Quick Sip: Clos Fardet 05 Cuvée Moutoué Madiran
Today’s ‘Quick Sip’ is the Clos Fardet 2005 Cuvée Moutoué Fardet (98% Tannat, 2% Cabernet Franc) from Madiran. I had an opportunity to taste this wine during a recent South West Wines of France tasting seminar with Master Sommelier Fred Dexheimer. Madiran, as you’ve probably guessed by now, is a wine producing region in southwest France. Madiran has a winemaking history that dates back to ancient times. The region’s main grape variety is Tannat – and as the name suggests, it’s known for high tannin levels. The wines of Madiran used to require extended aging, but nowadays you can find examples that are approachable when young, as well as those that are well-structured and age-worthy.
Clos Fardet 2005 Cuvée Moutoué Fardet
It’s fairly easy to sell someone on a Tannat from Uruguay or even some of the local examples here in Virginia. But mention Madiran and you may get a puzzled look. This is because US consumers generally prefer to purchase wine with varietal labels (grape name) as opposed to appellation (region). The wines of Madiran are dominated by the Tannat grape, so if you like wines produced from Tannat, give this region a try. The Clos Fardet 2005 Cuvée Moutoué Fardet is well-structured with deep flavor concentration and offers excellent aging potential. The 2005 is still very young, offering rich aromas of blueberry, blackberry, cocoa powder, spice, and pretty violet scents with a round texture, a firm spine of [dusty] tannins, and a lengthy finish. It had a [pleasing] touch of funk/earth that dissipated by day two. For $27 this wine delivers and over the course of the evening, and into the next day, the wine opened up nicely. This is a wine that you should let breathe/decant for at least two hours before serving. If you enjoy Tannat, check to see if your local wine shop can recommend a good Madiran wine. Let me know what you find. Cheers!
Have a question about this post, friends? Feel free to leave a comment or send me an e-mail at myvinespot@yahoo.com, and as always, Happy Sipping! Stay tuned ...more to come.
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