TN: Chateau La Tour de Mons 2006

[Chasse-Spleen]

Chateau La Tour de Mons 2006

A cru bourgeois superieur from the Margaux appellation. This wine was a really nice surprise, especially considering the price of the bottle and the price of Bordeaux these days, and the fact that it's one of the many semi-obscure Margaux chateaux that rarely make any headlines. Opaque purple color. Rich cassis in the nose and some subtle, sweet oak, maybe a lactic note - a great nose for a young wine. More cassis fruit on the palate, elegant and good weight. Smooth, medium bodied palate with a long, tannic finish. Very good finish. Silky and lush, with great merlot fruit (49%). Good balance with nice acidity and fine tannins that bite a bit more at various times, towards the end of the bottle and after the food, for example. Dry and as I said, good structure and richness. Some charcoal/asphalt or scorched earth comes out later, and some milk chocolate, as well. A touch of minerality.

Excellent with food, some chicken drumsticks sauteed with rosemary, garlic and mushrooms sauteed with thyme. The wine is a little big for the chicken, and could easily complement a steak. Nice concentration, not heavy but just lush and delicious to drink. Every now and then a little shakiness in the mid-palate reminds you that you're drinking a young cru-bourgeois but it soon fades. I wonder how it will age? Will it ever exhibit the magic, complex Margeaux nose? A great example of Bordeaux in the QPR range ($21) with good typicity.

-Chasse

[Chasse-Spleen]

LeTourdeMons.jpg (117.73 KiB) Viewed 6430 times

[Comte Flaneur]

The Wine Connection in Pound Ridge are selling the 2005 for $14.95. I bought a bottle but haven't tried it yet.

(As an aside before I knew anything about wine I bought a bottle of this 20-odd years ago because it had LaTour and Margaux on the label)

[Chasse-Spleen]

I love the label - it reminds me of d'Issan. Please drink your 2005 asap and let me know what it's like. Otherwise, I'll have to spend $30 just to find out that it's closed. Better you than me!
-Chris

[Comte Flaneur]

I just opened it...

[Comte Flaneur]

It is a stern wine with mineral earthy notes, some Margaux berries and punches well above its price; I will report back after it has had a chance to settle down

[Chasse-Spleen]

Sounds like you like it. What a crazy bargain. I can't believe this estate is so under the radar. Anybody try the 2000?

[Houndsong]

That's a nice price for the 2005. I think Zachy's or one of the other big online guys had it for about $20 some time ago.

[Comte Flaneur]

The 2005 is a serious, austere, stern, old-fashioned and somewhat rustic style, which perhaps lacks a bit of charm and is definitely better with food - sauteed chicken - than on its own. It has good structure and mineral, graphite and charcoal notes. The fruit is there but quite subdued. It is still quite enjoyable on its own, and opened up a bit more on day two. It should develop and improve over 5-7 years and should last at least 10-15. It really is a bargain for $15. Would I hire I truck and clean them out of all their stock? No. However I would buy a case and try and leave it at the back of the cellar and revisit in 3-5 years with a view to drinking over the next 10-15. I wouldn't be surprised if Chris's 2006 is easier to drink now. I still have some left for tomorrow.

[Chasse-Spleen]

Thanks for conducting such thorough research, Ian!

[ChristianC]

I just received a dozen a few days ago, vintage 76'. Probably a little over aged for a Cru Bourgeois, but there is only one way to make sure

[Tom In DC]

Welcome aboard, ChristianC!

It takes some James Bond-like nerves to procure a full case of such a wine... You'll fit in fine here!

[Chasse-Spleen]

Thank you, ChristianC for adding to my thread on La Tour de Mons. It's good to have you aboard. I hope the '76 version turns out well - you indeed have nerves of steel. As a tribute I offer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MagCoUYvIXE

Please report on your findings. The safety of the world hangs in the balance...

-Chasse

[Houndsong]

awesome. http://www.tcm.com/video/videoPlayer/?c ... leId=24277 I'm also big on the theme for you only live twice.

[Chasse-Spleen]

Hound,
That is one of my favorite Bond themes! It's a great Bond movie, as well, but maybe the first to go to the "action-extravaganza" formula that has become so popular. Although, Dr. No was also somewhat in that mold.
-Chasse

PS. Of course, Dr. No has one of the all time best Bond 'wine' oriented lines. Anyone care to fill in there?

[DavidG]

I don't know if it was in Dr. No or if it's the example you have in mind, but I do know that in one movie 007 susses out a bad guy for not knowing that "claret" is a moniker for Bordeaux. Particularly appropriate line for BWE.

[jal]

David, that was in "Diamonds are Forever"

James Bond: The wine is quite excellent. Although for such a grand meal I would have expected a claret.
Mr. Wint: But of course. Unfortunately our cellar is poorly stocked with clarets.
James Bond: Mouton Rothschild IS a claret. And, I've smelled that aftershave before, and both times - I've smelled a rat.

[Chasse-Spleen]

Thanks, Guys! Those are great lines but the ones I was think of goes something like this:

Action: Bond and Dr. are dining. Bond picks up a bottle of Champagne as if to clock Dr. No (or perhaps one of his hovering minions) with it.

Dr. No: That's a bottle of 1955 Dom Perignon your holding - be careful!
Bond: Actually, I prefer the '53.

[DavidG]

Two excellent examples - thanks JAL and Chasse!

[Chasse-Spleen]

I have to admit I was wrong. Although one of my favorites, From Russia With Love has less of an extravaganza feel, all the rest are really big actioners, starting with Dr. No and resuming with Goldfinger, one of the all time greats. Another favorite and the first one I saw that really got me hooked is Thunderball. I saw it not that long ago in a movie theatre and I was almost shocked by the misogyny of it. Almost...

[rjsussex]

Talking of Tour de Mons - the just released 2010 looks like one of the few real bargains of the vintage. New consultants. 2010 has upped the proportion of Cabernet. Sounds really good. UK price c£144 in bond.

Richard

[Houndsong]

Just picked up a few of the 06 Tour de Mons and a few of the 03 as well for $15 each. I've got to get my average cost per bottle back in line.

[Chasse-Spleen]

I tried the '09 recently. It was great but very young. Go long if you get your price.

[Ramon_NYC]

Last year, a friend invited me over and opened a 1961 Ch. La Tour de Mons. He's not a wine geek but chanced upon a couple of 1961 bottles that he found and were affordable for his birth year. The bottle was in pretty good shape and I was so impressed with the wine, which I've not heard of until then.

just to add to the James Bond diversion, of course the more recent version of Casino Royale had Daniel Craig's Bond ordering and drinking a 1982 Angelus, confirmed to be ex-chateau, in the train scene with Vesper Lynd, who incidentally, was played well by the very appealing British actress Eva Green.