Saint Estephe

wines

Intense aromas of kirsch, currant and spice follow through to a full-bodied palate, with round, velvety tannins and a long, long finish. This is complex, changing on the nose and palate. Layered and structured. Will improve for many years to come.--Non-blind Château Montrose vertical. Drink now.Wine Spectator | 96 WSUnder the ownership of Jean-Louis Charmolüe (who remained in place from 1960 until 2006 and who just died in January of this year). Gorgeous, brick-edged, soft brambled fruit, cassis and bilberry tinged with hedgerow, undergrowth, truffles. 100% 1st wine at this point, as Dame de Montrose arrived in 1986 - and yet the quality of the structure and tannins is still clearly on display. Drinking Window 2018 - 2040.Decanter | 96 DECThe 1982 Montrose served as my introduction to the vintage many moons ago and strangely, after all that time, this is the best bottle that I have encountered. Dark fruit on the nose with candied orange peel, cigar humidor and just a touch of sous-bois, this feels very focused and conveys more intensity than previous bottles. The palate is medium-bodied with plenty of dark red fruit, youthful and structured, maybe a little disjointed towards the finish, which for the first time, does not display any under-ripeness. Very fine. Tasted blind at the "Two" dinner at Domaine de Chevalier.Vinous Media | 92 VMA wine that has long enjoyed a somewhat mixed reputation, the 1982 Montrose continues to drink very well at age 40; in fact, this tasting note reflects the best bottle I’ve ever drunk of this vintage. Exhibiting aromas of sweet berry fruit, cedar box and loamy soil, it’s medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, with lively acids, melted tannins and a soft, subtly leather-inflected finish. While it isn’t as concentrated or characterful as the brilliant 1989 or 1990, for example, it’s a generous, open-knit wine that’s far from being in danger of imminent decline.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RP

The 1989 Montrose, from a very warm, dry year, is made from 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-brick in color (holding its color amazingly!) it sky-rockets from the glass with flamboyant notes of black cherry compote, blueberry pie, and blackcurrant jelly, followed by notes of star anise, peonies, crushed rocks, and tar, plus exotic hints of cardamom and cumin seed. The medium to full-bodied palate is rich, opulent, and well structured, delivering firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness to support the generous, wonderfully pure fruit, finishing long and earthy. This is textbook MontroseThe Wine Independent | 100 TWIThis was yet another wine I drunk with wine collector friends in Bangkok – the city is truly buzzing when it comes to wine and when you know where to look! On the nose, there were intense aromas of iron, pot iron and dried fruits, as well as hints of nuts and wet earth. On the palate, it showed a gorgeous texture of ripe tannins and lots of spicy and currant fruit character. A full-bodied, very soft and silky Bordeaux with lots of flavors and a superb finish. Just right now – indeed it seems to be getting younger with age, not older! Decant an hour before. I think it’s better than the legendary 1990. It’s certainly cleaner and more consistent quality.James Suckling | 99 JSThis was not in the tasting at the chateau, but I opened two bottles on my return home, because this is another near-perfect wine from Montrose. It is an unusual two-grade blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. The wine emerged from another very hot, sunny, dry growing season, with early, generous flowering. Harvest in Montrose took place between September 11 and 28. The wine has never had any issues with brett, making it a somewhat safer selection than the more irregular 1990. Like a tortoise, the 1989 has finally begun to rival and possibly eclipse its long-time younger sibling, the 1990. The wine is absolutely spectacular and in auction sells for a much lower premium than the 1990. That should change. This is a magnificent Montrose, showing notes of loamy soil undertones, intermixed with forest floor, blueberry and blackberry liqueur and spring flowers. It has a full-bodied, intense, concentrated mouthfeel that is every bit as majestic as the 1990, but possibly slightly fresher and more delineated. This great wine should drink well for another 40-50 years.Robert Parker | 98+ RPThe 1989 Montrose is a magnificent wine and this represents one of the best bottles I have encountered – one that was purchased on release and not moved from Berry Brothers’ cellar since. I have encountered perfect bottles of the 1989, and this flirts with that magic figure. It is blessed with a captivating bouquet of blackberry, raspberry, sous-bois and black truffle, the veins of blue fruit just toned down a little compared to previous bottles. The palate is supremely well balanced with those filigreed tannins that in some ways are atypical of Montrose. It delivers silky-smooth texture and an intense finish that glides across the senses. I cannot give a perfect score on this occasion, but without question, this is one of the great Montrose releases. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at Hatched in London.Vinous Media | 98 VMIntense aromas of crushed blackberry and mineral turn to dried flowers and dried fruits, staying fresh on the nose. Full-bodied, offering big, round tannins and loads of ripe, seductive fruit. This is decadent and wild, turning nutty and fruity. A beautiful bottle. This is very close in quality to the legendary 1990.--’89/’99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Drink now. 22,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS(Château Montrose) The 1989 Montrose may not be quite as deep as the 1990, but it is a purer wine of precise definition and classic proportions. The superb nose offers up a refined mélange of cassis, dark berries, cigar ash, gravelly soil tones, espresso, fresh herbs and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and shows off excellent mid-palate depth, with ripe, beautifully-integrated tannins, tangy acids and outstanding focus and grip on the youthful, pristine and old school finish. Some may prefer the more overtly powerful style of the 1990 Montrose, but for me, though the two vintages are qualitatively equivalent, I prefer the superior transparency and more elegant profile of the 1989. The wine is certainly approachable today, but I would still give it another five or six years’ worth of bottle age to really allow it to fully blossom (Drink between 2019-2070)John Gilman | 94 JG

The final blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc was harvested between September 14 and October 3. The spring was cold, yet summer was extremely hot and dry – one of the hottest vintages since 1949. The fact that virtually no rain fell in September served as a catalyst to get all the grapes ripe and in cellars. Some bottles of this wine have a definite brett population that gives off the notes of sweaty horses, but this one did not. The ones I have had from my cellar – where I have had it frequently – are quite pure and clean. I suspect that the brett population is in all of them, but unless the wine hits some heat along the transportation route or in storage, the wine will not show any brett. This one tasted at the chateau, as well as those I’ve had from my cellar, have been pristine and not showing the sweaty horse notes that can be in evidence in brett populations that have flourished in the bottle because of external temperatures. This wine has an incredibly complex nose of spring flowers, blackberry and cassis liqueur, scorched earth and barbecue spice. It is full-bodied, majestic and opulent, with low acidity and fabulous fruit. It is close to full maturity. The wine should continue to drink well for at least another 30 or more years, but it is showing secondary nuances in the perfume. The wine is absolutely magnificent, broad, savory and mouth-filling. This is one of the all-time modern legends from Bordeaux as well as Chateau Montrose.Robert Parker | 100 RP(Château Montrose) The 1990 Montrose is justly famous, but in my experience, it has only been a hair superior to the underrated 1989 here, and I have never understood the price differential in the market of the two wines. This most recent bottle of the 1990 was drunk out for the night in Napa Valley, where it showed very well indeed, offering up a deep and powerful bouquet of black cherries, sweet cassis, a touch of currant leaf, dark soil tones, cigar smoke and a fair bit of toasty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and shows off truly exceptional depth at the core, with ripe, moderate tannins, fine focus and grip and a long, well-balanced and complex finish. There is just a touch of brett on the backend here, but it is very modest and does not detract from the very serious pleasure that this wine is beginning to deliver. (Drink between 2016-2050).John Gilman | 95 JGFull ruby-red. Wild, exotic aromas of crystallized redcurrant, leather, tobacco and minerals; distinctly exotic, even overripe. Then lush, sweet and opulent, with an atypically velvety texture for Montrose. But extremely young and structured, finishing with powerful tannins and great grip and length. Almost California-like in style; in Bordeaux, they’d refer to the fruit expression of this wine as "original," which is not necessarily high praise. Drink 2008 through 2030.Vinous Media | 95 VMDark in color with decadent aromas of ripe fruit, earth and amazing mint and spearmint undertones, yet there’s also an underlying meaty funkiness. Full-bodied, with layers of very ripe fruit and velvety tannins. Massive and caressing. A big, powerful wine. Like velvet.--Non-blind Château Montrose vertical. Drink now. 18,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Not a great vintage (very hot August, rain in the last half of September), but the Merlot was luscious and wines made from the best plots of Cabernet were very rich. Perfectly evolved, the wine is now silky textured, showing smoky notes of coffee, tobacco and cocoa. Drinking Window 2019 - 2035.Decanter | 92 DECNo written review provided. | 92 W&SA classic effort, the 1998 Montrose exhibits a dense purple color in addition to a sweet nose of jammy cassis, licorice, earth, and smoke. It is a powerful and full-bodied wine with well-integrated tannin. Given Montrose’s tendency to shut down, it is performing better out of bottle than I expected. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2030.Robert Parker | 90 RPThe 1998 Montrose was the only recent vintage that was omitted from the series of verticals that I conducted in 2016. It is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot picked between 22 September and 6 October. Funnily enough, I had not tasted it since en primeur! It has a high-toned and expressive bouquet with blackberry, leather, a touch of menthol and dried herbs, a little earthiness coming through with time. There is still plenty of freshness here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin. This offers fine balance and a smooth texture, slightly lactic in texture with tobacco and even a touch of latte towards the black fruit-driven finish. There is almost a case for this Montrose being too melted in character. Fine, but I think it could have been better. Tasted at the château.Vinous Media | 90 VM

This estate has frequently hit the bull’s eye over recent vintages, and the 2000 Montrose is the finest effort produced since the compelling 1990 and 1989. This gigantically sized, tannic, backward effort boasts a saturated inky purple color followed by a huge nose of acacia flavors, crushed blackberries, creme de cassis, vanilla, hickory smoke, and minerals. Extremely full-bodied, powerful, dense, and multi-layered, this unreal Montrose should last for 30+ years. A blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, this is a special wine that has exceptional purity and length. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040.Robert Parker | 96 RPThe 2000 Montrose is a straight-up gorgeous bottle of wine that while, still young, is offering up tons of pleasure. Classic Saint Estèphe notes of blackcurrants, damp earth, tobacco leaf, cedar, and hints of truffle all emerge from this dense, concentrated, powerful red that has the classic 2000 structure and richness. With sweet tannins, full body, impeccable balance, and a great, great finish, it’s at the early stages of its drink window and has another 3+ decades of longevity ahead of it.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDJust starting to open, it shows beautiful spices and dark fruit on the nose and palate. It’s full-bodied with ultra-fine, integrated tannins and an extremely complex, refined finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JS(Château Montrose, Cabernet Sauvignon, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, Red) Just beginning to soften and open after a stubborn few decades. Tobacco and crushed mint leaf sit against blackberry and bilberry fruits that continue to be held by a firm frame of tannins. A stately Montrose that has a long future ahead, and is packed with the power and finesse that is so signature to this estate. Harvest September 22 to October 7. First year in the new stainless steel vat room. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. (Drink between 2022-2035)Decanter | 95 DECFull red-ruby. Roasted, smoky aromas of blackberry, blueberry and licorice. Plush, dense and large-scaled; expands impressively in the mouth. Chocolatey-ripe but kept fresh by nicely integrated acidity. Offers lovely sweetness without going over the top. Finishes with big, dusty, horizontal tannins and lovely aromatic persistence. Offers extraordinary texture and depth of flavor for a wine with just 12.8% alcohol.Vinous Media | 94 VMThis has a relatively polished feel, with rounded tannins, though they are substantial enough to give the core of tobacco, black currant paste and warmed fig flavors a nice loamy tug through the finish. Rather refined and with noticeably more depth than AOC colleagues in this vintage, with a very alluring hint of fresh bay at the very end.--Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2023.Wine Spectator | 93 WSNo written review provided. | 92 W&S

The 2005 Montrose continues to show brilliantly, unwinding in the glass with notes of blackcurrant, red fruits, loamy soil, black truffles and cigar ash. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it’s still brooding and tannic, with lively acids and an imposing chassis of structuring—and artery-cleansing—extract. Still an adolescent, it’s one of the last unrepentantly old-school vintages of Montrose, and Médoc purists couldn’t own enough. While this remains a very youthful wine, it is now apparent that the 2005 will, at maturity, surpass the 1989 and 1990.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RP Here we are fully crossing the threshold into younger, more primary aromatics, but they are also well integrated, beautifully softened and gorgeous. This is sappy with a chalky minerality and fully pliable tannins. It’s powerful, with a smile-inducing purity of fruit expression and excellent persistency of exotic coffee notes. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3.5% Cabernet Franc, 0.5% Petit Verdot. Drinking Window: 2017 - 2042Decanter | 98 DECThe 2005 Montrose is spectacular. Bright, perfumed and vertically explosive, the 2005 possesses remarkable energy right out of the gate. In 2005, Montrose doesn’t quite have the heft that it can, but that actually works to its advantage. Readers will find a wine that marries elegance with power so well. Gravel, dried herb, lavender and mocha lend striking complexity to the dark fruit in this gorgeous, regal Montrose. If anything, the 2005 still needs more time in bottle!Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThis continues to be very tight yet I loved drinking it the other night at dinner. Loads of spices, berries, meat, cloves and chocolate on the nose. Full body with soft, silky tannins and lots of rich fruit. Still chewy. This is just starting to open up now. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThis is still a bit dark and brooding, with a charcoal frame around well-steeped fig and black currant fruit. The long finish lets a deep river of smoldering tobacco and warm stone notes course through. Austere and seemingly taciturn, yet thoroughly beautiful. May not be your style, but this is undeniable.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Best from 2022 through 2042. 25,555 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe 2005 Montrose continues to drink beautifully, with a complex yet powerful bouquet of blackcurrants, black raspberries, new saddle leather, tobacco leaf, and spice. This beauty has a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, a supple style, sweet tannins, and is a charming, layered and ready to go Montrose that has loads to love. It continues to be surprisingly accessible and is a beauty to drink over the coming two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThis is so big it is blinding, a storm of mineral tannin and plum-skin extract. The volume is turned up high, and even as the tannic noise factor begins to diminish with days of air, the wine is still closed tight. The comportment of its power shows this to be a wine from a great terroir; the property, in fact, has some parallels to Latour, with its similarly shaped gravel promontory above the Gironde. Montrose consistently grows one of the staunchest, long-lived wines of the Médoc and though accommodations have been made in recent years to soften it, the tannic index in February 2006 read at 82, a force to reckon with over the decades to come. Diageo Château & Estate Wines, NYWine & Spirits | 93 W&S

Beautiful, rich and incredibly softly textured, this is still very young. Also supremely measured and stately, with buttery tannins. The palate is just starting to show truffles and leather, but is still set against game, cassis and liquorice root. Great persistency and a real sense of lift on the finish. Drinking Window 2016 - 2038Decanter | 95 DECThe first vintage under new owner Martin Bouygues,who convinced Jean-Bernard Delmas to come out of retirement to produce this wine, the 2006 Montrose is an undeniable success. A blend of approximately two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon, one-third Merlot, and a tiny dollop of Petit Verdot, the most dramatic difference between the 2006, and wines made by the previous administration is that Jean Delmas produces wines with sweeter, silkier tannins, although analytically, they are as high as those found in the great Montrose vintages of the past. The 2006 is extraordinarily elegant and finesse-styled, but it exhibits stunningly concentrated, sweet blackberry and cassis fruit with hints of flowers and minerals. Full-bodied with a savory, expansive mid-palate as well as sweet, noble tannins, this beauty will benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age, and should drink well for 20-25+ years.Robert Parker | 94+ RPYes, this wine is tannic. To begin with it seems austere and mineral. But then the substrate of black berry juice asserts itself. The fruits are fresh rather than sweet, combining with leather, spice and a presence of new wood. Typical of Montrose, it is hard to appreciate this young, with those tannins needing to open out. But wait 10 years.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WELocated on one of the deep gravel promontories of the Médoc, Montrose has long been known for impenetrable wines on release. In 2006, the Charmolüe family, who had owned the vineyard since 1896, sold it to Martin Bouygues, a French construction magnate, and his brother, Oli­vier. The new owners brought in Jean Delmas, recently retired from his brilliant tenure at Haut-Brion, to direct winemaking. This first release from the new team is a lovely, fragrant cabernet, its deep earthiness and dark mushroom tones the only clues that it’s a Montrose. The wine may be compressed in its structure, but it’s supple and elegant, with purity and precision to its layers of currant, fennel, blueberry and blackberry. Lively acidity drives the fruit, its freshness lengthening the flavors. Built for 20 or more years of development, this young Montrose makes its beauty apparent from the outset.Wine & Spirits | 94 W&SThere’s currant, spice, chocolate and berry character on the nose. Deep, complex and full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a long, flavorful finish. A solid wine. Chewy. Best after 2014.Wine Spectator | 93 WSMontrose is so typically Saint-Estephe in 2006, with dried spices such cardamom and cloves as well as delicate currants. Full-bodied, with firm tannins and a dense center palate. It needs another three or four years of bottle age to soften.James Suckling | 92 JS

A brilliant wine that stands out as one of the high points of the vintage, the 2009 Montrose unwinds in the glass with a rich and incipiently complex bouquet of dark berries, cigar wrapper and loamy soil, framed by a deftly judged touch of new oak. Full-bodied, broad and enveloping, it’s a velvety, layered and impressively dynamic wine that’s deep and concentrated, exhibiting terrific balance and a long, resonant finish. While it is still five or six years away from showing all its cards, I have drunk this benchmark for contemporary Montrose with immense pleasure three times this year. In style, it’s hard to find an obvious comparison (and I have drunk Montrose back to 1895), but I would be inclined to invoke a fresher, more complete and more powerful version of the estate’s very successful 2003.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 2009 Montrose has a taut, brilliantly defined bouquet with intense black fruit laced with crushed stone, forest floor, crushed rose petals and a touch of slate. Magnificent. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin, good depth and grip, plenty of graphite locked in here with a bravura finish that indicates that this Saint-Estèphe is in for the long-haul. It may well deserve a higher score as it evolves in bottle. Everything you wish for in a Montrose. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 98+ VMFor the very ripe vintage this has a herbal and wet earth nose that’s very cool. Then on the palate there’s a ton of ripe cassis, polished fine tannins and a tremendous freshness powering the very long dry finish. One of the stars of the vintage that’s just beginning to enter its best form. This is normally a perfect wine but perhaps not a perfect bottle? Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019).James Suckling | 98 JSA bit of a brute, with a very chewy bittersweet ganache, tobacco and roasted fig core splayed open right now by a dagger of roasted apple wood, allspice and cedar. Long and dense through the finish, with a strong singed iron edge. The stuffing is certainly there, but this will take a while to come together as it’s running unbridled right now. Proves you can still get classic old-school Bordeaux. Best from 2020 through 2040. 17,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSA brilliant Montrose, and a great window into what St Estèphe can deliver. This is fresh and concentrated, with ripe cassis fruits, sweet vanilla bean and black pepper spice notes alongside robust tannins, 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Jean-Bernard Delmas was estate director for this wine, and is making the most of the complex soils that are gravel-dominant towards the river, with pockets of sand over clay and limestone where the Merlots tend to be planted. Starting to feel ready to drink, but is going nowhere in a hurry. Drinking Window 2020 - 2042.Decanter | 97 DECEnormous tannins, dominant black fruit and a solid, dense structure. The wine, packed with dark fruits, dry tannins, very firm in character. With its huge tannins as well as fruit, this is a wine that really needs many years of aging.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE(Château Montrose) For lovers of old school claret, the 2009 Montrose is your wine! Jean Delmas has eschewed every modern accoutrement in this traditionally-styled, broad-shouldered and very structured Montrose, and I am hard-pressed to think of any vintage since the legendary wines of the 1920s that have emerged from this property with this kind of potential. The bouquet is deep, reticent and bottomless, as it offers up scents of cassis, black cherries, tobacco leaf, cigar ash, a very complex base of gravelly soil tones and a bit of cedary wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and powerful in a very classic way (in comparison to the caricature of a wine at Cos this year), with a rock solid core of fruit, very firm, but ripe and well-integrated tannins, tangy acids and a very, very long, focused and soil-driven finish. This is the real deal in 2009 and clearly one of the wines of the vintage. (Drink between 2025-2075)John Gilman | 93-95 JG

This is considered to be among the greatest vintages ever made in Montrose, right up with the 1929, 1945, 1947, 1959, 1961, 1989, 1990 and 2009. Harvest was October 15 to 17. The wine has really come on since I last tasted it, and it needs at least another 10 years of cellaring. The blend was 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The wine is opaque black/blue, with an incredible nose of blueberry and blackberry liqueur, with hints of incense, licorice, and acacia flowers. Tannins are incredibly sweet and very present. The wine is full-bodied, even massive, with great purity, depth and a finish that goes on close to a minute. This is a 50- to 75-year-old wine that will repay handsomely those with good aging genes. (Note: The Chateau Montrose website gives an aging potential of 2020-2100.Robert Parker | 100 RPThe 2010 Montrose is insanely beautiful. A vivid, eternal wine, the 2010 dazzles right out of the gate with its explosive energy. Soaring floral and mineral notes are immediately captivating on the bouquet. All that carries through to the palate, where the wine is dense and expansive. Readers lucky enough to own it should be thrilled. This really benefits from aeration. What a wine! Vinous Media | 100 VMFabulous inky rich depths to the colour here, and right off the nose you feel it enticing you in. Spice is evident, as are the ripples of muscles and walls. This is in the Lynch Bages school of not being ready yet, the tannins are still fully standing to attention. Fruit is dark, tight, hiding its fleshier side for now, and it is extremely clear that this is a vintage with ambition and no intention of going anywhere for many decades. A great wine, needs to be opened for five to six hours if drinking soon, but my suggestion would be to put it away for another three or four years at least. Drinking Window 2022 - 2050Decanter | 98 DECRock solid, displaying a dense core of plum, steeped currant and braised fig fruit, with racy charcoal and ganache notes. Intensely chalky, offering flesh and refinement to match the bracing minerality, this shows hints of grilled savory, iron, warm paving stone and bitter orange on the riveting finish. Should age very slowly. Best from 2019 through 2038.Wine Spectator | 97 WSA perfumed and pure Montrose, with lots of currants, berries and spices that evolve to chocolate and light coffee. Full body, with super racy tannins and bright and clean finish. Very fine and structured. A balance and freshness to it all as well as beautiful form and tension. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is such an elegant wine that has all the structure of the vintage. Surrounding the tannins, the wine is sweet and ripe, with smokiness from the wood. It’s powerful, elegant and sophisticated with a strong sense of poise. The tannins promise long-term aging.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE(Château Montrose) The 2010 Montrose is another very, very good example of the vintage, but I suspect it will always have to live in the long shadow of the 2008 and 2009 wines from this estate. The wine is probably a tad riper than the 2009, as it weighs in at 13.6 percent, and at this very early date, it seems to have lost just a touch of focus and delineation at this slightly higher octane level. The bouquet is certainly deep and impressively complex out of the blocks, as it offers up scents of sweet cassis, dark berries, Cuban cigar ash, espresso, gravel, lead pencil and a bit of singed earth. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and truly massive in shape, with impeccable balance, a superb core, very substantial, but well-integrated tannins, tangy acids and outstanding length and grip on the powerful finish. There is a fine spine of minerality in the 2010 Montrose that promises very fine evolution on into the future, but the ripeness here seems to have taken just a touch of backend lift away from the wine in this vintage. It is a very good wine, and it may prove that after it has fifteen or twenty years of bottle age on it, I will have underrated it a bit. But at this stage, as good as the 2010 Montrose is, I would rather own the superb 2008 or 2009 vintages from this great estate. (Drink between 2027-2100)John Gilman | 93+ JG

The 2014 Montrose is without question one of the standout wines of the vintage. Black cherry, plum, smoke, licorice and lavender are some of the many aromas and flavors that open up in the glass. But the 2014 is a much deeper wine than just a bunch of descriptors can conjure. In 2014, Montrose is a wine of exceptional finesse and polish. The late-ripening vintage allowed for perfect maturation of the tannins and resulted in a silky wine that exudes class and pedigree. The 2014 is not an obvious or bombastic Montrose, but rather a wine of sublime enchantment. Don’t miss it!Antonio Galloni | 97 AGIncredible 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.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is a very fine wine showing a new level of quality at Montrose. With its almost velvet tannins inside the intense black fruits, the wine is rich, smooth and generous. Blackberry and black-plum fruits are to the fore along with the fine acidity and great structure. A wine to age for decades, it will be ready to drink from Wine Enthusiast | 97 WETasted at the château, the 2014 Montrose builds on the promise it showed in barrel with gorgeous blackberry, raspberry, cedar and orange sorbet scents that are extremely pure and refined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, very precise acidity and layers of crisp black fruit laced with vanilla from the new oak at the moment. That will be subsumed in time. What you have here is a very precise, multi-layered, almost sensual Montrose that is going to delight many for years to come. This is highly recommended—one of the finest Left Bank wines this vintage. Tasted September 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 96 RP-NM(Château Montrose, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, Red) The velvety texture of the fruit and the tannins seem to shine through here, even on the aromatics. It’s one of the wines of the vintage and is showing beautifully after four years. Of course, it’s nowhere near ready to drink, but the tannins have an astonishingly vibrant, tactile quality against the palate. This is coupled with concentrated flavours of cassis, bilberry, charcoal, liquorice, deep woodsmoke and cedar. One for the cellar, and then some. 1% Petit Verdot finishes the blend. Harvested through until 16 October as with many of these St-Estèphes, given the luxury of the beautiful October weather. (Drink between 2024-2042)Decanter | 96 DECThis is seriously built, with an admirable core of red and black currant paste and bitter plum fruit inlaid with notes of tobacco, bay and smoldering charcoal. The finish is ramrod straight thanks to an iron girder supporting everything with ease. A tremendous effort for the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2035.Wine Spectator | 95 WSI loved the 2014 Montrose and it has an incredible purity and elegance that sets it apart from its peers. A blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it offers a deeper, richer profile with gorgeous cassis and currant fruits intermixed with licorice, chocolate, graphite and beautiful minerality. A spitting image of class on the palate, with fine tannin, integrated acidity, and medium to full-bodied richness, this terrific 2014 is up with the crème de la crème of the Médoc and keep for two to three decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD

A very refined red with berries, chocolate and walnuts. Full body and a round, juicy texture. Spicy and salty. Delicious already. Needs two or three years to come together. Second wine of Château Montrose.James Suckling | 94 JSDense floral and cassis nose with a minerally graphite base. Very good natural richness of fruit and great purity of expression. A very serious, very exciting second wine. Drinking Window 2021 - 2035Decanter | 92 DEC91–93. Barrel Sample. Very juicy, this is a wine that has spice and open black currant flavors. It is full of fruit, backed by a small edge of tannin that gives the wine a really fresh fruitiness. The wine will develop quickly.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEA blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot, the 2015 La Dame de Montrose is a classic wine from this fabulous estate. Notes of graphite, damp earth, tobacco leaf, and that classic cassis fruit of Saint-Estèphe gives way to a medium to full-bodied, seamless, elegant 2015 that’s already drinking beautifully. Tasted twice.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JDThe 2015 La Dame de Montrose is a super-appealing second wine. Fresh and light on its feet for a wine from this property, La Dame is all about silkiness, precision and aromatic presence. Red cherry fruit, white pepper, spice and mint add to the wine’s sensual, open-knit personality. The 2015 is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, and spent 12 months in French oak, 30% new.Antonio Galloni | 90 AG

Intensity and clarity of fruit is so insane. Blackberries, spices such as cloves, blueberries, sandalwood and dried lavender. Full body and such a beautiful, dense center palate with perfectly polished tannins. Extremely long and beautiful. One of the best young Montroses in a long, long time. Drink in 2024.James Suckling | 98 JSThis sumptuous, powerful wine has a great sense of structure and tannins. It is also overwhelmingly dense with black fruits and swathes of rich black currants. In this vintage, even more Cabernet Sauvignon than usual in the blend has given a ripe wine set for a far-distant future. Drink from 2026. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEThe deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Montrose opens with broody black fruits, menthol and anise notes with a core of cassis, blueberries and mulberries plus a touch of cedar chest. The medium-bodied mouth is firm and chewy with a good core of muscular fruit and a long, earthy finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2015 Montrose has a very intense bouquet of blackberry, raspberry coulis, iodine and violet scents that blossom in the glass, demonstrating more exuberance than (what transpired to be) the 2015 Meyney. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very well judged acidity, taut and linear with satisfying freshness and poise on the finish. Maybe this just has the edge over the Meyney. Superb. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 95 VMAnother wine I was able to taste on multiple occasions, the 2015 Montrose is a certainly the wine of Saint-Estèphe in 2015. Notes of cassis, damp earth, violets, and graphite/lead pencil notes all flow to a beautifully pure, elegant and multi-dimensional 2015 that has fine, polished tannin, perfect balance, and a great finish. The 2015 is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, all of which was brought up in 65% new oak. This isn’t a blockbuster yet is pure class all the way. It will be better in 4-5 years and keep for 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD(Château Montrose, St-Estèphe, Red) An imposing wine which shows the excellence of the winemaking and terroir, but it’s not as deft or effortless as the 2016. Montrose is often austere in its youth, and the well-knitted black fruits wound with tight strands of liquorice are clearly capable of long ageing. There is something extremely special here, although the tannins are very much closed up right now. The smallest selection for the grand vin for 15 years. (Drink between 2025-2040)Decanter | 93 DECFleshy for the vintage, with good plum and dark currant fruit lined with ample tobacco, warm paving stone, bay leaf and alder notes on the slightly dusty finish. Not a charmer, but this is integrated and shows range and depth for the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2035. Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2020 Sauvignon Blanc is bright, crisp and full of varietal character. Lemon peel, sage, mint, white flowers and crushed rocks all grace this exquisite, crystalline Sauvignon Blanc from Spottswoode. The 2020 should age gracefully for a number of years.Antonio Galloni | 93 AGThe 2016 Dame de Montrose is also gorgeous, and the second wines of Bordeaux continue to gain in quality. A blend of 52% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged in 30% new oak, this beauty has impressive amounts of creme de cassis, graphite, violets, and damp earth that give way to a medium to full-bodied, layered, pure, and seamless beauty that has real class. It’s well worth seeking out and will hopefully help you to keep your hands off the grand vin for at least a few years. (Drink between 2019-2039)Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDExtremely perfumed and beautiful with bright, violet and plum aromas. Full to medium body, very fine and firm tannins and transparent fruit. Linear and refined with a very long finish. Second wine of Château Montrose. Try in 2022.James Suckling | 93 JSTannins are very present in this dense wine. But so are vibrant, crisp black-currant flavors and acidity. The combination of tannins and fresh acidity will drive this second wine of Château Montrose forward. Drink from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2020 Sauvignon Blanc opens with vivacious lime juice, yuzu peel and grapefruit scents, followed by notions of lemongrass and wet pebbles. Medium-bodied and intense, it has racy citrus flavors and a steely finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPA gorgeous second wine in this vintage. It’s almost seductive, with deep, rich spice and fruit flavours on the palate, along with plenty of vibrancy and aromas of violets, plums and smoke. La Dame represents 42% of the estate’s production – and is a real bargain for the quality. (Drink between 2022-2035)Decanter | 91 DEC

Unquestionably one of the top 2-3 wines of the vintage, the 2016 Château Montrose is a monument in the making. Checking in as a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc raised in 60% new French oak (the balance was in once-used barrels) and representing a tiny 36% of the production, this deep purple-colored 2016 possesses powerful, incredibly classic Saint-Estephe notes of creme de cassis, graphite, damp earth, lead pencil shavings, and burning embers. With a powerful, full-bodied style on the palate, a huge mid-palate, lots of underlying structure and tannic grip, and perfect balance, this magical wine will need upwards of a decade or cellaring and keep for 40-50 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDDeep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Montrose is a little youthfully shy to begin, but with coaxing, it unfurls to reveal the most beguiling scents of wilted roses, oolong tea, crushed rocks, wild sage, star anise and candied violets over a wonderfully pristine, well-defined core of crushed blackcurrants, black raspberries and kirsch plus wafts of pencil lead and wood smoke. The taut, muscular, medium to full-bodied palate straddles jaw-dropping intensity and finesse superbly, featuring a solid backbone of ripe tannins and giving a firm frame right through the incredibly long, exquisitely nuanced finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThe 2016 Montrose is every bit as impressive as it was from barrel, maybe more. Tightly wound and vertical, with remarkable intensity, the 2016 is simply magnificent. The tannins are there, but they are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. All the elements are impeccably balanced in a wine of pedigree, depth and character. The 2016 is going to need a number of years to be at its best, but it is clearly a very special wine in the making. In a word: dazzling.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGNow owned by the Bouygues family and managed by Hervé Berland, formerly at Mouton Rothschild, Montrose is one of the finest classed growths. Structured, long-living, this needs time to settle and open up but will be stunning. Pure dark currant and berry fruit, mineral and menthol notes, glossy oak and tannins and a lingering finish suggest this may be the finest Montrose since 1990. (Drink between 2025-2050)Decanter | 98 DECThe floral and fresh aromas to this are mesmerizing. Roses and lilacs galore. The pure cab aromas coming from the glass – blackcurrants and blackberries – are so memorable. Full-bodied, deep and profound. The ultra-fine tannins on the palate are so polished and fine-grained. The finish goes on for minutes with subtle yet superb fruit. It’s all about precision and form here. A modern classic for Montrose. Better after 2026.James Suckling | 98 JSWhile this wine’s tannins are powerful. they are buried in a surprisingly soft texture of rich black fruits. With both structure and ripe blackberry flavors, the wine is already balanced. A juicy aftertaste lifts the tannins, pushing the wine into greatness. Drink from 2025.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEVery pure, with lilac, violet, cassis, bitter cherry and damson plum notes streaming through in lockstep right from the start. A fine chalky underpinning gives the finish a sleek and racy edge. A beautifully precise wine, with a lot in reserve, that could benefit from a little added weight in the cellar. Best from 2025 through 2040.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

Very pretty blackcurrants and blueberries with floral undertones, following through to a full body with layers of ripe, polished tannins and a rich, flavorful finish. Needs time to come around and show itself. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 94 JSThe second wine of Château Montrose is a major star in its own right. With dense tannins and concentrated black fruits, it has power and richness. The wine’s potential, impressive for a second wine, is very evident in the structure. Drink from 2026. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEVisually gorgeous with bright plum colour. Black cherry and damson on the first sip, clear oak influence with flexible but far-reaching tannic structure. Some real tension and balance - no question that this has a long life ahead of it. Juicy also; for a second wine we are right up there. (Drink between 2026-2040)Decanter | 93 DECThe 2018 La Dame de Montrose is a blend of 52% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it springs from the glass with vivacious notions of redcurrant jelly, mulberries, juicy blackberries and stewed plums, giving way to suggestions of underbrush, wild sage and fertile loam. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with bright, expressive black and red berry layers, supported by plush tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long with a spicy kick.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThe 2018 La Dame de Montrose is such a gorgeous wine. Built on a core of Merlot, La Dame is silky, sensual and impossible to resist. Cedar, new leather, spice and tobacco add lift to essential sweet red berry fruit. La Dame is the sort of wine that can pass unobserved in 2018, but that would be a mistake, as it is truly superb. This is at its most elegant. Antonio Galloni | 92 AGLooking first at the second wine of this incredible Saint-Estèphe Château, the 2018 La Dame De Montrose is a blend of 52% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, all brought up in 30% new French oak. Lots of blue fruits, sappy herbs, tobacco, violets, and graphite notes all emerge from the glass, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a round, concentrated, textured mouthfeel, and enough tannins to warrant 3-4 years of bottle. A beautiful second wine with lots of Saint-Estèphe character, it will have 15-20 years of longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 92+ JD

A full-bodied powerhouse as well as a perfect wine, the 2018 Château Montrose is a final blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc that was raised in 60% new French oak. Boasting a deep purple hue as well as awesome levels of crème de cassis and smoky blackberry fruits and notes of tobacco, lead pencil, scorched earth, and chocolate, it’s deep, opulent, and incredibly concentrated on the palate, with no shortage of mid-palate depth, tannins, or length. It reminds me a little of a fresher version of the 2003, although there’s more Cabernet Sauvignon in 2018 as well as less Merlot. It has that classic Montrose minerality and backward, mineral-laced style, yet I suspect this will be drinkable in just 5-6 years and should evolve into a modern-day legend from this terroir.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2018 Montrose is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Very deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a good amount of air to unlock the vibrant scents of crushed blackberries, preserved plums and cassis with suggestions of star anise, cedar chest, underbrush, Indian spices and iron ore, plus an emerging waft of violets. The full-bodied palate features the most exquisitely ripe tannins, offering a rock-solid backbone with tons of freshness lifting the taut, muscular fruit, finishing long and mineral laced. Going back to this wine over a period of hours and then days further reveals a Montrose of great opulence, richness and depth. Incidentally, the IPT level this year is 82, which indicates a very high level of tannins, and yet they are so, so ripe. The alcohol is around 14.5%. But sit back, close your eyes and forget the numbers—this is pure hedonism in its youth with a fantastic 40+ years of cellaring ahead of it, during the course of which do not be at all surprised if you are blown away by a three-digit experience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPRich and deep with beautifully nuanced dark chocolate, mocha, cocoa bean and liquorice. Just full of understated power and silky tannins. This is gorgeous and among my top wines of the Left Bank. As it opens in the glass you get sweet black cherry and cassis flesh, and a sense of lilting sappiness. Great stuff from Montrose. Drinking Window 2028 - 2045.Decanter | 98 DECPurity and beauty on the nose with blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, crushed-stone and violet character. A full-bodied red with masses of polished tannins and intense flavors of currants and blackberries. Juicy finish. Super depth to this. Goes on for minutes. Try after 2027.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2018 Montrose is dazzling. Whereas so many 2018s are opulent and broad, Montrose is a wine of vertical explosive power. Ripe Cabernet aromatics soar out of the glass, making a strong first impression. Black cherry, leather, licorice, graphite and menthol develop later as the 2018 starts to open in the glass. The energy, vibrancy and drive here are palpable right out of the gate. Montrose is one of real stars of 2018. Don’t miss it!Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThis wine confirms the place of Montrose among the top Bordeaux estates. With its rich tannins and powerful structure, it exudes concentration and density. But the wine also shows a sense of style. Fruit purity will make it impressive and allow it to age for many years. Drink this wine from 2028.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEDark and winey, with a well-built core laden with cassis and dark plum puree while flashes of anise, lilac and charcoal fill in throughout. Finish has hints of chestnut and warm earth for a burly edge, but there’s ample fruit for balance. Plenty grippy in the end too; cellaring required. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2036. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The Merlots were so good this year that most have gone into the first wine, giving this a higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon than usual and making it a serious Dame de Montrose, with clear ageing potential. Elegant and balanced, with purity and juicy black fruits. It has that savoury Cabernet quality which is very Médocain, this is absolutely one to look out for, packed with estate signature. 30% new oak. 43% of total production. 4% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Lovely new label here also, with rose gold roses across it. (Drink between 2025-2040)Decanter | 94 DECThe second wine of Montrose is seriously structured with dark tannins. It has impressive weight and concentration, a big wine while polished appropriate for this estate. Drink from 2025. ROGER VOSSWine Enthusiast | 94 WEJuicy and pleasantly chewy with milk chocolate, walnut and currant aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, creamy and flavorful. Second wine of Montrose. Drink after 2024.James Suckling | 93 JSVery solid, with a core of lightly steeped plum and blackberry fruit, supported by a streak of iron and framed by smoldering tobacco and dark earth notes. Good energy throughout as well, with a mouthwatering echo at the end. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2032.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2019 La Dame de Montrose, which I tasted in June and September 2021, has a fresh mulberry, black plum and granite-scented bouquet that is quite precocious; touches of morel appear in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, quite structured and almost Pauillac-like, thanks to veins of graphite toward the finish provided by the 48% Cabernet Sauvignon. Saline on the aftertaste, though not tremendously long, this is a very promising Deuxième Vin. Vinous Media | 91 VMThe 2019 La Dame De Montrose is another impressive second wine and certainly worth seeking out. Ripe darker cherries, currants, leafy herbs, tobacco, and a hint of classic Saint-Estèphe damp earth all emerge on the nose, and it’s medium-bodied, with a silky, graceful texture, light tannins, and a great finish. It’s everything a second wine should be and will evolve nicely for 10-12 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 91 JD

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.Antonio Galloni | 100 AGA generous and abundant nose full of fruit and aromatic intensity followed by a gorgeous mouthfeel showcasing fruit density and concentration wrapped up in soft, velvety-smooth tannins. Just so much depth but also refinement here, it feels well made with just the right amount of fruit, toasty spice, tannins, freshness and acidity. The overall structure is gently framing all the elements - big and bold but quietly confident. The tannin impact is also enjoyable giving a feeling of approachability despite the long life ahead. Just superb - one of the best in 2019. A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. 12% press wine. 60% new oak. Drinking Window 2029 - 2046.Decanter | 99 DECThe 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.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 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.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDBlueberries, 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.James Suckling | 97 JSLush and lovely, showing a mix of creamed loganberry, plum, boysenberry and mulberry flavors that borders on exotic, but everything stays harnessed by sleek floral and iron notes through the finish. This has ample structure for balance that’s well-embedded in the fruit, making this seemingly approachable now but there’s absolutely no rush. A beauty. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2040. Wine Spectator | 96 WS

(Château Montrose, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, Red) A serious wall of blueberry and blackberry compote, and a ton of savoury Cabernet sinew and freshness. This is a great Montrose, inky, broad-shouldered and structured. It needs time to aerate and open in the glass, then you see the precision, the heft, the chiselling of the fruits with a ton of graphite, cigar box and campfire smoke - huge persistency. This will need a long time and will reward patience. One of the few where a 1986, 2016 and 2010 comparison makes sense. A yield around 30hl/ha. 1% Petit Verdot, 3.86pH, IPT 80. 45% of the overall production. (Drink between 2029-2050)Decanter | 98 DECJust starting to open, it shows beautiful spices and dark fruit on the nose and palate. It’s full-bodied with ultra-fine, integrated tannins and an extremely complex, refined finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSWhile the wine is firm and with powerful tannins it has delicious fruitiness that is more forward than in many vintages of the wine. The fine black currant flavors are underlined by acidity while the Cabernet Sauvignon gives a fine, firm structure to this very direct wine.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE

The 2020 La Dame de Montrose is fabulous. Rich, dense and expansive, the 2020 offers notable vibrancy and a good bit of energy too. Bright acids cut through a core of red/purplish fruit in what is an intense, wonderfully saline Dame. The 2020 finishes with remarkable elegance and sophistication.Vinous Media | 94 VMSoft purple flowers on the nose, quite perfumed and seductive tones with ripe black fruit, peonies, blueberries and plums. Rich and supple, round with mouthwatering acidity - clean and crisp, steely and mineral with a core of crushed stones, pencil lead, slate and liquorice-edged black fruits. Power and concentration - it’s plush and potent, but also quite tight with the flavours expanding vertically. Not as generous and openly friendly at this point but so svelte and well worked with a sense of style to it.Decanter | 93 DECA very fresh and driven style, with a racy core of damson plum, red cherry and dried lilac laced with hints of black tea and iron, which nicely extend the finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024 through 2034.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe second wine of Château Montrose, the 2020 La Dame De Montrose is terrific, with a sunny, forward, medium-bodied style as well as lots of ripe red and black fruits, notes of sweet tobacco, sandalwood, and spice, supple tannins, and outstanding length. Open and complex, it’s going to shine for 15 years if well-stored. The blend is 49% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, and the balance Cabernet Franc, checking in at the same alcohol as the Grand Vin, 13.4%.Jeb Dunnuck | 92 JD