Mont Tauch (France) Roi du Mont Reserve Fitou 2004
The examplary Mont Tauch cooperative is centred around the town of Touchan in Fitou, and the Fitou version of Roi du Mont (they also have one from Corbières) is composed of 45% each Carignan and Grenache, with 10% of Syrah. It is unoaked. The nose has a subtley jammy, blackcurrant and cherry aroma, with a touch of cherry bubblegum and some nice, earthier notes filling in. On the palate it is a really bright, crisply-delineated wine, with masses of fine raspberry fruit, and a little bittersweet stripe of liquoricy concentration. There is a definite spiciness too, with firm, tight tannins and plenty of taut acidity keeping tension into the finish. A crisp and food-friendly wine, with some richness on the mid-palate, and a dry, savoury finish. More realistically priced at the £4.66 equivalent of Thresher/Wine Rack's 'three for two' offer perhaps.