Chateau Montrose with Mr. Herve Berland

Panos once again organized his now famous annual DC Bordeaux vertical dinner. This year, it was Chateau Montrose. The CEO of Chateau Montrose, Herve Berland, flew in just for the dinner. I remember meeting Mr. Berland at Chateau Mouton Rothschild during the 10 en primeur. His first vintage at Mouton goes back to the 77. Even after forty years of working, he still showed so much passion for Bordeaux.

Mr. Berland brought fifteen vintages of Chateau Montrose. Panos, Paul and Chris generously contributed the 89 each so we could compare to the 90. It was incredibly fascinating and educational to taste sixteen vintages of Chateau Montrose. It certainly was the first time where I tasted more than a few verticals of Chateau Montrose. My impression was that the wines of Chateau Montrose ages at a glacial pace. A hint of Cabernet green, lead pencil, strong mineral expression, very polished silky palate and youthfulness really reminded me Chateau Leoville Las Cases. Although I have experienced major inconsistency with the 86 and 90 Montrose in the past, these bottles were very clean and expressive. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the 76, 86, 98, 08 and 12 showed. As expected the 90, 00, 03, 05, 09 and 10 stole the show. The only minor disappointment was the 89 which was overshadowed by the 90.

Based on my past two meals at Ripple, Ryan Ratino is an exceptionally talented young chef who is a worthy successor to the former top chef finalist, Marjorie Meek-Bradley. There is a clear stylistic change, Majorie’s dishes were pure and delicate where Ryan’s dishes are hearty and flavorful. I really enjoyed the grits with quail egg and black truffle, as well as the octopus with coco bean and oxtail.

Maria Denton with Moet Hennessy kindly brought the 02 Cuvee Rare. Mark Wessels with Bassins added the 06 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try the CDC.

• 2002 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare 94 Points

  France, Champagne

  Delightful nose displaying apple, lemon curd, brioche, honey, honeysuckle and sweet spices. Beautifully integrated palate, decadent white fruit driven palate impression, medium mousse, perfect amount of acidity and mineral,and a lovely long clean finish. Just drinking beautifully and totally ready to go.

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• 2012 Château Montrose 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Intense cassis driven nose, blueberry liqueur, cabernet floral dust, lead pencil, dark spices, caramel and earth. There is a very slight hint of over ripe fruit but not too bothersome. Excellent concentration, intense cassis driven palate impression, bright acidity, strong presence of mineral and a long sweet finish with cassis at the end. It is slightly coarse, certainly not the most polished wine. Nevertheless, excellent concentration and intense sweet cassis fruit make the wine quite promising. It is developing nicely. Will need minimum ten more years to reach the youthful peak. This is certainly not a sub 90 point wine in RP scale. If you can source at sub $70, this is a compelling value.

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• 2008 Château Montrose 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Very floral bright nose clearly reflecting the vintage. Bright sweet red fruit, perfume, cedar, caramel, a hint of truffle, lead pencil and limestone. Very good concentration, very precise, beautifully layered, silky and polished, bright acidity, noticeable very fine tannins and a lovely long red fruit and light caramel driven finish. Although the nose is expressive, the mouth feel is a bit tight. IMO, this is as pretty as St. Estephe can get. This is developing into a classic claret. If you enjoy the floral and precise aspect of Loire Cab Franc, this is a Bordeaux that will not bore you. It will require additional five years of cellaring to reach the youthful peak.

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• 1995 Château Montrose 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  It is WOTF for some as it is at the peak drinking window. Nicely mature classic left bank/Pauillac nose displaying plum, sweet slightly dry red fruit, also a hint of cassis, lead pencil, cedar, leather, caramel and earth. Good concentration, nicely integrated palate, warm and soft, a hint of coarse tannins and a medium to long cedar and mature red fruit driven finish. A solid Bordeaux that is drinking nicely.

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• 2010 Château Montrose 98 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Very detailed and precise nose displaying fresh black fruits, crushed wild blueberries, blueberry jam, a hint of cassis, licorice, strong lead pencil, rose, milk chocolate and earth. Very polished sensual palate, incredibly concentrated and layered yet airy and detailed, exceptional balance, cool silky blue fruit driven palate impression, the perfect amount of acidity and mineral and an incredibly long silky finish. One of those rare wines that has both the intensity and weightlessness.

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• 2009 Château Montrose 97 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  It is interesting to compare with the 10. Decadent ripe blue fruits, cassis, dark milk chocolate, roasted coffee bean and earth. Excellent concentration, a bit chewier, denser and richer than the 10, beautifully layered, intense ripe black fruit and roasted coffee bean driven palate impression, good acidity, strong presence of mineral and a long decadent roasted black fruit driven finish. It seems richer and riper than the 10. Both wines perfectly express the vintage characters. I prefer the 10 slightly for the balance and sophistication for now. Need another ten years to reach the youthful peak.

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• 2003 Château Montrose 97 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  The roasted fruit has mostly dissipated hence no longer kinky. A slight hint of green which is not unusual in the 03s, keeps the wine fresh and interesting. Beautiful harmonious nose displaying cassis, a hint of plum, green pepper, cedar, milk coffee, eucalyptus, strong lead pencil and earth. Excellent concentration, nicely integrated palate, soft and warm, beautifully layered and surprisingly polished, nice mineral presence and a lovely long silky finish with a hint of cedar and milk coffee at the end. The nose expression is youthful but the palate is warm and round, totally sensual and ready. I believe this will age well due to the excellent fruit concentration. I believe the structure is there but masked by the opulent fruit. Some will disagree. No matter what, it is totally ready to go just like the 03 Leoville Barton, Leoville Poyferre, Margaux, Latour and etc.

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• 2005 Château Montrose 97 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Intense nose displaying crème de cassis, ink, coffee, mint, dill, mocha, lead pencil, a hint of cedar and dark spices. Excellent concentration, unctuous and chewy, layers up layers of intense dark fruit, bright acidity, strong presence of mineral and an incredible long intense cassis driven finish. For me, the most intense, bold and structured wine of the night. Really impressive. It is enjoyable with the youthful opulent fruit but will need another five to ten years to reach the youthful peak. Really impressive.

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• 1990 Château Montrose 98 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Fully mature complex nose displaying cassis, a hint of decadent red fruit, plum, a hint of green, caramel, forest floor, dark milk chocolate, cedar and earth. Beautiful harmonious palate, decadent red fruit and milk chocolate driven palate impression, warm and round yet silky and polished, nicely integrated tannins and a long sweet finish. The bottle served at Pano’s table seems more youthful but I prefer our bottle as it feels more complete and enjoyable. It is always fascinating to compare the fresh and precise 89 and simply hedonistic 90. Unfortunately, the 90 Montrose can be terribly inconsistent often with strong brett. However the 90 is the clear winner today. Drinking magnificently.

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• 1989 Château Montrose 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Expressive nose displaying decadent black fruit, cassis, dark flower, a hint of stemmy green, lead pencil, cedar, leather and earth. Excellent concentration, beautifully layered, excellent mineral presence and a long sweet finish. Today, this seems more youthful but not as enjoyable as the 90. This is a classic claret. Panos, Chris and Paul generously contributed a bottle each. The only wine that is not coming from the Chateau. I suspect our bottle may have been shaken a bit as the overall impression is not as precise and slightly muddled compare to the previous 89s.

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• 1976 Château Montrose 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Surprisingly youthful dark color. Old school Bordeaux nose displaying a hint of cassis, plum, ash, strong mint, lead pencil, cedar and mineral. Very good concentration, fully resolved harmonious palate and a medium to long finish with mineral and ash at the end. According to Herve, it was picked early which helped to retain the freshness. It really is quite fresh with a hint of green expressing as mint/spearmint. Not the most complex but a beautiful mature old school claret.

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• 2000 Château Montrose 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Beautifully detailed nose displaying subtle black fruit, blackberry, a hint of cassis and caramel, ink, violet, perfume, cedar and mineral. Excellent concentration, silky and polished, bright acidity, strong presence of mineral and a long seamless finish that resonates. For my palate, this, along with the 10, are the most polished wines of the evening. This is equally cool and precise but slightly less concentration than the 10. It is ready but another five years of cellaring will result in additional tertiary notes. Excellent showing. I like how the 00s are developing.

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• 1986 Château Montrose 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Expressive nose displaying cool blue fruit, blueberry, cassis, a hint of ash, spearmint, flowers, a hint of bell pepper and mineral. Excellent concentration, silky and polished, nicely integrated tannins and a long cassis driven finish. The overall impression is a bit straightforward. Very youthful , in line with the other 86 Bordeauxs.

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• 1985 Château Montrose 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Fully mature nose displaying subtle sweet red fruit, plum, a hint of cassis, lead pencil, cedar, ash, a hint of green, tobacco and mineral. Fully integrated palate, soft and round and a medium long finish. This is the softest and most round Montrose of the night. The expression is in line with other classified growth from the vintage, i.e. round and warm.

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• 1998 Château Montrose 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Very harmonious nose displaying creme de cassis as well as succulent candied red fruit, artificial cherry candy, a hint of ash, cedar, mint and strong mineral. Medium concentration, impressive polished palate, cassis driven palate impression, good acidity and mineral presence and a medium to long finish. Not the most concentrated wine but with enough fruit. Quite fresh and pure. Ready to go but still quite youthful and the tertiary notes are not fully developed. A pleasant surprise.

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• 1982 Château Montrose 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  Our bottle is corked but Pano’s to rescue us! The second bottle is correct, sweet black fruit, cassis, a hint of green, cedar, leather and strong limestone. Medium concentration, good freshness and a medium finish. Considering the vintage, I am hoping for a bit more. It is at the peak.

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• 1970 Château Montrose 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe

  The 70 Montrose can be really irregular. Luckily we have a correct bottle. Fully mature claret nose displaying red fruit, plum, dry cherry, mint, cedar, leather and earth. Fully resolved harmonious palate. A youthful example. Really nice showing.

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• 2010 Château d'Yquem Declassified 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Medium expressive nose displaying ginger, botrytis, apricot, honey and mineral. Medium concentration and acidity, a medium long finish. If this is indeed the declassified D’Yquem, there is a justifiable reason. It is a bit simple and lacking the intensity and precision that I associate with D’Yquem. Nevertheless it is a good fun wine.

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• 1991 Alois Kracher Grande Cuvée Beerenauslese 86 Points

  Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee

  I bought this in 1999 from Calvert Woodley. Kracher was in high demand back then. It was fun to drink with Michael Sand of Calvert Woodley. Molasses, balsamico, dry apricot, fig and etc. It is a bit too cloying and monolithic.

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• 2001 Château Rieussec 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  This is somewhat sleeping which is rare in Sauternes. Subtle nose displaying a hint of yellow fruit, apricot, peach, strong petrol, crème brulee and limestone. Excellent concentration, dense and oily, very sweet yellow fruit fruit driven palate impression, good acidity and a lovely long finish. Since the release, I have always believed that this is a level below the 01 D’Yquem and Climens and this convinced me once again. Nevertheless this is an exceptional Sauternes.

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My sincere gratitude goes to Panos and Herve!