| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Estèphe |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
This great second growth vineyard is majestically situated overlooking the Gironde in the Southern section of St Estephe. Recently purchased and re-invigorated by the Bouygues family, Montrose is on top form. Hervé Berland, formerly of Mouton Rothschild, is now in charge and large amounts of money have been spent on stunning new facilities. Outstanding wines were produced here in 2009, 2010, 2016 and 2018 as well as a potential wine of the vintage in 2014.
The 2019 Montrose is very clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Rich, inky and towering in concentration, the 2019 possesses off the charts intensity and tons of structure to back it up. Succulent black cherry, plum, tobacco, gravel and licorice infuse the 2019 with striking depth. The 2019 is not quite as opulent as some recent vintages, and that's a good thing. Readers will find a regal wine that marries elegance with power. Unforgettable. Tasted two times. 2034 - 2069
The 2019 Montrose is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts with bold notes of stewed black plums, boysenberry preserves, blackcurrant jelly, and kirsch, plus touches of garrigue, lavender oil, and anise. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers a lot of energy, with vibrant black fruits, firm, grainy tannins, and great tension, finishing very long and fragrant. 2027-2070
As I wrote last year, the 2019 Montrose is performing very well, wafting from the glass with a dramatic, perfumed bouquet of wild berries and cassis mingled with notions of lilac, violets, pencil shavings and licorice, framed by nicely integrated new oak. Full-bodied, layered and seamless, it's deep and multidimensional, with lively acids, beautifully refined tannins and a long, resonant finish. While analytically it's almost as powerful as the 2018, the 2019 is much more suave, sensual and polished, its tannic structure and alcohol more harmoniously integrated into its sweet core of fruit.
The 2019 Montrose has a razor-sharp bouquet, a mélange of red and black fruit, touches of pencil box and cedar. Understated at first, it unfurls temptingly with each swirl of the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins, fine acidity, blood orange infusing the black fruit with pencil lead towards the finish that fans out with style. There is a sense of grandeur to this wine that is compelling. Montrose? Stunning. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Drink 2028-2060.
Deep in colour and dark in fruit, the 2019 Montrose is more immediate than the 2020, powerful and rich with cassis fruit, graphite, charred dark plum and liquorice. The palate is highly refined, with mouthcoating but ripe tannins. Peppery and full, this harnesses the sunkissed nature of the vintage to show ripe black fruit, but retains all its Médocain structure and freshness. An outstanding and above all delicious wine, it is layered, complex and very, very long. Though approachable for Montrose, it is best to wait until a decade old before considering approaching. It will be superb to drink for decades.
Blueberries, cracked white and black pepper with dried flowers. Some crushed stone and slate, too. Full-bodied with tannins that grow on the palate and continue on. It’s polished and very fine with lovely length. Drink after 2027.
Gorgeous rich colour here, a lovely wine full of pleasure. Chocolate, mocha, cappuccino, lots of toasted oak, great quality, with concentrated black fruits along with slate, crushed stone, smoked earth - measured, confident, delicious. I have tasted this a few times this year, and it has consistently been punching at the very top of its game. A no-brainer to recommend. 12% press wine, 47hl/ha yield, 60% new oak.
Tasted blind. Looks very youthful – dense crimson. Super-rich and almost Napa concentration! Fruit dominates tannin initially. Edgy and dramatic. Then, there is lots of tannin. Dry finish. Needs many, many years to take full advantage of what this wine has to offer. 14.5%. Drink 2033 – 2057
The flagship 2019 Château Montrose is also brilliant, although it's not going to match the all-time greats from this estate. Gorgeous cassis, graphite, damp earth, cedar pencil, and tobacco are just some of the nuances here, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, graceful, layered mouthfeel, building tannins, and a great finish. It doesn't have the overall density or mid-palate of the 2018 or 2016, but it’s flawlessly balanced and just incredibly impressive. Showing more and more tannins with time in the glass, it will need a decade of bottle age and will evolve for 30+ years.
64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Barrel sample.
Deep purple-black hue. Slightly shy and reserved but clearly has plenty of depth. Elegant, dark-fruit fragrance as the wine opens. Clean and direct on attack with a marked note of salinity. Plenty of power but really refined tannins assisted by a bright, juicy quality to the fruit. Incredible length on the finish. (JL)
Drink 2030 – 2050
The 2019 Montrose is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it explodes with bombastic notes of creme de cassis, blueberry pie, and black cherry compote, followed by wafts of violets, star anise, underbrush, and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is rich without being weighty, delivering a firm structure of ripe, grainy tannins and fantastic tension, finishing long, long, long. Stunning.
The 2019 Montrose is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a lot of swirling to unlock a vibrant core of ripe, juicy blackcurrants, freshly picked blueberries, and redcurrants with touches of garrigue, iris, tilled earth, and Sichuan pepper, plus a waft of wood smoke. Medium to full-boded, the palate is taut and muscular, framed by firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing very long and achingly perfumed. This is a real head-turner!
The 2019 Montrose was bottled in July 2021, and though I did not taste it en primeur, I did sample it just prior to bottling and then after, in September 2021. It was picked from September 19 to October 8, with a similar percentage of Merlot to the 2009 (30% compared to around 25% due to the ripeness). At 14.4% alcohol, it has lower alcohol than the 2018 (14.8%). The Merlot guides the nose, which is a little more flamboyant than usual for Montrose, and very pure, offering small black cherries, black currant, wild mint and just a hint of camphor. The palate is medium-bodied, spicy and vibrant, with a silky-smooth texture and a touch of peppercorn on the entry. There is wonderful tension throughout this Montrose, and gentle grip on the finish. Will this vintage be more approachable than the 2018? 2027-2060
The 2019 Montrose has turned out very well in bottle, wafting from the glass with a dramatic, perfumed bouquet of wild berries and cassis mingled with notions of lilac, violets, pencil shavings and warm spices, framed by nicely integrated new oak. Full-bodied, layered and seamless, it's deep and multidimensional, with lively acids, beautifully refined tannins and a long, resonant finish. Checking in at 14.4% alcohol (rather higher than, for example, the brilliant 2009's 13.7% or the 2016's 13.3%), this is an undeniably powerful, ripe Montrose, but for now everything appears to be kept in check.Drink Date 2029 - 2065
Oh this is good, it steals up on you with real depth of flavour, stately and concentrated in a way that reminds me of a 1996 or a 2016. Extremely measured, very clear that this is going to age effortlessly, it is extremely discreet and yet packed with persistent flavours. A masterclass in the flavours and aromatics that you expect in a great Médoc wine - slate, crushed stones, savoury blackcurrant, liquorice, hints of smoke and cold ash. After five minutes in the glass the sweeter berry fruit comes out, and the whole thing is sappy and mouthwatering, and makes you smile. 12% press wine, 3.77pH. A yield of 47hl/ha. 60% new oak. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Drinking Window 2029 - 2050
The 2019 will be a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. ageing will be for 18-20 months in 60% new French oak. Harvest took place between the 19th September and 8th October. The yield was normal for the property at 45hl/ha. No samples of the 2019 will be sent abroad, so there will likely be little critical review ahead of release.
