Château Montus : Prestige 2020

Tasting characteristics and advice for Prestige 2020 from Château Montus

Tasting

Appearance
The color stands out for its deep red hue, almost black, with intense purple highlights.

Nose
The nose reveals great aromatic complexity, with notes of ripe black fruit (black cherry, plum, wild blackberry), accompanied by spicy and toasty nuances. Aromas of cocoa, blond tobacco, and licorice enrich the bouquet, while mineral and leather notes add an extra dimension.

Palate
On the palate, the wine charms with its silky texture and remarkable concentration. Flavors of candied black fruit mingle with chocolate and oaky notes. The tannic structure, powerful yet refined, supports a long, persistent finish with spicy and lightly roasted accents.

Food and wine pairings
This wine pairs perfectly with grilled or braised red meats, furred game, and regional dishes from Southwest France such as cassoulet or duck confit with porcini mushrooms. It also matches well with aged cheeses such as Comté or blue cheeses, as well as desserts made with dark chocolate.

Serving and cellaring
Prestige 2020 benefits from being decanted one hour before serving and is best enjoyed between 16 and 18°C. This wine can be enjoyed from around 2027 and will continue to evolve until around 2050 under optimal cellaring conditions.

An exceptional Tannat, powerful and refined

The estate
At the helm of Château Bouscassé, a family estate for several generations, Alain Brumont acquired in 1980 Château Montus. A pioneer and visionary, Alain Brumont elevates the nuances and identity of Tannat, the region’s emblematic grape variety, through wines of outstanding quality whose reputation quickly spread beyond borders.

With their finesse, power, and elegance, the wines of Château Montus are the pure and authentic expression of the greatest terroirs of Southwest France. 

The vineyard
The vines of Prestige 2020 are planted on the estate’s highest parcels in Madiran, facing due south on slopes reaching 20 to 40%. The soil is composed of large rounded pebbles of Pyrenean origin resting on fine clays. These exceptional geological and climatic conditions, combined with vines around thirty years old, make it possible to achieve remarkable phenolic ripeness and intense aromatic concentration.

The vintage
The 2020 vintage benefited from favorable climatic conditions enabling optimal ripening of the grapes. Generous sunshine and the vineyard’s privileged exposure helped develop beautiful concentration while preserving the freshness needed for the wine’s balance.

Winemaking and aging
The grapes for Prestige 2020 are hand-harvested into small crates. Winemaking includes an extended maceration of three to six weeks at a controlled temperature of 28°C, with regular punch-downs and rack-and-return to optimize extraction. This Sud-Ouest wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in new French oak barrels, where it is then aged on lees for fourteen to sixteen months, followed by time in oak foudres.

Grape variety
100% Tannat