Domaine Labranche Laffont Madiran Vieilles Vignes 2003

I have been told that last night's blog post was entirely nonsensical, so I'll try to do better tonight. Despite my rather hectic life these days, I managed to find the time to braise some oxtails. I served them with mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus. I had chosen this Madiran specifically for the oxtails, and it didn't disappoint. The region of Madiran is in southwestern France near the Armagnac region. The local grape varietal is called Tannat, and as its name suggests, it can be pretty tannic. Modern bottlings like this one have managed to tame the grape's tannins, producing ripe and fleshy wines that still have a rigid structure. Deep purple, it displays characteristic lead and earth aromas and a medium-full body.