Domaine Moureou Madiran

[Innkeeper]

1996 Domaine Moureou Madiran. For those of you whose eyes might have understandably slighty glazed over, Madiran is a tiny appellation in the very south of France, smack up against the Pyrenees. It is made from a blend of tannat, bouchy, courbu, and pinenc! Tannat is the almost national wine of Uruguay, where it is bottled varietally under the name Harrigue. Those folks must come from just the otherside of the Pyrenees. Having had both, to date we prefer the Madiran.

This wine was tannic, but not loaded with alcohol (12.5%) which is why some call it full bodied while it is actually medium bodied. It had muted blackberry aromas in the nose and upfront, seducing complexity across the palate with a strong dose of tannin that was almost as smooth as a baby's bum, and a well drawn finish. There was enough acid to match nicely with a vinaigrette marinated flank steak with green beans almondine and homemade baguette with OO & garlic. Very nice combination.

Try a Madiran when you can find one. Ours came from, you guessed it, Pops.

[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 06-28-2001).]