Fast Facts:
2018 Château Bouscassé, Madiran, France ($14.99 @ Costco, California – Item #1053420)
With the exception of their ubiquitous Kirkland Signature Wines, the “wine sets” at Costco stores throughout the U.S. tend to differ based upon the region they are in. One of the more noticeable differences is that here on the west side of the continental divide, stores stock more wines from the left coast including Washington, Oregon and, of course, California. In the case of the latter, this is aided by the fact that in the Golden State, wineries can sell direct to retailers. This is a rare thing in America’s antiquated “three-tier system”.
Conversely, stores east of the Rockies tend to display more wines from old world producers in Europe.
These diffences in wine offerings are driven by not only cost of tranportation and distance from the producer, but also by preference. Frankly, we wine drinkers on the west coast are spoiled, and provincial. After all, 90% of US wine production comes from the three states that abut the Pacific Ocean. We have a lot of good juice to choose from without crossing the Rocky Mountains. Rumor has it that the Donner Party, tired of Old World wines, perished seeking wines from the West.
So all this considered, I was pleasantly surprised to find this bottle in our local Costco store. Not only because it is a 95 point French wine for under $15, but also because it is pretty rare to find wines from Madiran this far from home. This wine is a blend of 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc (both Bordeaux varietals, but as a regular reader you already know this) and – wait for it – 60% Tannat. Whoa. Now there is a grape you have probably never heard of. That is, unless you are a fan of the wines from Madiran.
Tannat is most famous as the principal ingredient in the red wines of Madiran. It is a distinctive, tough, deep black-berried wine variety that yields wines that are opaque, tannic and astringent. 100% Tannat is not every wine drinker’s “cup of tea”, but producers in Madiran mitigate its rough edges by blending in other varietals (such as the two added here by Château Bouscassé) and aging the wine in cask for up to two years. In other words, be thankful this is not a youthful Madiran or you would need to schedule a teeth whitening after sipping a glass or two.
Madiran is a distinctive red wine appelation in Southwest France. It is the last stop on the wine trail south from Bordeaux and just north of the Pyrenees which separate France from Spain.
From the bottle:
“This site…produces a wine that lives up to the best Bordeaux red from the right bank. The terroir covers 123 acres of clay and limestone along a cliff.”
Tasting Notes:
“An expressive and opened nose of red berries, pink pepper and a touch of vanilla. Balanced and generous with a long, fresh finish. Polished tannins and velvet round palate. Ideal match with all red meats and spicy food.” 14% ABV.
Need More Wine Picks from Costco – or Trader Joe’s Even?
If your wine shopping excursions land you in Costco, prepare by grazing our most recent reviews of Costco wines here in our Lucky 13 list.
And if your shopping finds you at Trader Joe’s, you can find our Lucky 13 list of TJ’s wine here.
Happy hunting.
Cheers!
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