Our 2017, The Musketeer, is the most elegant, complex and authentic Tannat we have made since our first vintage 2011. It is certainly a winemaking ātour de forceā considering the challenging growing and ripening conditions of the 2017 vintage. The Musketeerās nose is deep, bright, focused, complex with comforting notes of black berries, forest floor, medium roast coffee and black olives. Beautiful and delicate mouthfeel with savory notes of cured meats, dried figs as well as blueberries. The palate is fresh, juicy with silky well-managed tannins, and shows excellent balance and a very long finish.
Perfect wine to pair with lasagna, venison, Boeuf Bourguignon, dry aged beef, short ribs, Prime Rib, Eggplant Parmesan, Cassoulet.
Drink now after decanting for at least 1 hour or age for 3 to 15 years.
Winemaking Notes
Five days cold soaked to capture the color and fruit components. Native yeasts fermentation at 78-85 F to preserve freshness and finesse. Aged for 18 months in 75% new French oak puncheons (500 Liters), no racking.
Y. Rousseau Wines is a dream that began long ago in the South-West of France and continues to grow and evolve today. Yannick Rousseau, French native, founder and winemaker, followed his heart and passion for winemaking all the way to Napa Valley where he met his Texan-born wife, Susan. The two of them bring their combined entrepreneurial savvy to embrace the ebbs and flows of running a family winery with the legacy of their racines, hospitable style, and discriminating artisanship.
Yannickās reputation has been made not by following in anyoneās particular footsteps but rather by taking what he has learned from great mavericks and integrating it into what he discovers to be true. His history of working with grape varietals from the Southwest of France is well known. Now, he carries forward his winemaking mission still embracing Colombard, Tannat and other favored varietals and blending them to create revived, and even edge-bending wines.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Any rats out there? Iād be curious to hear from someone who has tried both (not that weāve opened any at this point). Thereās a bit of discussion about the differences betweent the āRegularā and āMusketeerā bottlings from the last offer:
@knlprez The Musketeer 2017 was made from the best section of the vineyard (rockier soil, more stress on the vines, lower yield) which gave us small clusters and smaller berries. Then we selected the 3 best 500L puncheons at the winery to achieve elegance, balance, complexity and great food pairing attributes. The āRegularā Tannat just is a bit more in āyour faceā and probably softer to drink. Hope that helps. Yannick Rousseau
On rare occasions the wine deities (Hashem, Dionysus, Liu Ling, and Varuni) smile down on you when you least expect it and deliver awesomeness to your door. I received notification from UPS that a delivery was pending from Wine Country Connect and anxiously awaited the arrival of my package. To my surprise I received a bottle of a Napa valley Tannat, Clarksburg AVA. I have only tasted Tannat once before at a dinner at Bernās Steakhouse hosted by someone way more knowledgeable about wine than I was. He picked out a Tannat from Uruguay and I was not particularly impressed. Reading more about Tannat I learned about a highly tannic and acidic wine requiring years of cellaring. In anticipation I prepared bold food pairings to match. My preparation was unnecessary.
The Musketeer 2017 was a godsend. Right out of the bottle it was delicious and approachable. A run through the Vinturi made it even more approachable. The color was a dark inky purple. Plum and blackberry were predominant on the nose. The taste was consistent with the aroma. No surprises hereā¦dark fruit and structure. Although full bodied it was very drinkable and had a certain umami that enticed you to drink more. The finish was long and pleasant. I started with the pairings I had. Hard salami, double cream brie, Trader Joeās everything crackers, avocado tomato salad and all pairings worked wonderfully. Because pairing apps recommended game, I grilled bison NY strips with shoestring fries. The Musketeer complimented the richness of the steak and added to the enjoyment of the meal. For dessert I found a box of chocolates from the last holiday and the wine paired well with the chocolates as well as with a few Publix chocolate chip cookies and Dulce de Leche mochi ice cream. This wine appears to pair well with everything although I admit I did not try seafood; although would not hesitate to pair it with Cioppino.
I am not sure what the winemaker was aiming for but if the goal was an approachable ready to drink wine with Napa terroir, the bullseye was hit. I also suspect it may be appropriate for cellaring as well. For those reading reviews and characteristics of tannic and acidic Tannat, I would not let the reviews dissuade you from purchasing this very approachable wine. In my opinion and according to my uneducated palate this wine drinks like a Napa valley style āBordeauxā which would easily sell for more than $40+ per bottle. I suspect I will have to find a way to work around the SIWBM for this one. And donāt forget, Otto spelled backwards spells Otto!
@klezman@surfyguitar
I was supposed to be there last July for a launch at the cape, but we know what happened that messed with that trip. Still on the listā¦
Bought it first time at $199.99 for a case which was typically $45/bottle. But I am still tempted to buy again at inflated price because it is a fabulous wine. Everyone who has tried it is impressed. It is a unique wine.
@zekeswine1 If you are talking about the July offer at $199.99 it is a different bottling, he does two Tannats. This one is typically $65 at the winery. Scroll up, there is a link to the previous offer that describes some of the differences.
The e-mail came in the afternoon Monday, a Rat bottle was on itās way to me. Bottle arrived Tuesday just before noon. Carried the box to my desk and the weight was immediately noticeable - there was a hefty bottle inside. Y. Rousseau 2017 The Musketeer Tannat, and the bottle one of the thicker bottles Iāve seen.
I have never had a Tannat before so looked back over the previous offer to give me some clues in what to look for. I left the bottle to rest overnight and popped it on Wednesday evening. A pepperoni pizza was in the oven when I got home from work which seemed like it would be a decent pairing. When I pulled the cork, I was surprised to see such a light stain on the bottom of the cork - no penetration.
Must not have been in the bottle too long? I poured a glass and sniffed. Blueberries, maybe black cherries and noticeable alcohol on the nose. Swirled a few times and couldnāt get a whole lot more. Dark red, no sediment and deeply colored in the glass. Took a quick sip and tasted cranberries with tannin showing and tartness. Sensed glycerin like mouthfeel in the mid palate which may be from the alcohol. That did dissipate later on. This wasnāt boozy or hot on the palate, the alcohol just seemed present; this was not the case on the second night. The finish was long and the acid that was present made my mouth water - and made me want another sip. While waiting for the pizza to finish I had some homemade chex mix (Holidays are coming) which went well. The pizza went well too - in fact everything I had paired well. On night 2 I found bright red cherries on the palate with the cranberries still there but the tartness a bit reduced. Some tobacco leaf and maybe chocolate on the nose but the nose was still a bit reserved to me. The wine did put on a little weight and presented a little more. Certainly time in the cellar and a decant would help - but this was a weeknight. The chicken pot pie on night 2 was great, chocolate too. The only thing that didnāt pair well was other wine. I finished an open bottle of a heavy Cabernet before having the last pour of The Musketeer and it took a few sips to clean the palate and come back around.
I found this a very nice wine that would go with almost any food - I do think it was better with food than alone as the mouthwatering acids stayed around till the end. I am ready to see what a few years does for it. I will be buying.
@Boatman72@chipgreen@marikar@pjmartin Iāll take 3-4ā¦or however the split works best for the gang! Really liked the previous offerings! Do you want me to place the order???
@Boatman72@chipgreen@marikar@mrn1 If you want to pull this trigger looks like we have a good split now, if more want in we may opt for a second - Iāll pay attention. Go for it.
@chipgreen@marikar@mrn1@pjmartin Hi All, Hey, My wife will kill me, but Iāve heard that before and Iām still alive with all the other things going on in my life! Iād like 2 - 4 btls, but let me get the 2nd case because I know I owe mrn1 a ton of $$ since heās picked up a lot in the recent past.
So I can pick up the 2nd case! Let me know!
@carl669 Count me in for a 3-way split, or even a 2-way. It would be the same as last time, you would need to keep it for me. I couldnāt take delivery until late May or early June.
@carl669 Iād be interested in 2 - 3 bottles, but it looks like you have enough interest in splitting two or three ways already. If there is enough or any additional interest around MSP Iād be in for some. If not no worries.
@carl669 Hello MSP-area folks: Iāve ordered a case and am willing to part with up to six bottles. Delivery will be next yearāno hurry. Let me know.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations) Ā 2017 Y. Rousseau The Musketeer Tannat - $60 = 16.65%
@ctmariner@scott0210 Yeah very disappointing. Though my local drivers are very good and accommodating, but in cases where you canāt be there at the right time or place, itās too bad to be forced to pay extra to do remote pickup or to āholdā for later delivery.
@ctmariner@pmarin@scott0210 do they give you a warning or anything about being charged? I have been redirecting for months and have never seen anything about paying money or being charged. It just says that itās a feature of being a my choice member, which is free. Maybe itās only rolled out in certain locations?
@Twich22 yeah no warning. Just logged in to My Choice today to redirect the Sparkling and it wanted to charge $5.99 or asked me to become a āpremium my choiceā member at 19.99 yr.
@scott0210 interesting. It must be based on location then because I have never had to pay. Heres what I see on my app. It even says right in the app that the service is free (see last image)
@Twich22 Ha, old news by now and not that it matters butā¦ yes I can do the above too. However I donāt want to send ALL my shipments to an access point. I get too many non-wine packages Iād just assume be left on my porch lol. The ability to send only certain packages to the access point is what they charge for now. $19.99 a year not all bad but was free at FedEx
The automatic ordering machine says this wine does not ship to Idaho? The Tannat from July shipped here, so I am confused as it is the same winery? Any thoughts on overcoming this bump?
Anyone get their case with a bottle substituted? I did. Iām not worried about it, I know it will be made right, but it was the weirdest thing.
Case was āout for deliveryā last week and didnāt show up. Status changes to āpackage damaged - will notify shipper.ā A few days later itās out for delivery again.
Gets here and has several extra layers of tape on it, as if itās been re-taped. Inside, I find 11 bottles of the good stuff and one bottle of random Cab.
2017 Y. Rousseau. The Musketeer Tannat
Tasting Notes
Winemaking Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $780/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Dec 14 - Tuesday, Dec 15
Y. Rousseau. The Musketeer Tannat
3 bottles for $89.99 $30/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $299.99 $25/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 Y. Rousseau. The Musketeer Tannat
@ilCesare Please help casemates help me get a bottle to Idaho. Ty
The 2013 i was able to rat last year was excellent. If this is as good, Iād highly recommend.
@jaybird In my opinion, the 2013 The Musketeer was an excellent wine but a bit less aging potential than the 2017. Two great wines. Enjoy!
Any rats out there? Iād be curious to hear from someone who has tried both (not that weāve opened any at this point). Thereās a bit of discussion about the differences betweent the āRegularā and āMusketeerā bottlings from the last offer:
https://casemates.com/forum/topics/y--rousseau--tannat
@knlprez The Musketeer 2017 was made from the best section of the vineyard (rockier soil, more stress on the vines, lower yield) which gave us small clusters and smaller berries. Then we selected the 3 best 500L puncheons at the winery to achieve elegance, balance, complexity and great food pairing attributes. The āRegularā Tannat just is a bit more in āyour faceā and probably softer to drink. Hope that helps. Yannick Rousseau
@yannickrousseau Your wines are lovely. Thank you for selling them here.
@danandlisa My pleasure!
On rare occasions the wine deities (Hashem, Dionysus, Liu Ling, and Varuni) smile down on you when you least expect it and deliver awesomeness to your door. I received notification from UPS that a delivery was pending from Wine Country Connect and anxiously awaited the arrival of my package. To my surprise I received a bottle of a Napa valley Tannat, Clarksburg AVA. I have only tasted Tannat once before at a dinner at Bernās Steakhouse hosted by someone way more knowledgeable about wine than I was. He picked out a Tannat from Uruguay and I was not particularly impressed. Reading more about Tannat I learned about a highly tannic and acidic wine requiring years of cellaring. In anticipation I prepared bold food pairings to match. My preparation was unnecessary.
The Musketeer 2017 was a godsend. Right out of the bottle it was delicious and approachable. A run through the Vinturi made it even more approachable. The color was a dark inky purple. Plum and blackberry were predominant on the nose. The taste was consistent with the aroma. No surprises hereā¦dark fruit and structure. Although full bodied it was very drinkable and had a certain umami that enticed you to drink more. The finish was long and pleasant. I started with the pairings I had. Hard salami, double cream brie, Trader Joeās everything crackers, avocado tomato salad and all pairings worked wonderfully. Because pairing apps recommended game, I grilled bison NY strips with shoestring fries. The Musketeer complimented the richness of the steak and added to the enjoyment of the meal. For dessert I found a box of chocolates from the last holiday and the wine paired well with the chocolates as well as with a few Publix chocolate chip cookies and Dulce de Leche mochi ice cream. This wine appears to pair well with everything although I admit I did not try seafood; although would not hesitate to pair it with Cioppino.
I am not sure what the winemaker was aiming for but if the goal was an approachable ready to drink wine with Napa terroir, the bullseye was hit. I also suspect it may be appropriate for cellaring as well. For those reading reviews and characteristics of tannic and acidic Tannat, I would not let the reviews dissuade you from purchasing this very approachable wine. In my opinion and according to my uneducated palate this wine drinks like a Napa valley style āBordeauxā which would easily sell for more than $40+ per bottle. I suspect I will have to find a way to work around the SIWBM for this one. And donāt forget, Otto spelled backwards spells Otto!
@surfyguitar Wine sounds good, but Iām more interested in hearing about Bernās!
@surfyguitar thank you for the report - love all the pairings.
@klezman Let me know if you come to Tampa. Their wine list is extensive and steaks are second to none!
@surfyguitar Iāve heard the stories!
@klezman @surfyguitar
I was supposed to be there last July for a launch at the cape, but we know what happened that messed with that trip. Still on the listā¦
The 2013 was a spectacular wine.
Bought it first time at $199.99 for a case which was typically $45/bottle. But I am still tempted to buy again at inflated price because it is a fabulous wine. Everyone who has tried it is impressed. It is a unique wine.
@zekeswine1 If you are talking about the July offer at $199.99 it is a different bottling, he does two Tannats. This one is typically $65 at the winery. Scroll up, there is a link to the previous offer that describes some of the differences.
@kaolis I see that now. More proof that one shouldnāt post about wine while drinking wine. Now I am forced to buy a case. Dang.
@kaolis @zekeswine1 2013 Musketeer was $259.99 a case when offered back in March 2019
@kaolis @zekeswine1 What? One should definitely be drinking wine while posting about wine!
@klezman @zekeswine1 ā¦and while not posting about wineā¦
Yep.
/giphy cagey-moronic-thunder
The e-mail came in the afternoon Monday, a Rat bottle was on itās way to me. Bottle arrived Tuesday just before noon. Carried the box to my desk and the weight was immediately noticeable - there was a hefty bottle inside. Y. Rousseau 2017 The Musketeer Tannat, and the bottle one of the thicker bottles Iāve seen.
I have never had a Tannat before so looked back over the previous offer to give me some clues in what to look for. I left the bottle to rest overnight and popped it on Wednesday evening. A pepperoni pizza was in the oven when I got home from work which seemed like it would be a decent pairing. When I pulled the cork, I was surprised to see such a light stain on the bottom of the cork - no penetration.
Must not have been in the bottle too long? I poured a glass and sniffed. Blueberries, maybe black cherries and noticeable alcohol on the nose. Swirled a few times and couldnāt get a whole lot more. Dark red, no sediment and deeply colored in the glass. Took a quick sip and tasted cranberries with tannin showing and tartness. Sensed glycerin like mouthfeel in the mid palate which may be from the alcohol. That did dissipate later on. This wasnāt boozy or hot on the palate, the alcohol just seemed present; this was not the case on the second night. The finish was long and the acid that was present made my mouth water - and made me want another sip. While waiting for the pizza to finish I had some homemade chex mix (Holidays are coming) which went well. The pizza went well too - in fact everything I had paired well. On night 2 I found bright red cherries on the palate with the cranberries still there but the tartness a bit reduced. Some tobacco leaf and maybe chocolate on the nose but the nose was still a bit reserved to me. The wine did put on a little weight and presented a little more. Certainly time in the cellar and a decant would help - but this was a weeknight. The chicken pot pie on night 2 was great, chocolate too. The only thing that didnāt pair well was other wine. I finished an open bottle of a heavy Cabernet before having the last pour of The Musketeer and it took a few sips to clean the palate and come back around.
I found this a very nice wine that would go with almost any food - I do think it was better with food than alone as the mouthwatering acids stayed around till the end. I am ready to see what a few years does for it. I will be buying.
@pjmartin @chipgreen @pjmartin @boatman72 @marikar Who wants in? I would like 3-4 bottles.
@Boatman72 @marikar @pjmartin @mrn1
I am good for 2-3 bottles
@pjmartin Ill take 3 or 4
@Boatman72 @chipgreen @marikar @pjmartin Iāll take 3-4ā¦or however the split works best for the gang! Really liked the previous offerings! Do you want me to place the order???
@Boatman72 @chipgreen @marikar @mrn1 If you want to pull this trigger looks like we have a good split now, if more want in we may opt for a second - Iāll pay attention. Go for it.
@Boatman72 @chipgreen @marikar @pjmartin Done! If you see others want it, text me and Iāll grab a 2nd case. Cheers!!!
@pjmartin thank you for the review. I found the pic of the cork very interesting
@chipgreen @marikar @mrn1 @pjmartin Hi All, Hey, My wife will kill me, but Iāve heard that before and Iām still alive with all the other things going on in my life! Iād like 2 - 4 btls, but let me get the 2nd case because I know I owe mrn1 a ton of $$ since heās picked up a lot in the recent past.
So I can pick up the 2nd case! Let me know!
@pjmartin Oh, Forgot to say, NICE REVIEW!!!
@chipgreen @marikar @pjmartin @scott0210,@mrn1 Ok, with some offline chatter, Iāll order a 2nd case!
@chipgreen @marikar @mrn1 @pjmartin @scott0210 2nd CASE HAS BEEN ORDERED, debxxxxx-xxxxxful-lasagnaā¦always wondered how these order names are generated?
Any Baltomorons want to split this w me? Iāve bought the last two offers from these guys and itās TERRIFIC wine.
@kls_in_MD Are you willing to come down to DC? I got a case and am willing to split a few
@cduan @kls_in_MD Iām in DC and could take one or two!
@cduan Sure count me in for 2, Iāll come to DC or we could meet in, say, College Park?
@kls_in_MD Bāmore for sure! Iāll take minimum of two but could be convinced for more if too much excess.
/giphy lolling-broad-prawn
I bought a case and would let someone in the Denver area take up to 4.
/giphy grubby-angelic-bourbon
I have bottles from both prior offers and both are very good, with the prior Musketeer being fabulous.
@mtnzj Hi - Iād be in for 4, or fine to go down to 2 if someone else from the Denver area wants 2. Thanks!
@mtnzj hey, I would take up to four. Happy with 2 or 3. Whatever we can work out, just order!! Thanks, Kristian
@mtnzj Iād love a couple too, good with 2 - 4 or however the split works.
@CObrent @kristian @knlprez Iām fine with going down to 6 bottles if each of the 3 of you want 2 apiece.
@knlprez @kristian @mtnzj Iām fine with 2.
@CObrent @kristian @mtnzj
Same for me.
@CObrent @knlprez @mtnzj
@takethefarm @Heyjude1 or any other MSP area folks want to 3-way split a case?
@carl669 Count me in for a 3-way split, or even a 2-way. It would be the same as last time, you would need to keep it for me. I couldnāt take delivery until late May or early June.
@Heyjude1 sure thing. iāll wait a bit and see if anyone else wants in, otherwise we can do a 2-way.
@carl669 Iād be interested in 2 - 3 bottles, but it looks like you have enough interest in splitting two or three ways already. If there is enough or any additional interest around MSP Iād be in for some. If not no worries.
iāll take 5.
@Heyjude1 - 4 bottles
@ampeloquin22 - 3 bottles
sound good to everyone?
@ampeloquin22 @carl669 Yes, 4 sounds good to me.
@carl669 @Heyjude1 Works for me, thanks!
@carl669 I can take 4 if you prefer.
@Heyjude1 @ampeloquin22 that works! case ordered. iāll whisper out payment info shortly
@carl669 Hello MSP-area folks: Iāve ordered a case and am willing to part with up to six bottles. Delivery will be next yearāno hurry. Let me know.
@takethefarm bahā¦ too late. did us a three way split. unless @Heyjude1 or @ampeloquin22 want more bottles.
@ampeloquin22 @carl669 @Heyjude1 Yup, I knew thatāno worriesāitās good juice!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations) Ā 2017 Y. Rousseau The Musketeer Tannat - $60 = 16.65%
Ad an asideā¦ now UPS is charging an annual fee to redirect specific shipments to an Access point? Did I miss that memo? That normal?
@scott0210 Yep - $5.99 per shipment or $19.99 (normally $40) per year to upgrade to premium and fee is waived - there was some recent discussion on it in this thread
https://casemates.com/forum/topics/shipping-questions
@ctmariner @scott0210 Yeah very disappointing. Though my local drivers are very good and accommodating, but in cases where you canāt be there at the right time or place, itās too bad to be forced to pay extra to do remote pickup or to āholdā for later delivery.
@ctmariner @pmarin @scott0210 do they give you a warning or anything about being charged? I have been redirecting for months and have never seen anything about paying money or being charged. It just says that itās a feature of being a my choice member, which is free. Maybe itās only rolled out in certain locations?
@Twich22 yeah no warning. Just logged in to My Choice today to redirect the Sparkling and it wanted to charge $5.99 or asked me to become a āpremium my choiceā member at 19.99 yr.
@scott0210 interesting. It must be based on location then because I have never had to pay. Heres what I see on my app. It even says right in the app that the service is free (see last image)
@Twich22 Ha, old news by now and not that it matters butā¦ yes I can do the above too. However I donāt want to send ALL my shipments to an access point. I get too many non-wine packages Iād just assume be left on my porch lol. The ability to send only certain packages to the access point is what they charge for now. $19.99 a year not all bad but was free at FedEx
The automatic ordering machine says this wine does not ship to Idaho? The Tannat from July shipped here, so I am confused as it is the same winery? Any thoughts on overcoming this bump?
@WootWill_BFree That wine should ship to Idahoā¦maybe you want to check with the Casemates folks. Good luck
@WootWill_BFree States have been updated and Idaho is on there now.
/giphy humorous-spicy-button
/giphy clever-worrisome-pepperoni
/giphy precarious-ostentatious-land
Anyone in Seattle want to split a case?
Anyone get their case with a bottle substituted? I did. Iām not worried about it, I know it will be made right, but it was the weirdest thing.
Case was āout for deliveryā last week and didnāt show up. Status changes to āpackage damaged - will notify shipper.ā A few days later itās out for delivery again.
Gets here and has several extra layers of tape on it, as if itās been re-taped. Inside, I find 11 bottles of the good stuff and one bottle of random Cab.
@pupator
@pupator sounds like the holiday five pack