Domaine du Moulie Madiran 2004

I'm a huge fan of the grape Tannat, which seems to make me something of an anomaly in the wine world. Tannat is one of the most tannic (hence the name) grapes produced, yet I find its dark fruit flavors and overall pugnaciousness in mouthfeel to be irresistible.

For the most part you find Tannat lower down the list on big blends (Big House Red and Rose being two examples). Bonny Doon used to import a fantastic Madiran called Heart of Darkness; with the reboot of the winery however, this one fell by the wayside. My local "Mom and Pop" wine stores don't carry any Madiran at all, and the "Big Box" wine store carries only this one.

This is the second vintage of Domaine du Moulie and I have to say that my feelings on this vintage were mixed.

In their words: ...

In my words:
This one has a powerful nose; horse sweat, blackberries, spearmint, and chive are all jockying for pole position. They're joined by a hint of green pepper and a the faint aroma of very wet mud. The palate follows the nose, with the addition of black cherry Kool Aid flavors. The acidity is extremely ripe and racy; once this passes some very chewy tannins set in. The finish is of medium length.

This bottle was something of a disappointment; last year's vintage was an altogether different wine. The 2003 was bigger, brawnier, and more engaging on the palate. The 2004 seemed more than a little thin and unbalanced.