It is well documented that Château Montrose has been on a hot streak for some time now, frequently nudging the first growths in terms of quality. We have just listed a few cases of the 2014 vintage, a year where the wines of the Northern Médoc are particularly good, in the increasingly popular format of halves.
Rated as one of the wines of the vintage by William Kelley: “The brilliant 2014 Montrose .. concentrated and tightly wound, with sweet tannins and a long, penetrating finish”, Neal Martin: “2014 Montrose has a bouquet that exudes class and sophistication” and Antonio Galloni: “The 2014 Montrose is without question one of the standout wines of the vintage”, 2014 Montrose is just coming into its drinking window (and will likely be a little more forward in half bottle), with both Kelley and Martin indicating that it has a further 25 years plus to go.
At £540 per 12 halves in bond there is a modest premium for both the format and the provenance (this is ex-château stock) and the advantage of the format is obvious - a bottle can sometimes be too much or occasionally too little. Finding halves of a wine at this level, with eleven years of maturity under its belt and perfect provenance to boot, is quite the achievement.
We have a limited number of cases lying with us, packed in wooden cases of 12 halves and shipped last month, with further stock on option in Bordeaux.
 | Region | Vintage | Wine | Qty | Size | Units | Price | Per | Score | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Bordeaux | 2014 | Montrose | 11 \ 0 | 12×37.5cl | 10 | 540.00 | 12 | Montrose | ||
| Bordeaux | 2014 | Montrose Ex Chateau, 2017 Release | 10 \ 0 | 12×75cl | 10 | 1,020.00 | 12 | Montrose | ||
| Bordeaux | 2014 | Montrose | 5 | 1×3L | 10 | 450.00 | 1 | Montrose | ||
| Bordeaux | 2014 | Montrose | 1 | 1×6L | 10 | 900.00 | 1 | Montrose | ||
| Wines are offered subject to remaining unsold. E&OE. | |||||||||||
Medium to deep garnet in color, the 2014 Montrose scoots out of the glass with ready-to-go notes of kirsch, redcurrant jelly, and dried blackcurrants plus hints of iron ore, cloves, and nutmeg. The medium-bodied palate delivers a taut, muscular core of black fruit flavors, supported by firm, grainy tannins and a lively line, finishing long and opulent. Truly impressive—bravo!
The brilliant 2014 Montrose is the fruit of a harvest that stretched out for almost a month, ending on October 17. One of the wines of the vintage, it opens in the glass with aromas of cassis and plums mingled with burning embers, licorice, sweet loamy soil and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's concentrated and tightly wound, with sweet tannins and a long, penetrating finish. Drink 2026-2054
The 2014 Montrose has a bouquet that exudes class and sophistication: pure and mineral-driven black fruit, cedar and pencil lead, hints of blueberry developing with aeration although it never impedes upon the sense of terroir. The palate is medium-bodied with graphite-tinged black fruit, filigree tannin, a sweet core of blackberry and boysenberry fruit with a satin-like texture towards the finish. There is obviously some high quality oak used here, but it is simpatico with the fruit. For Montrose, you might argue that this is more modern in style and yet it is undeniably crafted with real panache to create a modern classic. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. Drink 2022 - 2055.
A wine that is the very essence of great Cabernet from the northern Médoc, 2014 Montrose is a triumph and one of the wines of the vintage. Deep alluring purple still in the glass, the nose exudes cool, graphite-tinged blue-black fruit, mixing blackcurrant, blueberry and dark cherry. The spice of wood and the savoury notches of cooler climate bottle age only serve to make this more enticing. The palate is built around grippy, chalky, persistent tannins - but they do not overpower that glistening black fruit at the core. Everything is just ripe, the tannins al dente and the fruit vibrant and crunchy. Driven and opening further with air, this is a wine you can just about drink now, but its best years are ahead. Gravelly, smoky tones line the very long finish. This is proper Cabernet. Outstanding. Tasted from several bottles over the course of three days this is a consistently brilliant wine.
Incredible aromas of currants, blackberries, slate and flowers. Full-bodied yet so tight and beautiful with superb polish and brightness. The length is fantastic. Truly superb. Drink in 2021.
One of the wines of the vintage in 2014, fascinating to check in on it now, and to compare it to the universally-lauded (but more expensive) 2016. This is confident, creamy, cassis and bilberry dark fruits, swirled through with liqourice, mint, black chocolate, espresso, slate. Extremely well handled, this walks the line, perfectly balanced, with St Estèphe character but Montrose breeding and depth. Hard to imagine finding a better 2014 today, and although this will clearly deepen and improve over the next decade, you can approach today with a good carafe. Harvest September 22 to October 16. Hervé Berland director.
Floral rose and raspberry scents on the nose. Supple and agile, this is bright and tangy, with the focus on the acidity and the purity and precision of the fruit which is crystalline and takes the lead. Tannins are barely there but you still feel as if there is structure on show, so it's not light but not weighty. Streamlined but with energy that pushes the flavours from start to finish. It's a very pretty, graceful wine and you can't fault the delicate, refined presentation where they really haven't gone too far in any one way. Stylish and so easy to enjoy with herbal and salty markers on the finish. Firm and focussed but extremely charming nonetheless. (Drink between 2024-2042)
