William Kelley has called Château Montrose a “de facto first growth” in recent years. There is no doubting the property’s rise from an already strong second growth into the top echelon of Bordeaux’s left bank since the Bouygues takeover in 2006. The financial prowess of the owners – known for telecoms but most successful in construction – together with an eye for hiring the right people, has made this Saint Estèphe one of the Médoc’s most coveted, consistent wines.
To that end, we arranged a small and special dinner here at Battersea Reach, centred around Montrose. We tasted six vintages from 2020 back to 1989, all of which have a perfect 100 point score from at least one of the major critics. We book-ended this superb vertical with 2008 Cristal, a tightly-coiled 2017 Saint Aubin Derrière Chez Edouard from Olivier Lamy, the impossibly rare and simply stunning 2020 Pouilly-Fuissé Croux et Petits Croux from Guffens Heynen and the decadent 2001 Climens.
Bordeaux’s left bank has a complex, layered terroir that is often overlooked due to the region’s decision to define its quality by château rather than vineyard. At times, properties have bought and sold land in a manner which, deliberately or not, can obscure just which plots go into which wine. However, since the turn of the century the mapping and highlighting of vines plot-by-plot has become increasingly important to those with the best vineyards. Montrose has led the charge on this, breaking down plots into smaller constituent parts for vinification. Investment in the winery means they have an incredible range of vats to use, allowing them to understand their terroirs in detail.
One way the Médoc is commonly divided is by terraces – six layers of different soils shaped and revealed over millions of years through glacial movement and deposits of different clays, gravels and sands. The terraces have different quality potentials and give different traits to the grapes grown on their surfaces. Terrace 4 is considered to be one of the very best. It stretches from St Estèphe in the north to Margaux in the south, forming the heart of the original vineyards for châteaux including Margaux, Léoville Las Cases and Latour – Cabernet Sauvignon royalty. The soil is formed of large gravels, with high proportions of clay, together with an iron bed that causes the vines’ routes to grow horizontally once they hit this lower surface. When these are combined it causes a gentle, constant water stress that is ideal for ripening fruit, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon.
Montrose has 45 of its 95 hectares of vines on Terrace 4. It clearly forms the heart of the property and therefore heavily defines the style here. From 2023 onwards, the fruit used in the grand vin will exclusively come from this terrace in an effort to bring their unique terroir into focus. Pierre Graffeuille (and previously Nicolas Glumineau) has worked to make Montrose one of the greatest wines in all Bordeaux. This, he feels, is the next logical step to further elevate the property’s quality and signature style. Together with Vincent Decup, the technical director responsible for the property’s burgeoning quality in the glass, they are already making incredible wines. That they think there is a further quality jump to be made is quite remarkable.
To the dinner. We started well, with Cristal 2008. A brilliant Champagne since release, it is figuratively as well as literally effervescent with its intense fragrance, deep citrus-led fruit core, textural depth and fine balance. A wine that proves how spectacular the 2008 vintage is for the region, as well as the progress made in these wines since the turn of the century. You could sit on this for another decade (or two) if you wanted to, it is supremely well balanced.
The pair of whites were equally strong. Hubert Lamy’s relentless dedication to precision borders on perfectionism. He is a hard man to work for, but the results show clearly in the glass. His 2017 Derrière Chez Edouard took a little coaxing but by the final sip it was magnificent; taut with a tightly coiled fruit core wrapped around piercing acids, it showed the prowess of the man and the quality if the vintage. I’d love to taste this again in five years - there is, I think, so much more to come. Next to it, however, was arguably my wine of the night – no mean feat in such stellar company. Lots has been written about Jean-Marie Guffens and his Domaine Guffens-Heynen in recent years, not least by William Kelley of the Wine Advocate. His championing of the man and his work has refocused attention on the stellar wines he produces, not least this 2020 Croux et Petits Croux which he scored 100 points, writing “even in the context of a tasting spanning 30 years of Guffens's career, the 2020 Pouilly-Fuissé Croux et Petits Croux stands out”. I’m always a little sceptical of a 100 point score for such a young wine, but the bottle we drank was simply spectacular. The nose is explosive, almost tropical in its fruit intensity without any sense of over-ripeness or flab. The palate shows why: to manage such fruit weight, such density and generosity of texture there is an unwavering acid backbone. Density, harmony, complexity and an unquestionable x-factor that keeps you coming back for more. It opened up more and more with time in the glass, speaking of even greater potential in bottle. And, with DIAM, we can be confident in that ageing process. It’s hard to argue that this wine is anything but perfection.
On to the core of the evening, we tasted through the six vintages of Montrose. 2020, 2019 and 2016 were followed by 2010, 2009 and 1989. It took some time after this dinner to process these six wines, and what they mean for the property as a whole. I think the first and most striking thing is the identity of the château, which resonates over more than three decades, multiple winemakers, differing technical understandings in the vineyard and winery and different owners. That the base soil and the fruit grown on it can so clearly identify with each other given all these things is a mark I would associate only with the greatest wines in the world. Second, people hark back to the great wines of the 80s and earlier in Bordeaux. While there is no doubting the haunting experience of a truly great mature wine, when comparing these wines to their modern equivalents it is easy to see the leaps and bounds Bordeaux has made in terms of refinement of structure, precision of fruit, and overall cleanliness. To that end it seems best to start with the last wine we tried: the 1989. A great wine that I have had mind-blowing bottles of in the past, it showed very well if different from bottle to bottle, and in such lively and high-quality company perhaps showed some fraying edges. Like almost all 1989s it feels like a wine that is now on the gentle downward slope of maturity.
The pair of wines that surprised me the most were the 2009 and 2010. Made at the height of the Parker revolution and at a time when vineyard practices were not at the level they are today, with the winemaking more about power rather than precision, these two showed remarkably well. 2009 Montrose has always been a great wine, and even against the new greats it showed superbly well. It has a softness you might not expect from Montrose on entry, but the stuffing is all there, the structure rising and giving the wine definition. You can drink this tonight, but the backbone will give this a longevity few wines in this vintage can match. I’d love to have this and Latour 2009 side-by-side at 30 years old. I expected the 2010 next to it to still be closed – this is a wine that has always been full of potential but recently in an awkward adolescence, the fruit subsumed by structure and sheer power. Here, though, the aromatics leapt from the glass in a manner I did not expect, equally rising to the chewy tannins on the palate as the fruit core rediscovers its voice. I loved it and, whilst most of the room preferred the suppler 2009, I thought this showed the personality, presence and persistence of a truly great modern Bordeaux.
Normally the young wines at a great dinner are the ones you have to get through to access the old, great rarities in their prime, but here I had a real sense of excitement to taste 2020, 2019 and 2016 together, and they did not disappoint. 2016 will be a truly great Montrose when it hits maturity. For now, it is just wrestling with the same adolescence as the 2010 had before it, but after an hour in the glass it was quite magnificent, rising with textbook graphite and cassis purity. The weight of structure binds the fruit together, holding it close to the chest until air slowly releases its full potential, but the poise, length and balance are sublime. Don’t touch it until after 2030. 2019 is a brilliant wine, and comfortably the most accessible of the three wines in the flight. Perhaps it lacks the density and depth of the other two, but the fruit has a clarity I prefer to the 2016. It seems a little like the 2009 with its foot off the pedal, allowing the fruit to shine in more floral, silky tones. It will still age for decades. But the 2020 is the winner of these three wines – it’s like a high-definition version of the 2016. You can map the progression of three vintages that have the same soul but increasing precision in 2010, 2016 and 2020. The tannins in 2020 are powerful but finer and slightly riper, the fruit is as intense and deep but it feels more refreshing and vibrant. This is as good as young Bordeaux gets. It is still very youthful, full of structure and pristine fruit, but it feels less closed than the 2016 even now. I suspect it may shut down for a little while, but it will still have a very long drinking window. It is easy to see why such praise abounds for this Montrose: it is clearly a contender for wine of the vintage and it remains – in the grand scheme of things – very well-priced when you consider it is as good as and in some cases better than the first growths.
Running through a château’s greatest hits is very enjoyable but it comes at the expense of truly appreciating the brilliance of each wine. Make no mistake, dinner with any one of these vintages would be fantastic, the bar is set incredibly high by this overperforming property. In the end, that is what I take from the evening. Yes, 2020 might be the best for the future and 2009 the best for now, but the brilliance in fact rests with Montrose itself. Few wineries have such a clear identity, and even fewer match that with such consistent quality. In other regions in the world a wine that continued to achieve such an incredible level of outright quality would be multiples of the price, but the scale of Bordeaux and its classed growth glass ceilings mean that drinkers can pick up astonishing wines for less than you might pay for a generic wine from the right grower in Burgundy, or scores of micro-production Napa Cabernets. My opinion is that Montrose is making wines that will go down in history as some of the greatest produced in Bordeaux right now. I am going to be putting more vintages into my cellar, and I recommend others do the same.
A full list of wines with tasting notes and scores follows below.
2008 Cristal - 98 points
A modern great, one that lays a marker for Cristal's current run of excellent releases. Some 2008s are a little closed at the moment, coming off as clinically pristine, but not this. Open and ready for business, the pale straw colour indicates the youthful vivacity in this wine, shown on the nose with glossy citrus fruit. This is matched by notes reminiscent of walking into a bakery in the early hours - fresh baguettes, rich butter pastries and candied fruits. The palate is built on fine, creamy mousse and cleansing, vibrant acidity. The fruit builds around the structure, generous but precise and largely in tones of citrus. There is a glistening sweetness to the fruit, only tamed by that piercing acid profile. The same bread and pastry notes build on the finish, in savoury, silky waves. This is a beautiful wine to drink on its own or with food, and one that will doubtless age very well for decades.
2017 Saint Aubin Derrière Chez Edouard, Hubert Lamy - 96 points
A steely, mineral and focused wine - this Saint Aubin shows the utmost precision we should expect given Lamy's meticulous nature and the vintage's naturally tightly-wound and acid-driven profile. It still needs coaxing from the glass, but with air and at close to room temperature it starts to yield. Light leesy tones add a little generosity to pure lemon and white peach fruit. The flinty edges are well judged, not dominant but building fine layers with the fruit and subtle, savoury spice of integrated new oak. The palate follows in the same vein, all minerals and precision with a taut core of fruit. Give this a little more time, the finish promises so much. Bursting with energy and a very long, satiny finish, it will be even better at 10 years old.
2020 Pouilly Fuissé Les Croux et Petits Croux, Guffens-Heynen - 100 points
This wine is overdelivering on its incredible promise from barrel. The nose is so powerful it knocks you back, explosive with ripe, almost tropical fruit matched by pressed flowers, whipped butter and salty preserved lemons. This lipsmacking, saline note is equally evident on the palate, reining back the full-bodied, glossy fruit that races across the palate, completely coating the mouth with its magnitude and power. Most wines with this level of concentration would seem heavy or overbearing, but despite the sheer weight of fruit everything is so beautifully balanced. Steely, persistent acids wash over the fruit, tightening the screws and driving the finish. The oak has already been subsumed by the core but there are subtle notes of spice here and there. The finish is minutes long. A personality-driven and complete wine that speaks clearly of the man that made it. Unique.
2020 Montrose - 100 points
I have been lucky enough to taste Montrose 2020 three times in the last month. A powerhouse of a wine that defines the pinnacle of modern left bank Bordeaux, it matches and in some cases surpasses the first growths this year. Saturated inky purple in the glass, the nose has superb vibrancy and intensity for such a youthful wine laden with ripe black fruit. Notes of graphite, cedar, violets and cleverly judged wood spice jump from the glass, each element dazzling in its precision and clarity. This continues on the palate; to have such weight of fruit and structure carried without excess in perfect balance is a remarkable feat. Penetrating cassis, hedgerow fruit, cedar and charcoal embers all come through with just a hint of espresso. A wine defined by purity and depth, the tannins are chalky, mouthcoating and powerful yet always matched by fruit. This is just the start for one of Bordeaux’s benchmark wines of the modern era. As impressive as it is now it is worth cellaring it as long as you can bear, this is a wine that will live for decades. The finish is minutes long. Outstanding.
2019 Montrose - 98+ points
The brilliance of 2019 Montrose comes in its immediacy and accessibility. Less dense and chiseled than the 2020, it nonetheless has the graphite core and dark blackcurrant fruit. It also possesses a floral top note and sun-kissed sweetness you don't see elsewhere. Brimming with freshness on the palate, the fruit is succulent and ripe but never heavy, the property's signature structure wrapping around the fruit but not dominating it - there's a sense you could drink this wine quite soon. Despite this, the layered, intense and dark fruit is persistent and powerful - it is clearly a wine that is going to age beautifully. I'm confident this wine will offer immense pleasure to those who open bottles when it is both a decade old and four decades old. Few wines will have such a long, open drinking window and offer such personality and quality. Excellent.
2016 Montrose - 98+ points
I'm fairly sure my rating of this vintage is a little conservative simply due to the awkward age at which it is being tasted. Deep and focused on the nose, the graphite, scorched earth and stony, cedary fruit grow in intensity with several hours in the glass. The depth to the palate is astonishing, this is blockbuster winemaking, full of dense and savoury fruit that is, if anything, beaten by the chewy, unerring tannic structure. The marrying of these two elements in bottle is not quite complete, but when it is I expect the 2016 to come close to perfection. Everything about this wine is vertical, with deep, dark fruit, chewy and mouthcoating tannin and persistent but well-judged wood spice. This wine will open up after the 2019, and perhaps even after the 2020. A monument to modern Saint Estèphe, it should drink from 2030 and will outlive most of us.
2010 Montrose - 99 points
This vintage has turned a corner in the last year - a wine that had been impenetrable and tight for so long is now starting to reveal its potential. Still a saturated ruby-garnet in the glass, it is exotic and laden with oily black fruit, incense and star anise on the nose, together with a high toned dried violet character. The palate is still chewy and dense, but much brighter and more open than I expected, with jewels of black and purple fruits gliding over the ripe and plentiful tannins. I keep coming back to the vibrancy - there is still a crunch of tannin but the acids and fruit leave you wanting more. This is at the very start of its drinking window and I would recommend an hour's decanting at least, but this powerful Montrose is starting to hit its stride.
2009 Montrose - 99 points
A complete wine that melds the best of this opulent vintage and muscular property, the 2009 Montrose is a stunning, crowd-pleasing effort. Still deep ruby in colour, the nose shows the riper, fuller fruit of the vintage with cassis and blackberry but the cedar, leather, tobacco and graphite notes add a fresh balance and sense of place that few manage. Smoky but yielding in fruit on the palate, this is a three-dimensional wine with broad, succulent fruit, deep, integrated spice and integrated, ripe and plentiful tannins. A high-wire act that feels so effortless, it is delicious to drink now. Fleshing out on the back end and with air in the glass, it continues to grow in power and fragrance over several hours. A magnificent Montrose.
1989 Montrose - 97 points
Montrose 1989 is rightly a legend of the Médoc. I have been fortunate to drink it on many occasions and it has, at time, been deserving of its 100-point score. Now nearly 36 years old, it has entered the "great bottles rather than great wines" stage of its life. Tasted over three different bottles which were all showing well but with different characters, the essence of this wine remains its muscular black fruit, wild game and graphite tones. The broad-shouldered structure still shows on the palate, but everything is ripe and well-integrated. Smoky, savoury and showing notes of bonfire and liquorice, it is mellowing and starting to move into its final phase of maturity. If you strike gold with an absolutely perfect bottle I expect it still merits the perfect score, but with nearly four decades on the clock it is still consistently showing quality worthy of scores in the high 90s, and that is no mean feat.
2001 Climens - 95+ points
Already showing quite a developed colour in the glass (and consistently across several bottles), Climens 2001 is now in its apex drinking window. Laden with the saffron, ginger and marmalade notes so associated with heavily botrytised wines, it is a succulent, smoky and delicious Barsac. Candied citrus meets tarte tatin and spiced figs on the palate, which is satiny and sweet but never cloying. There are hints of cinnamon and caramelised pain perdu on show, this is a pudding-lovers' sweet wine. Decadent but not overdone.
