997. And at barely 10 years old it is young for a Bouscassé VV to be showing expressively. Of course, really macho Madiran enthusiasts may mark it down for these reasons.