Opened on Sat. to accompany this year's Fête de Cassoulet* (this version created with flageolet beans, homemade goose confit and garlic sausage in addition to the other meats), trying simultaneously for a good match and a geographical consistency (my oldest Montus is from '99 and too young to flirt with):
1999 Ch. La Roque 'Cupa Numismae' Pic St.-Loup color: inky, dark red-purple with dark garnet edges nose: cedar, tar, black licorice palate: smooth on entry, with a big whack of blackberryish fruit, tarriness and soft tannins, mouthfilling body and a long, full finish
Still a young wine with backbone enough for several years of development ahead. It's a 60/40 Syrah/Mourvedre blend with an emphasis more on power and fruit than complexity. This bottle was hand-carried back from the Chateau and showed signs of mild heat damage, so my notes should be viewed as a baseline for what this wine might achieve. Highly recommended, and a great match with the cassoulet!
Mark Lipton
*Only one postprandial casualty this year, as opposed to 3 the year before (no doubt due to roughly half the per capita consumption of the stuff this year as opposed to last year's rash gluttony).