Château Barrejat, Cuvée des Vieux Ceps, Madiran, 2015

Tannat can be a bit of a beast, but the two Cabernets have lent a softer, juicier vibe to the firm, grippy structure and uber-black fruits on show here. There's plenty of oak too, with black pepper and wood flavours adorning the mid-palate and leading on to a delicious, if astringent, red fruit finish. This needs a lot of time in the cellar, or a good decant, to perform at its best. I'd be inclined not to wait and go for the latter option...