External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Wine-Searcher
Vintages
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
Show more
From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
|
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.6 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 14 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by englishman's claret on 11/19/2022: Sadly, there was enough oxidation here to mar the underlying sound bits. Others were more optimistic. (2418 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 10/10/2018 & rated 92 points: Recorked in 1998, this seems to have been heavily topped off. The wine had power. The tannins and textures were on the rustic side and this seemed to be lacking some of the nuances associated with 90 years of age. Good, but sadly, not great. (3975 views) | | | Tasted by tinybubbles on 9/8/2018 & rated 93 points: Thick and rich. Showing some age and light oxidation on the nose but a much fresher and fully intact palate. 93- (2502 views) | | | Tasted by dream on 2/26/2017 & rated 96 points: Gorgeous wine with great intensity and wonderful aged notes of cow dung, floral earth and smoky red fruits. Finishes complex with delicious spice notes. Very fresh with good acids and still some tannins left. Wow! (3526 views) | | | Tasted by nywine68 on 2/23/2017 & rated 98 points: An epic vertical of Chateau Montrose (Restaurant Daniel): Another wine tied for WOTN. Once again remarkable how the color and fruit have remained so youthful and vibrant. This was less expressive on the nose than the 1947 but the flavors were huge. This was all dark fruit within a massive tannin structure. It took a while for the tannins to dissolve in the glass at which point the wine truly became sublime. Montrose vertical 1895-2000 (3449 views) | | | Tasted by tinybubbles on 2/23/2017 & rated 95 points: Ruby red clarity. Color belies the age. Soil and funk mellowed and integrated with the fruit. Great acid core remaining here. (3321 views) | | | Tasted by LWI on 5/2/2015 & rated 94 points: 31 Vintages of Château Montrose: 1928-2010; 5/2/2015-5/3/2015: IN/BN – recorked at the Chateau in 1989. Well-developed wine with mostly brown color. Forest floor, leather, scorched earth, but a flowery note emerges after a while. Smooth, feminine (yes, and I never through a 28 could ever be feminine), long, dusty tannins in a complex finish. Glorious wine, considering its age. (4266 views) | | | Tasted by JLeader on 10/30/2014 & rated 92 points: Ancient Wine Dinner (Nice Matin). Mid-shoulder fill but the wine was in excellent condition. Still dark, rich, almost ripe fruit at the core; plush and velvety. Long. Notes of damp earth and iron but shows much younger than expected. Great bottle. (3293 views) | | | Tasted by Wine Expresso on 9/18/2014 & rated 92 points: At the crazy wine dinner.
Dark in color. Fresh, fruit was rich, powerful start, bottle would have been very well kept. Lots of Bordeaux, nose better than palate. (2416 views) | | | Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 1/10/2013 & rated 93 points: A private dinner (Amsterdam): Château-bottled, excellent condition. Wonderful intensity, masculine, bolt upright at 85 years of age, touch of mint, perfectly healthy, blackcurrant, hint of pepper, broad-shouldered, good length. (4105 views) | | | Tasted by jjclips2 on 7/11/2009 & rated 90 points: Kruger's 75th (Corsair): Of the twin '28's, this didn't have as much freshness, although equally entertaining. Dried fruits, leather, fig. Soy sauce, bitter chocolate, and loads of old brett. Quite a bit richer and fatter than the Calon with firm tannins and dried fig/prune for fruit. Dan Goldfield said licorice and I can see that for sure. (4806 views) | | | Tasted by BradE on 10/11/2006: (Quartet of 21, 24, 28, 29.) Good nose here and great in the mouth. Meaty, a little gamey. Slightly short finish. I really liked it. (3017 views) | | | Tasted by Joe Belmaati on 11/23/2002 & rated 90 points: Deep red, brown at the rim. Good peppar impressions in the bouquet and lots of cigar-box. I love that classic Medoc cigarbox scent, and this wine was oozing it out of the Spiegelau. Earthy, somewhat dusty. Good definition and structure, but lacks a bit of sparkle and fresh fruit. Medium bodied and charming, but seems to have lost a bit of its fruit-sweetness (if ever it had any, as one of the guests remarked). (3528 views) |
| Château Montrose Producer website – Read more about Chateau Montrose
This was acquired In 1778 as part of the Calon estate, by Etienne Théodore Dumoulin. After his death, his son, (also Etienne Théodore Dumoulin) cleared the vegetation and discovered the soil beneath was gravelly and suitable for the vine. Planting was completed by 1815 with good results. By 1820, Dumoulin had expanded the vineyard and built a small chateau. This vineyard has changed hands many times over the years. New equipment in 1975, and again in 1985, and a new barrel cellar helped sow the seeds for Montrose's renovation, which reached a peak in about 2000 with some excellent wines. The estate and the wines were enjoying a great reputation when, in 2006, it changed hands once more when Martin & Oliver Bouygues bought the vineyard. The vineyard is currently 65 hectares with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The wines go into oak, 70% new for eighteen months for the Grand Vin Chateau Montrose (typically 19,000 cases per annum). Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.St. Estèphe Read more about St. Estephe and its wines Whereas the first activity recorded in Saint-Estèphe goes back as far as the Middle Bronze Age, the first vines date from the Roman Occupation. But it was the Bordeaux merchants who by aging and selling Saint-Estèphe wines themselves were largely responsible for this appellation's fame. And in the nineteenth century, noted for its prosperity, the great estates of today were created. The movement continues today with the merging of small estates.
A land of great wines, Saint-Estèphe is situated almost in the centre of the Médoc, close to the Gironde Estuary. The appellation is equidistant from Bordeaux and the Pointe de Grave.
The beds of soil are characterized by their remarkable diversity, the result of their undulating relief and excellent drainage. Quartz and well-rounded pebbles mingled with light, sandy surface soil are found everywhere, giving the wines a distinctive finesse. And the subsoil is made up of the famous Saint-Estèphe limestone, which outcrops on the west of the commune.
Tasting
Thanks to ideal conditions of climate and geology, Saint-Estèphe wines are characterized by their sturdy qualities and robust constitution. Accordingly, they can be laid down for a very long time while yet preserving their youth and freshness. Distinguished by a subsoil which is more clayey than that in the other communal appellations which lie by the river, the wine here attains a distinctive individuality : a very rich tannic structure, a fine deep red colour and an exceptional backbone with aromas of great finesse.
Production conditions (Decree dated September 11, 1936):
In order to have the right to the Saint-Estèphe appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the communes of Saint-Estèphe, "excluding any parcels in that area which are situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare). |
|
