Still needs a minimum of 2 hours to begin to open. Wonderfully complex nose of cedar, red current, earth, meat and leather. In the mouth, correspondingly complex. Mix of red and dark fruit. Tannins present, but soft. Long beautiful finish.
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A thrilling St. Estephe, so smoky & animalistic that many of us went directly to N. Rhone. So youthful, wow… according to Jeff Leve it is finally in its drinking window since last year. A blend of 65% CS, 25% Merlot & 10% CF. Explosive intensity aroma of smoked meat, cigar box, earth, smoky prunes, cassis, leather, touch of barn & garrigue. Full body, echoing delightful smokiness from aroma layered with saline earthy red and black fruits, mild dustiness, sublime complexity and concentration, soft medium tannins.
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Early Mar 2024, Rheingau Gourmet Festival, rarity diner “25 vintages of Chateau Montrose”: according to the sommelier double decanted for up to 3 hours; deep crimson color; thriving bouquet of cassis, cherries, mint and herbs; smooth, round, and fruity texture.
Outstanding Montrose 1989, however, one step behind the 1990 vintage.
Almost freakishly good, apotheosis of St. Estèphe mature glory. Medium ruby, amber edge. Majorly intense on nose and palate. The blackest of fruit, juicy acidity, firm integrated slightly coarse tannins, great length. Cannot improve but it doesn’t have to. While it may not fade any time soon there is no reason to wait if you want to catch it at peak. The ‘89 seems more consistent and just as good as the (in)famous 1990 version.
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This bottle was stubborn to come around even after a 5-hour double-decant. It opened more in the glass to reveal a fabulous depth of black fruits and lots of earthy, rustic depth. The texture was seamless and the finish showed still strong and slightly coarse tannins. There is a wonderful complexity developing here with notes of Asian spices, dark tilled earth and horse leathers. This bottle, at least, could use more time but love the terroir that's starting to show here. 94+
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There it is! This was a near perfect wine. For all the 89s I’ve enjoyed, this was on the more elegant, delicate end of the spectrum. Yes, you have blackcurrant, a little sweet fig and tar, with good resolution, but it’s lighter bodied than the 90 Montrose, and cleaner, less rustic than say 89 Pichon Lalande. Anyway, great wine that can sometimes be (wrongly) lost in the shadow of the 1990.
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Took a very long time to open up. Slow oxed from 2 to 7 PM! Opened for Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts convention in DC 2023. Very, very bretty. Once open (by 8 PM), it was a very full bodied intense wine with dark, dark fruit like plums but with lots of leather notes to it.
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The second of five wines tasted with a good friend over a long afternoon and evening. I am grateful to my friend for bringing this. It is the eighth Bordeaux that I have score 98 points or higher on this platform.
Enthralling bouquet! Shading to Margaux. One could sit with the perfume, without tasting, and come away satisfied. Showing more youth than expected. Effusive secondary notes and some tertiary. All as it should be, and so much more.
Firm and wondrously expansive. Wave after wave, turn after turn, this wine brings it! Purity, harmony, and balance, at all phases. The palate, like the bouquet, shows more youth than expected.
This bottle, a great one, seemed to have a few years of evolution remaining. Recommend a two+ hour decant if drinking now. Likely to hold through 2030 with ease. 98-99.
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Often as good as, and sometimes even better than the famous 1990, this bottle was singing at the top of its lunch with layer after of sweet, ripe, juicy currants, flowers, citrus, and cedar. Long, intense, concentrated, full-bodied, and harmonious, this is one of the wines of the vintage. Drink from 2023-2055.
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A wonderful wine Brick at the rim The nose opens with manure and fabulous scorched earth that then gives way to leather and black cherries On the palate the wine is round and inviting with rich dark red fruits and a bit of spice with a long refined finish still some tannin here too. This wine probably still has 10 great years in it Exactly what you want your Bordeaux to be and a pleasure to savor
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Dark red in color with slight lightening towards the rim. Intensely aromatic on the nose showing black small berries, truffle, ash and forest floor. Very structured but silky palate shows waves of smoky black fruits, medium acidity, fine tannins and a long finish that shows hints of leather and aged wood spice.
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What a disappointment. Cork and color still good without evidence of significant age despite 34 years. Very little sediment on decanting. The wine is largely devoid of fruit and still somewhat tannic. Disjointed but improved a bit after a couple of hours. I wish I had consumed it 10 years ago when it was more nearly at its peak. I cannot understand some of the exceptional ratings; maybe this bottle was flawed and will open the remaining bottles I own in the near future. Tasted next to a 20 year old California cab and was not even in the same ballpark...
Dinner Maison Pavlov March 22 2023. WOTN together with 2003 Haut Brion. Delightful and totally in the best of the drinking window. An historical year for Bordeaux.
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Such a masculine wine, but but with curves, and a subtlety that only comes with age. I love this wine. Has a bit left in the tank but I doubt it will get any better..... why wait. went beautifully with roasted beef tenderloin
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This is classic Bordeaux at its best. All the beautiful tertiary aromas paired with high precision, an intact fruit core and a masculine, high-tension structural frame. This bottle was not as evolved, complex and soft as the best bottles of this I had (rated 98pts) but not far away.
TN: Tobacco, herbs, truffles, fine dark fruit on the very inviting nose. On the palate this has everything you want from an old Bordeaux: still an intense, good, fresh fruit core alongside beautiful truffles, tobacco, herbs, minerality aromas as well as intriguing minty notes. Complex and precise. Superb tannins, still a bit masculine but fine and round. Not airy but without any shred of excess weight. Long finish.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly 4 hours. It could have used even a bit more.
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Blind tasting. Beautiful mature Medoc nose with underbrush, peat, dark fruit. Complete, complex. I recently had this from Jero where it performed even better.
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Tasted blind. Dense and nicely aged aroma profile with barnyard notes, underwood and mushrooms. Fruit of dark berries and blueberries, fresh in style and an ideal match with the aging notes. Sufficient tension, but the palate appeared to be thinning out a bit. Slightly leathery finish. This was still pretty good, but the least convincing bottle I’ve had to date (1x in 2019, 3x in 2021).
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A great Montrose which has equaled or eclipsed the variable nineteen-ninety. Massively constructed, packed and stacked. Very black fruity. Has the strong tannins and acidity to support the heavyweight fruit. At peak but should last well. Very St. Estèphe.
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Drank for the first time in December 2020. 3 years later, the wine has not aged a bit.
Very complex nose with still very lively fruit, followed by tobacco, spices and menthol.
The mouth always combines concentration and suppleness. It is easy to read with a nice complexity, it starts with a bright black fruit, then it stretches on a mixture of tobacco / cedar / very noble spice to finish on menthol notes. It is structured and it is expressed through a still insolent youth. The finish is serene, totally untied, all in finesse with great length.
Great Montrose.
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Opened 3 hours ahead, decanted 1 hour. Very reticient initially, opened beautifully over the course of the evening. Great nose of tobacco, cedar, blackfruits and spice that I only get from older Bordeaux. Medium to full bodied with velvet tannins and flavors of plum, leather and earth that go on for nearly a minute. An incredible wine in fantastic place! 98 points.
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My my a week later after we had first half of the the bottle loved it rated it close to a 100 at a fabulous dinner at Blue in Grand Cayman then Coravin by sommelier the wine had lost all fruit and a wet cardboard funk was evident. Bret strikes after one week? Bizzare? Anyone else had similar?
This probably could have used more than an hour and a half decant, it continued to open up over the next hour and a half of consumption. Meets lofty expectations...very bordeaux
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What a roller coaster wine. Multi course dinner at Blue at the Ritz Cayman. Pristine appearing 1989 Montrose obtained directly from their distributor. 750 ml bottle with high neck fill. They used Coravin to pour 2 glasses and taste for sommelier. Aired for 30 minutes where a bit of mild funk blew off. I have had this wine 5 times before with similar funk that dissipated. The Montrose that night was wonderful with rich fruit velvet tannins multi flavors. Loved it but a week later things would deeply disappoint.
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ESTG Year-End Tasting (Newcastle, WA): Some debate about whether this might be corked and if so ever so lightly. Really structured, intense, so Montrose. Despite the potential taint I loved it.
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blind Guessed 1990 left bank. What a dream wine, so fresh, lovely tannins, great structure. I knew 1990 is sublime but this even better. starting to reach his peak. 99
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Last bottle, opened for wedding anniversary, notes the same as bottle two years ago, apart from faded brown rim and even smoother, nice bottle and typical of the chateau but not exciting in any way, just very drinkable, way to much money now, I stopped buying this type of Bordeaux awhile ago partly because my age means I cannot guarantee I will be around when they mature, and more importantly in these difficult times money is needed elswhere other than a Bordelais vigneron's bank account.
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Just a truffle scented beauty and with more barnyard notes than the 1990, the 1989 has that signature fruit that made them so special. Denser appearance than the 90, with more earth, mushroom, and tobacco, this is one of those wines that can be mistaken for corked at first sniff by people that just don't know Bordeaux. Luckily and thankfully, theres lots of California wine out there for the faint hearted. This is what serious Bordeaux is supposed to behave, smell, and taste like. Ready to drink and still holdable and in good health.
Shockingly tannic upon opening and needed 2+ hours to begin to reveal itself, but once open this showed magnificent Montrosian typicity.
Nose: blueberry, Blackberry, graphite, wet stone and lilac. Palate: muscular dark berries and fleshy fruit are on a frame of substantial dark tannin. A bit coiled, but has a beautiful inner mouth perfume. Finish: classic cedar, dark fruit and tobacco.
Wonderful wine that stands in with the very best of 1989.
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Amazingly dumb and unbelievably tannic when opened, the 1989 Montrose underwent a revelatory transition after 2.5 hours in the decanter. While it is by no means at the peak of its powers yet (to give you an idea of the glacial pace of its evolution, it’s barely evolved over the past decade), air helps to reveal cool blue and black fruit, iodine, wet stone, and subtle spring flowers. One cannot help but be impressed by this monumental wine, in possession of seemingly-limitless depth and muscle yet, equally, it is so suave and well-mannered. The ‘89 Montrose is drinking with enough air and is the most engaging counterpoint to the 1990 beside it, but one should really wait another decade. There’s something of the great 1955 here, and that’s worth waiting for.
65% Cabernet Sauvignon / 25% Merlot / 10% Cabernet Franc
Removed from cellar 2 hours before dinner to let stand. 45 minutes before dinner, began the opening process. Cork crumbled. Used cheesecloth to filter out the cork and sediment. Breathed in the decanter for 30 minutes. The initial, slight vinegar scent transformed into a lush violet, lavender, mineral, leathery perfume. Classic Bordeaux flavor. This is why I age wine.
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Tasted at JD’s last night with lamb chops. Stood up at midday and decanted for about an hour and a half. The cork was troublesome but eventually came out. Deep garnet color and slightly brown at the edge with just a hint of nose left. This is fine old-school “old” claret. It will go a few more years but not many. Surprisingly vigorous in the glass— it lasted all evening until we moved on to the Palmer ‘83 with the cheese.
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With the right bottle this is an incredible wine, and apart from the legendary Haut Brion competes with the Lynch Bages as the leading runner up for the wine of the vintage. The nose is mature and deeply aromatic with blackcurrant, plum, cedar and tobacco. Old leather and tobacco with ripe dark berry fruits dominate the palate with layers of complexity. Likewise the finish is perfection pushing 60 seconds and is unwavering in its balance. It still needs time in the decanter to come alive. What a privilege to drink this. 98+
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Impressionnant de puissance à cet âge! Avec énormément de classe. Il faut le mettre en carafe car il s'est beaucoup ouvert dans les verres. L'idéal est de l'attendre encore 10 ans. Oui, vous avez bien lu, encore 10 ans.
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RZ's Bordeaux Seconds (Hawksmoor Guildhall): Served from half. Popped and poured. A serious, serious wine. So much going on - clearly St Estephe but somehow carries its heaviness lightly. As one of my fellow diners pointed out - you could spend a fun five hours with this on your own one evening.
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A thrilling wine that is happily catching up to the 90 in quality, and sadly, catching up in price as well. Full-bodied, deep, concentrated, long, intense, complex and powerful, the wine opens with an incredible nose of tobacco leaf, cedar, cigar box, ash, spice and currants. There is fabulous volume, weight and density on the palate and in the long, cigar, and red berry-packed finish. An hour of air would really add a lot to the wine. In a few more years, I'd bet and give odds this scores even higher!
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Another lost Friday afternoon gathering - mostly French (Jailbreak Brewery, Laurel, MD): The cork is about ¾ soaked, from a passive cellar. There is a hint of brett and the fruit is slightly muted. Still cassis, plum, flower and lead pencil. It is a shame. I am not hypersensitive of cellar temperature. However, prolong passive cellaring will have a serious adverse effect.
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Just a small sample, generously shared by an anonymous nearby diner. In prime form, fresh and balanced, with notes of cedar, leather, tobacco and sous-bois surrounding the black cherry core. Plenty of structure, should last for decades.
17x Bordeaux 1982-1990 (+ 2 Martha’s): All wines tasted single blind. It’s a privilege to taste the two legendary Montrose vintages 1989 and 1990 side by side. On this evening the 1990 (96 pts) edged out the 1989 (95 pts) by a small margin. The 1990 was more open and more round than the 1989, which usually needs a a lot of time and air to sing (better on day two). For both wines, this was not their best self as they can be more mature, softer and expressive. These Montrose are quintessential, classic Bordeauxs and truly outstanding.
TN: Intense nose with tobacco, herbs and a fresh dark fruit core. Quite intriguing and precise. The palate just hints at all there is with an intense but not super precise dark fruit potpourri and lots of tobacco and some earthy tones. Already very soft tannins but the wine is full of tension and energy, with a high freshness and not yet the fine, creamy structure this can have at its best. This takes off a bit of that seductiveness. Long lasting finish and overall already very balanced.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly 4 hours, it could have used more. It got better by the minute in the glass.
Group score: 95.5 pts Group rank: 6th out of 16 reds
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similar to my previous tasting notes - dark red with brick rim - intriguing nose of black fruit, Asian spices (anise), and leather - big body in the mouth with good acid-fruit-tannin balance - 20+ second finish with slight bitterness at the end- drinking very nicely now, but many years left to develop into an even more impressive wine
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Second time in a week I‘ve came across this beauty. Again, one could smell and taste all the stuffing, complexity, precision... all that greatness... but again, the wine was not fully ready and singing. This 1989 usually takes hours and hours in the decanter and usually is better on day two. This bottle, unfortunately, was not decanted at all. Anyway, a great wine and the best bottles can reach perfection.
TN: Medium expressive only on the nose and palate (the best bottles burst out of the glass) with dark, ashy notes, so much signature black truffles, lots of minerality and underneath lots of dark fruit which is definitely there but still a bit held back. The structure is impeccable with tons of very fine tannins, very high but perfectly round and integrated acidity, a creamy and airy structure. The finish is quite long and intense. This wine can be a perfect wine. Today it just hinted at that perfection.
Decanting: Not decanted. It could have used 6, 8 or more hours in the decanter.
Glass: Gabriel
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Magnum rarities tasting; 7/2/2021-7/3/2021 (Zunfthaus zur Waag, Zurich): Magnum rarities tasting hosted by a merchant and collector. The headline line-up of the main event featured 18 aged red wines from magnum which was preceded by warm-up tasting of a dozen aged reds. The highlights across both days were Chris Ringland 1998 (99), Montrose 1990 and Yquem 1948 (both 98). Also strong were Palmer 1989 (97), Cheval Blanc 1985 (97) and Léoville Poyferré 1990 (96). None of the wines were decanted prior to serving.
Tasting note: Lots of dry leather, tobacco and dried leaves, but also dark and ripe cherry fruit and mineral notes. Very fresh, dense and incredibly structured palate with firm tannin. On the downside, this was not exactly excelling in matters of harmony. I would do a proper decant over several hours. Checking quickly my notes from the last bottle I had not even a week ago were broadly consistent, although I did like this one slightly more – maybe due to the more favourable comparison (paired this one against the 2001 whereas a week ago it was 1989 vs 1990).
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As with the 1990 the night after, we did not do this wine justice by not having it decanted early enough. It did show tremendous potential with some coffee and cola notes, dense and long but it just didn't show its full opulence tonight
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Bordeaux 1982-1990 tasting (Restaurant Essen'z, Brugg): Bordeaux 1982-1980 tasting of selected wines, including a couple of pirates. All wines were decanted for at least 2-3 hours, tasted in flights of 2 and single-blind. While not a representative sample, I would venture the following observations: 1/ First growths in 1988 should not be underestimated for the hedonistic pleasure they offer, 2/ 1990 first growths have not yet passed through their closed stage, 3/ you’ll find stand-out second tier wines from 1982. 4/ Highlights were Palmer 89 and Gruaud Larose 82 (96 each).
Tasting note: Subtle sous-bois notes, menthol, mixed cherry fruit, herbal elements and some spices already make for a promising start. What follows is a fantastic palate with depth and concentration and firm structural tannin. However, precision and clarity could have been better. Overall this felt as if it just now cracked open drinking window. In the face to face comparison I preferred the 1990 this time round which is in contrast to previous tastings where 1989 tended to come out ahead in terms of scoring.
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This is one of my go to special wines at the top of its game, and I would normally rate it a point or two higher, but it was carrying a slight taint. This is the first occasion and it is from the same case and with identical storage. Older Bordeaux can be so frustrating with occasional bottle variance. If it was your first time of tasting you'd still be blown away, but the nose carried a faint whiff of the cork which also lingered on the finish. In spite of this it still merited its score, and is the only recent rival to the perfect 1990 and 2003. Drinking vintage Bordeaux is Russian roulette, but I can't stop!
4 Bordeaux-1989 Vintage+ 2 Rose Champagnes (Yan's China Bistro, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nose of muted fruit for the first 45 minutes than slowly burst into tobacco, black berry, lead pencil, roasted meat, and hints of red berry fruit, over the next 2 hours, same on the palate, big body, intense concentrated fruit, I knew it would improve and grow on me which it did, long finish. My #2 tied of 4. Photo of all wines uploaded.
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This needs a lot of time in the decanter to come out of its shell. At first completly muted it improved a bit but not too much after 5 hours in the decanter. In needed to sit in the very wide Conterno Sensory glass for another 30+ minutes to start to sing. Well-stored bottle like this are still rather young. I’ve had other, more mature, sexy (in its masculinity) and especially expressive bottles of the 89 before. I guess, this would have been much better the next day (unfortunately nothing left). But I love the superb delination and the wide array of aromas.
TN: Not overly expressive and precise at first, the nose improved by the minute in the glass with tobacco, earth and minerality with dark fruit and some red berries underneath. Better, more expressive, much more expressive on the palate. Very intense tobacco, leather, dark fresh berries, cassis and blackberries to be precise, hints of licorice. Very masculine and earthy overall - very Montrose. Very fresh and light with well-rounded but still slightly noticeable tannins. Light but not feminine with a touch of creaminess which could be higher. Good, long dark and earthy finish.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly 5 hours (in the first 4 hours it was non existant). It would have needed much more (see introduction) but all will depend on the bottle condition. I‘ve had bottles which were good from the go before.
Glass: Conterno Sensory
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Bought on release, had some superb bottles of this and stored the last for a special moment, decanted 6 hours before dinner, but unfortunately it was badly corked!
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went on a journey with this one. gifted for my birthday from generous friends, first night it was showing a decent amount of brett which im not a fan of.
let it sit across the next 3 days hoping the brett would blow off, it got to a point where i was tasting just pruney fruit so i decided to drink it out of respect. left about a good glass pour left.
came back to it on the final day and the brett was barely a whipser and the fruit had sprung back to life. the last sip was the best. soft and balanced, cherries, plums, chocolate, tobacco, loam. A nice wine in the end.
what a roller coaster though
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Decanted 4 hours. The nose was singing as the cork was pulled. I didn't taste at opening. With 4 hours of air this was similar to my last note in showing its ripe dark fruit on the nose and palate, great concentration, and nice long finish. There was just a touch of drying tannin on the finish but still this remains one of my favorite Bordeauxs of all time. A
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Very complex nose on tobacco, blackcurrant, spices with a minty undertone.
The palate is remarkably intense. We find the whole range of aromas on the nose, with tobacco, spices and blackcurrant. The material is very concentrated but keeps a certain flexibility. The whole is with an excellent balance, the wine expresses itself fully with a lot of intensity and each sip highlights a different facet: sometimes fruity, sometimes cigar cellar or spice box. It's a kaleidoscope of flavors, but easy to approach. It is structured and it is now fully expressed with a beautiful acidity. The finish is very concentrated with beautiful melted tannins, it explodes in the throat with menthol and spices and it is of rare length.
Excellent
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Tasted blind. Long decant of 5-6h, then consumed over 3 days. Aging notes of dry leather, barnyard. Fresh herbs piercing through petrol type of notes. Also a dimension of floral and perfumed notes. Lastly a good amount of dried herbs, mostly obacco. Lots of super fresh acidity and tannin still with grip. Felt aged aromatically, but super young on the palate which continued to integrated and actually best on day 3. Bixed berries dark and red as well as lots of tobacco again. This is a dense and fleshy, showing no signs of weakening what so ever. Judging by this bottle, we yet have to reach the peak cruising altitude - and it might not even be soon. Had this next to the 2003 which on day 1 I preferred for its more appealing, feminie aroma profile. But by day 3 this was a tie.
Opened it a few hours ahead but did not decant. Wonderful nose, cassis, spice, earth notes. Full bodied and intense, only the faintest hint of bricking. Still some tannins but well integrated with a deliciously long finish. A superb experience.
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Elegant and sensual with lovely sweetness and good length. Still prefer the blockbuster 90 Montrose, but the 89 is still a close second during this era.
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First of my Christmas Bordeaux's, I seem to save this wine for Christmas! though four years on, just starting to fade on the rim, lots of lovely earthy and plummy aromas, very smooth tannins integrated as before with cedar licorice gorgeous dark fruits, a lot of length and the astringency noted in the earlier bottle has almost disappeared, a very good drink by any standards. Though the price now is exorbitant.
Brilliant deep youthful color---ruby just starting to turn garnet. I probably paid $25 for this in the early '90s, opened a bottle way too young, and it went down in my memory as the best red wine I'd ever had. This second bottle, after 25+ years of decidedly nonprofessional storage, did little to change my mind. Beautiful earthy cassis fruit on nose and palate, velvet texture, just a bit of tertiary leather and tobacco adding interest. Opened on a landmark birthday, and glad I did.
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This is in a perfect spot, but probably with development ahead of it. This is the embodiment of old school Bordeaux. Everything is about musty old leather, blackcurrant and plum . The tannin is resolved and the wine displays secondary and tertiary notes. Likewise the finish is 60+ seconds. This is a very special wine should be rationed for special occasions, and really only surpassed by the Lynch-Bages in the vintage
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Now this is a beauty of a Montrose. Intense, deep and pure. All black. The tannins are there yet totally melted into the juice. Nice acidity, good length, no sense of dryness. Far from a typical rustic or coarse St. Estèphe, it’s not silk but maybe a nice comfortable cotton sheet.
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Wow. Another exceptional bottle of the 1989 that just went from strength to strength. Billiard table smooth mouthfeel loaded with layers black fruit, mineral, travel, tobacco, anise, and licorice. Lacking the sex appeal of the 1990, but depth and classic profile of this estate.
One of the best left bank 89s I have had. Still stands in the shadow of the Palmer for me, but better than the Lafite or Mouton in the northern Medoc in 89.
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Perfect condition, into neck+ fill. Another stunning bottle of this elixir! Impressive concentration, highly expressive tertiary aromatics, seductive fruit core, high tension, superb balance. Aristocratic in every way but with the necessary touch of seductiveness. This bottle was less advanced and still had some edges compared to other bottles I’ve had before and would have certainly benefit from a longer decant but especially 5-10 more years of cellaring. This is a superstar with the best bottles being able to reach perfection. This one was still a touch too masculine and strong.
TN: Tons of black truffles, wet earth, tobacco, mushrooms on the nose and palate. Intense and sharp. Additional aromas of black and dark red fruits, at first a bit ripe and liquor-like but with more air the fruit became smoother, rounder and fresher. Some fresh herbs and crushed rocks complete the picture. Perfect delineation, high but perfectly integrated freshness, a wall of tannins which will have to mellow further but overall a great balance and very good length. Some points deducted for a more difficult first 30 minutes and the slightly too young and masculine appearance.
Decanting: Decanted for 4 hours, back into the bottle for serving. Followed over 3 hours. It improved further with more air. I guess, well stored bottles need at least 6-8 hours of decanting.
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Wow, this was really good! Surprisingly youthful in the glass, plenty of structure left here to age for a very long time. Drank this 750ml side by side with a half bottle 2003 Chateau Margaux and this blew the Margaux away.
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very similar to my tasting note 2 years ago - dark red with brick rim - intriguing nose of black fruit, Asian spices (anise), and leather - very big body in the mouth with excellent acid-fruit-tannin balance - 20+ second finish - drinking very nicely now, but many years left to develop into an even more impressive wine - in comparison to the 90 Montrose tasted alongside, the 89 was more developed and had a much more aromatic nose, but less structure in the mouth, likely attributable to lower acidity - one of the best Montrose vintages I've had over the years
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Decanted 3 hours. At open it clearly needs air, and at 2 hours it still doesn't express itself. But at 3 hours the big, ripe, dark fruit along with the full body and expansive finish are in full motion. The Cabernet seems to shine in this wine, and although it might not appeal to those who prefer a more austere and reserved style of Bordeaux, this is a style I have always enjoyed (and preferred to the '90) for the beautiful combination of ripe, expansive fruit, minerals, and a wonderful sense of balance. A
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Soil based complexion to this bottle, with the drak fruit closed in upon itself. This wine still requires another decade in the bottle to become significantly epxressive
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Probably a 95 pointer if just judged on the nose. 30 min decant. So much going on, cassis, forest floor, truffle, leather, dark cherry and a bit of brett which was not overwhelming adding to the complexity. Then became more tobacco, darker and brooding, Palate was well balanced and integrated but I thought it had a pretty short finish and just didn’t delivery the complexity of the nose on the palate. Seemed a bit flat and lacking in energy on the finish. 2 bottles which were broadly the same. Just enjoy that nose! I think the 98+ scores are drinking into their own propaganda a bit and it doesn’t have the depth and addition fruit and density of the 1990 Montrose which has to be at the pinnacle of the 1990 vintage. Very lovely don’t get me wrong but at current market price you could actually buy a first growth and I am afraid a first growth really is just at another level. (See my note on the mystery wine which revealed itself as the 1990 Haut Brion!)
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I hesitate as to whether I should award a perfect score as this wine is almost perfection to me and again demonstrates why 89 remains one of my all time favorite vintages in Bordeaux along with 82, 2005 and 2009. I can't pretend that I've had many 61s so to make the parallels. Bricking red color with deep ruby core. Nose evolved and reminds me why I love Bordeaux so much. Earth, spices, dark red fruits, mocha, toffee, and that je ne sais quoi essence of a fully mature Bordeaux which takes you places. On the palate so delicate and fine, multiple layers of red and blue fruits tingling your mid palate and with acidity to last this wine another 10 to 15 years easy, and a cola finish very very long and hedonistic. Can't think of a better cure to the Corona hysteria and stress!
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This is a perfectly ripened Bordeaux. It's got everything you'd expect from Bdx. Already in the nose a wonderfully interwoven scent of sweet, animal and undergrowth aromas. Leather, plum compote, blackberries, a little truffle. On the palate the harmony of this wine shines; fine melting; very fine sandy and optimally integrated tannins, the medium acidity and perfect structure carry the aromas to the long finish. The seductive sweetness and purity of the aromas are breathtaking. Everything is dense, interwoven and playful at the same time - that is pure hedonism. Still has potential for at least 2 decades, now certainly in optimal condition. Optimal bottle. 100 points 2020 - 2035
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Double decanted 4 hours prior. Absolutely superb - very full, ripe, rich wonderful classic old school Bordeaux but easy on the leather and more about the fruit still. Remarkable, and no signs of slowing down in a hurry.
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Birthday gift. . .Wow beautiful classic bordeaux. PNP consumed over next 3 hours. I've had the 1990 a couple of years ago. From memory, I would say the 1990 is a bit more concentrated. If I had to choose, I prefer the 90 but both are phenomenal. . . splitting hairs.
Lo Hei at Yan + late night at M&M's (Yan, National Gallery, Singapore): Superb. One year down the road, this was a much stronger bottle. The nose was Montrose at its best, with wafts of damp earth, sweet cassis and pencil lead, wreathed in rings of fragrant tobacco smoke. The palate was beautifully. Velvet tannins, juicy acidity, with lovely, transparent flavours of cassis and dark berries, then earth, spice and graphite, trailing away into a beautifully long, accurately detailed finish. Just a touch of drying tannins at the very end marked it a bit. Otherwise, this was a wonderfully complete, beautifully integrated wine. This was drinking at a delicious peak.
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Bouteille achetée en primeur. Bouteille et bouchon parfaits, in the neck. Ouvert 90 minutes avant consommation. Grenat foncé, bord du disque légèrement plus clair. Thé noir, écurie, fumée, parfumé, anis, cassis et prune sur la fin! Equilibré, complexe, fin, longueur, douceur. Très peu de dépôt. Superbe vin, bien en place, à boire selon mon goût mais tiendra encore de longues années.
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This is drinking perfectly now, but contrary to some other reviews I feel this really does need at least 3 hours in the decanter, and ideally time in the glass to really come alive. This is a powerhouse of left bank Bordeaux, and embodies everything of a top notch mature wine. The nose is deep and lingering with old leather, blackcurrant and plum. The palate displays full secondary and tertiary characteristics, with an exceptional depth and perfect balance and acidity. Likewise the finish is outstanding and pushes 60 seconds. This is at its optimum level, but has a structure to stay here for the next couple of decades, and after the Lynch Bages is probably the wine of the vintage.
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A slow ox opening for the Thanksgiving meal, about 3.5 hours. Originally, brick from the rim to the core. But as the time passed, the color deepened to opaque at the core with cranberry at the rim shading to more ox blood further toward the core before all light was consumed. Tobacco smoke dominates the nose from the first sniff to the final sip, but with abundant and balanced elements of cedar, graphite, blackberry, plum, tobo leaf and cranberry. Tracking the nose, the palate evenly distributes an integrated weaving of the flavors with the addition of anise on the finish. The finish itself lingers as if to tease the palate to ask for more. A heck of a good wine. Purchased on release for $39.99 and worth about $400 when the cork was pulled. Heavy sediment on the resting shoulder of the bottle and the resting side of the bottom. 13% alc. With smoked duck, cranberry sauce and Brussels sprouts. Excellent wsith the duck and with the cranberries! (Thanksgiving). Highly Recommended.
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Bordeaux 1989 - 30years on in large formats (Luzern): This wine had real power and spice, damp forest floor, wood spices intermixed with a meaty side. Very good freshness as well. A great Montrose only slightly outshined by the Haut Brion.
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Lovely, sophisticated wine with tertiary flavours, well integrated tannins, and medium to medium long finish. this is peaking or just peaked, still in a great drinking window but no sense to hold further in MHO
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An elegant, complex wine with finesse and due gravitas. Fruit profile of dark and blue berries, some black tea, barnyard, earth and truffles. Fine tobacco and black coffee too. In general broad aromatics, especially the various expressions of tertiary aging were impressive. Perfectly harmonious on the palate with a med+ intensity and sufficient fruit. A marginal acidity overhang, however. Still noticeable tannins support the delicate structure. Drinking very well now and probably still years of drinking window left - but my guess is this is also not getting any better. Best to use opportunities as they arise to pop corks here.
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The first glass was just pure magic, a 100 point experience. After the first sip I was totally moved, goosebumps, even slightly wet eyes. I hardly ever felt moved in such a way by a wine – so intense, elegant, seamless and perfectly aged. The two reasons why I don‘t give a perfect rating: 1) While the nose was great, it was not perfect (in the sense that I had other wines which had a better and more precise expression). 2) The fruit and tension deteriorated during the two hour lunch with the wine being in a decanter (unfortunately we had to decant it as the cork crumbled and the restaurant had no blade corkscrew). 100 points for the first glass, 96 points for the last. Definitely a fabulous wine.
TN: Medium+ expressive nose with leather, black truffles, forest floor and some darker berries. On the palate absolutely sensational with all the before-mentioned tertiary aromas with more tobacco, circling around a core of sour cherries, sweet cherries, cherry candy, strawberry candy, fresh strawberries, cassis, wet slate, crushed rock, lots of roasted herbs, spices, wet earth, tree bark and with time more and more intense and precise black truffles. Very, very complex, very-well defined (especially on the palate), great balance and harmony, medium+ length. Melted tannins but still very much standing with tension and cut.
Decanting: Do not decant it (and do not eat food with it, it has to stand on its own to be fully enjoyed in all its complexity).
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Dinner with friends. (Our House, Hong Kong): Decanted for 3-4 hours. Deep purple/red totally opaque except translucent at the edges. Nose is deep, unctuous confit black and red berries in the classic 1989 concentration and depth. Palate is wow.... really deep, woodland damp ferns, really rich berry fruit. Heady and very resonant reverberance...enormous length. This is rich and a fabulous expression of 1989. Fabulous. 94+ because it just missed my silence-creating threshold but I wouln't begrudge anyone scoring it a bit higher, especially for sublime drinking right now from a single bottle.
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Decanted for one hour. Nose of blackberry, currant, graphite, licorice and tobacco leaf. Black and red fruit, graphite, tobacco leaf, dried herbs and anise on the palate. Very long finish with excellent depth. Youthful and elegantly balanced. Medium to full bodied. A gorgeous and memorable wine. Served with smoked rack of lamb and garlic, herb butter.
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The 1989 Montrose is arbuably the best vintage Montrose has ever produced, at 30 years of age this wine is still at an infant stage. Aristocratic bouquet of dark fruited berries, mulberry, and graceful earthy/ black truffle and oak spices. Full bodied yet well balanced and complex with seriously long and satisfying finish. (95/100)
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From a perfect bottle generously brought by one of the people at our Paulee Bdx table. Small glass and side by side the 05. The 89 is a behemoth and it is difficult to comprehend that it is 30 years old. This bottle was not decanted - it would have benefited from a (long) decant clearly. Bottle was opened around 2 hours prior. In the glass it was inky no sign of ageing. It looked and tasted younger than the 05 side by side. I kept my glass to give more air. Certainly a timeless classic I noted this is going to be a 100 year wine for well kept bottles no doubt. I have two bottles and glad on the read but based on this I am not going to pull my corks anytime soon. Definitely my WOTN pipping Lalande 96 and LMHB 83 and Montrose 05. Drink 2030-2080? 96 points with upside but only time will bring that upside (or maybe an adequate decant but think it just needs to sleep).
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Blind "Grand Cru" with Lobster & Flannery Steak (House of Nanda - Chicago IL): Served single blind with 1989 Gaja Barolo Sperss. Opened 3+ hours before serving. Slightly tired, but lots of big black fruits, leather and earth with a complex array of flavors unfolding on long-ish finish. I was very happy this bottle was good because the last two times tasted in the past 5 years were flawed.
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Slow-ox for 3.5 hours and splash decanted to serve blind. Full nose of herbs, black cherry, plum, wet cedar and a hint of band-aid. Rich with resolving tanning that still has some chewiness. Delicious.
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"Grand cru" blinds (Chicago, IL): Served blind in a pair with 1989 Sperss, and correctly identified as the Bordeaux. This is a really solid bottle, though I would agree that this should have been a little more fresh and taut. There's a mild hint of barnyard here, in line with the 1990 as well. Good density and complexity; I'm not complaining, this is a splendid bottle to drink now.
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Good on its own but shy from 89 hb, clinet and latour tonight. Very mineral and graphite driven with subtle ripe dark fruit. Prefer the 90 Montrose. A good wine nevertheless but not a rp99+ wine. Decanting is necessary.
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Montrose 1982, 1989, 1996 and 2003 (JM Amsterdam): Still incredibly young, this 30-years old wine - a timeless classic! In the nose iodine, iron, smoke, leather and forest floor. Powerful and full-bodied palate with black fruits, graphite and tar. Several days later when checking in again on this bottle (under Vacuvin) it had further gained complexity; 'dark and brooding', long and intense. Outstanding wine with a long life ahead. Score based on the second tasting, immediately after opening was closer to 95p.
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89 vs 90. Same level. Nose was better and more open than 90. Needed vwry much air. Gained more and more freshness . With time it became more complex and balance. Overall a great wine missing a bit more fun in the glass. This is old school !!! Has many times left.
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Second Sunday Group: 1989 Bordeaux (MiY's): Double blind. Garnet color with a bit of bricking. Gorgeous bouquet of tobacco, currants, iodine and tea leaf. Flavors of black currant, cherry and dark fruit, turning just slightly austere in the finish. Develops a subtle brett undertone as it sits, and the fruit shows a bit more ripeness, more plum than currant, fleshing out a bit on the finish and no longer austere.
My #1, Domino's #2 Group #1, 30 pts
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The nose on this is beautiful. Damp forest, underbrush, cedar wood, herbal notes, and dried red fruit. It's light and bright on the palate with a silky texture, savory red fruit, more herbal notes, fresh acid, and a great finish. A special wine experience, and this has years to go. But man, it is great now!
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Very good. Fantastic bouquet with red berries, leather and tobacco. Rounded tannins with elegant fruit. Reached its prime after 3h of air. Double decanted. Will evolve for at least a decade more!
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THIS is why we drink Bordeaux. It doesn't get much better. After one hour decanting the nose was exploding with tobacco, mint and spicy leaf aromas. The palate is dark, brooding, still structured, but quite deep and generous. With a nicely cooked steak, it is hard to imagine a more enjoyable wine. This was an apex example of Montrose and St. Estephe. Very sad this was my last bottle. :-(
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Gorgeous! Rich sweet, fruit still good...even great! Lovely taut attack. Amazingly long finish.... just keeps going, layer after layer. All BlackBerry fruit. Oak still present. Beginning to dry after time in glass. Med everything.
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Margaux / Saint-Julien 2005 tasting (with many other wines too) (Restaurant Vineum, Rotterdam, NL): Tasted blind. Excellent level. Mature but lively appearance; vegetal nose, cool impression, good depth, develops excellent tertiary complexity and warmth; tight and fresh palate, lots of acidity which feels slightly separated, gentle but grippy tannins, warm minerality, rounded and earthy; very good length. Still very good, but is starting to creak.
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Restaurant Vineum (Rotterdam, Netherlands): This 1989 was outstanding, it was round and tasty, in great condition with excellent leather, caramel, forest and smoke flavors and close to the 1990 which is a true legend.
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Delicious bottle from a very good (moist) cellar, so the label was not so pretty anymore. But the nose and taste just fantastic. Benchmark classic superb BDX! Perfectly at peak now...
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Best bottle (Restaurant Waldhorn, Kirchheim, Germany): Glass: Gabriel Standard Popped and poured. A bit of cellar mold at the beginning that vanished with time and air. This is a beast that needs a lot of time and air. Unfortunately, we did not give it enough and I had not enough wine in my glass to follow its evolution over multiple hours. Wonderful, masculine Bordeaux that will gain complexity and depth over the next decade. Lots of power, wonderful red fruit, smoke, tobacco, very long. With enough air it is already a wonderful wine. 93+++
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What a wonderfully powerful wine that is still going strong after 30 years of age. Loads of dark red fruit and leather. Wine needed two hour decant. Held its own in a ‘89 Bordeaux Dinner.
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Another great showing for this; super classic Bord character with some Bretty, funky shtink adding some complexity. Loads of dry extract present but overall very resolved and elegant.
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Got one last sip from a recently opened bottle, CLASSIC style Bordeaux, to kneel down for, still a lot of life ahead but showing great complexity and the pure St. Estephe iron fist elegance, long+, ****-*****, 94(+) potential
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Smoky, cigar box, tobacco, spice and cassis on the nose pop with little effort. On the palate, the wine is powerful, full-bodied, chewy and loaded with juicy, ripe, fresh red berries and cigar wrapper. Long and vibrant, the tannins have softened and the secondary nuances are more attractive than ever. At 30 years of age, this is at maturity and delivers everything fans of Montrose could have hoped for.
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1989 Bordeaux - 30 years on. (Famous Treasure, Capitol Piazza, Singapore): A funkier bottle than the clean, noble 1989 Las Cases on the same flight, but really nice in its own right. The nose had nice thick aromas of cassis and blackberries, earth and funky leather, spice and tobacco leaf. Compelling stuff if you like a bit of the leather and meat. The palate was still youthful and aggressive, with powdery tannins and bright acidity still giving a bit of chew to really fresh flavours of dark cherries, cassis and smoky tobacco spice. Everything felt a bit tight and reserved, with the fruit hiding behind the structure on the midpalate, and needing some time and air to coax out. The lengthy finish was still coated with a chew of tannins as well, just before a drift of spice and tobacco came in at the end. Underneath all that structure though, was a noble, masculine left-bank Bordeaux with tons of authority and strength to it. Needs time, but this is a very good wine indeed.
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Surprisingly fresh and tannic. An hour decant was perfect. Brick colored rim, still dark in the glass. Classic notes of cedar and graphite. Well integrated. Not sure it can get much better. Excellent.
This bottle more mature than the last and only a short decant needed to get it going. Classic Bordeaux flavor profile and first growth in quality with many more years ahead of it. Another 98 rating.
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A lot of brett, iron, tobacco; sweet dark fruit mixed with tannin, tight grip, a lot of concentration here, long and intense. Alas, the nuances are difficult to get hold of due to all that brett.
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Decanted at a restaurant. Oodles of dark fruits, followed by beef blood, damp tobacco leaf, and charcoal. Over one minute on the finish. A fantastic wine, maybe not quite up to the last time, but still worthy of a 95+ score.
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Drank with 3 other great wines tonight. Clearly the winner. I have had many 100 point rated wines and I have to agree with this rating. Surprisingly young in the glass. Dark and very little age. The nose was classic Bordeaux and the fruit was amazing. Perfectly matched tannins and fruit. Leather and tobacco as well as dark fruit. Totally amazing Still has shelf life left.
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Cellared since release, cork stained 80% of the way up but no signs of leakage, perfect fill. Decanted and drunk over 3 hours. Red core, lightening and a bit of bricking at rim. Wonderful complex nose of black fruits, leather, earth, cedar, with hints of olive and greens to add more complexity. Soft on the palate yet full-bodied, dark fruits and complexity follow the nose, beautiful balance, medium-long finish. Fully open and ready but I wouldn’t rule out potential for added complexity over time, this should continue to drink well for many years. Outstanding.
It was given a stiff challenge by a well-stored 1989 Lynch Bages with a perfect cork, great depth, balance and palate feel, and emerging complexity. The Lynch was a half step behind but still on the upswing. Would expect more in another 5 years.
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Wine was spectacular again! Double decanted back into the bottle at 4:45 and did not consume until 7:45. Wine was amazing on the nose and in the mouth. Will be sure to hunt down more.
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What a shame, had such huge expectations of this wine, but was stripped off it's flavours and totally disjointed. Maybe a combination of corked, bad storage and oxidised, but surely not how the wine should be. Grrrr...
We tasted the 1989 versus the 2003. TN for both. Funnily these are both only just hitting their stride and both will be better in 5 / 10 years. Pretty amazing to be saying that for a 30 year old wine (the '89). The '89 is well integrated, red fruit, smooth but still a little singular. It tastes like a 10 year old wine - lots of fruit still. The 2003 is a little more tannic, but still highly drinkable - it will just get better. I don't think the 2003 will be this good in 30 years so I'm giving it a mere 95 compared with the '98 97. However the style and fundamental taste of the wines is amazingly similar - the consistent winemaking. Both have a long - minute finish.
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A monumental wine with a long future. Took a 3-4 hour decant to calm down the tannins and bring out the fruit. Beautiful old school Bordeaux that was more pleasurable with each sip. You can drink it now but I believe the best is yet to come.
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dark red with brick rim - intriguing nose of black fruit, Asian spices (anise), and leather - big body in the mouth with excellent acid-fruit-tannin balance - 20+ second finish - drinking very nicely now, but many (as in MANY) years left to develop into an even more impressive wine - reminiscent of the best Montrose I've had over the years
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Bordeaux 1989 (@ Monarh): Drank from magnum. Juicy dark berries, complex, luxurious, chocolate, well integrated oak. Beautiful wine now and still a great promise for the future. 97+
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tasted blind nose - barnyard, wet hay, stinky soil driven nose mouth - mint infused cherries, coffee, with a long finish. harmonious and mature. I guessed Montrose (mainly due the Brett).
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A wonderful wine drinking now but with the potential to rival the 1990. It is old school embodied. From.the nose to the palate, everything is full of dark fruit, and musty old leather. It seriously needs time to breath and potentially has the structure to be a 100 point wine. A postscript; I left a couple of glasses in a closed decanter until this evening (ie 24 hours), and it had really come to life, and perhaps even warrant another point on its score. Aeration seems to be key if drinking now, but what a wine.
It's been 2 years since my last tasting note on this wine. The past 24 months has added more softness and approachability to this beauty. With 2 hours of air, the tobacco, olive, cedar chest, cigar wrapper, forest leaf and dark red fruits shine on the nose. When you get to the palate, the wine is still youthful, with freshness to the fruits. There is concentration, power, and refined elegance, leaving you with a peppery, cedar and, red fruit finish. At a few months before the wine hits 30, this is still going strong.
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Tasted together with Talbot 89 and Gruaud Larose 89. And this beat the hell out the two others. Monumental, with a massive fruitiness on the nose, together with a compact, soft and intense mouth feeling. There are certainly more elegant wines around, but not as mind-blowing.
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A DC Wino hits Chi-town (RPM Steak): Dark rich dense with an earthy black charred appeal to the sleek texture. Long and concentrated with an espresso spice finish. Really good stuff.
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Opened at Christmas 2016, lots of aromas on the nose, smooth tannins cedar tobacco dark fruits in the mouth and good balance, slightly spoilt by astringency on the finish. As good as it is going to get going on this bottle though I do have two left in my cellar, if someone says it needs another twenty years well you wait I will not be around.
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An Evening at the "Schwarzer Adler" - Part III (Schwarzer Adler, Oberbergen (Baden, Germany)): Glass: Riedel Bordeaux From a perfect bottle, decanted for about 1h. Deep, purple color. Again the problem of this fantastic cellar: This should be a 30 year old Bordeaux? No way! Nose with lots of red fruit, leather, tobacco, some barn/brett, complex and fine. On the palate really powerful with high, but silky tannin, that is far from being fully integrated. Lots of power, wonderful red fruit, smoke, tobacco, very long. A wonderful Bordeaux that gave us a glimpse on how 100 PP may taste in about 20 years from now. Great potential. 94++ at moment.
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Still very fresh. Very concentrated and big with classic Bordeaux notes. Not yet in its third phase and this makes it a bit one-dimensional. Wait at least 10 years with opening this sleeping beauty. Still it has developed some sweetness and notes of dark fruit and cedar tree.
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100p? No way. This is not ready yet. Very big frame and sweet fruit. Still a bit one dimensional however, with lots of primary aromas, at least compared to 1982 Haut Brion drunk next to it. Black currants, wet clay and dark chocolate. It is obviously very nice to drink with food, and has plenty of tannins left. The finish is long but is still carried by unresolved tannins. I believe it will calm down and be very good once it gets some tertiary aromas.
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Wow...wine of the night for sure. This was the best wine I have had out the case. Loads of tobacco, Black Cherry, cedar, etc. tannins fully resolved and silky smooth. Decanted for an hour.
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Better than previous bottle. Not as austere as previous bottle. Decanted for 2 hours. Still not showing that 100 points that RP gives out, but still a great wine.
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This is the real deal and why we age BDX. Tasted blind and there was no surprise. It is what it is...excellent. Opened for 2-3 hours before tasting and got better through the night as we blind tasted a total of 12 different wines for a birthday party. Wish I had some in my cellar!
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Deep purple color. First slightly closed but opening up quickly in the glass. Amazing notes of black cherries, cassis, barnyard, horsesaddle, underwood, tobacco and some sweet spices. It's full-bodied, dense and powerful with medium tannin that is perfectly integrated and medium+ acidity. Excellent length. A superb Montrose full of complexity and density.
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Agree with some of the other reviews below. Wine has loads of aromas going on the nose, but the wine has a very tannic finish that continues to increase as the wine evolves. Very astringent finish that is disappointing. Hope that it improves over the next few years.
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This wine possesses so many strengths...silky elegance, dark brooding fruit, leather, graphite, mouth-watering acidity, and a finish that seems to never stop. I honestly felt like I could taste this for minutes. There's so much talk of bottle variation with the 1989 & 1990 Montrose, but I honestly can't remember the last disappointing bottle. Guess I'm getting lucky...
Cork removed intact. Vivid, dark color red. Old roses, cedar, leather, and some bright cherry and raspberry. Palate dominated by oak spice and espresso. Finish tannic but pleasing at first. After a couple of hours the finish was strongly tannic and bitter, overwhelming the fruit. The pleasure was more contemplative than sensual. Probably would have shown better at a cooler temp. Also it may in fact need more time. 4+14+17+5
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Deep red-violet with no signs of ageing. A bit of earth, a tiny bit of black pepper, and a bit of plum flesh on the nose. This is a multi-layered wine with raspberries up front and diluted coffee on the end palate and into the finish, leading into a lovely red and black fruit mixed, lengthy finish.
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Not sure this bottle was correct, but drunk alongside the 19909 (which also wasn't a good bottle) it re-enforced my 1989 preference. There is much more structure and freshness in the 1989 and for my palate it is improving every year whilst the 1990 has plateaued... albeit at a very high level!
By Coravin 25ml @ 67 Pall Mall, London. Even with a tiny 25ml to play with this wine showed its class and elegance. Soft and very much secondary, light red fruit, light leather. Well round and just effortlessly beautiful. Very solid wine and reminiscent of the 95 we rated this 7 years ago when we had the joy of a full bottle.
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From a bottle with duck confit at On Dining in HK. What a treat. Deep Purple colour. Little sign of fade at the rim. Powerful nose and exquisite bouquet. Cedar and soft dark fruit, a hint of pencil shaving. And what an elegant taste. The last glass was better than the first, which is a big compliment. This will last for years. Don't hurry
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OMG this is good! Beautifully open and seductive, with notes of blackberries, cassis, underwood, forest floor, some funky notes too, sweet spices, earth, tobacco and also some animalic notes. Very complex. It's medium-full bodied with excellent mid-palate persistance, medium+ acidity, medium-high tannin that is excellent quality. Super long finish. A super impressive Montrose and one of the wines of the night. It combines an almost Napaish kind of fruit with a classic St-Estephe structure.
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Neck level. Medium garnet yellowish rim. Enticing complex aroma of blackcurrant, blackberry, sweet prune, cedar wood, tobacco, leather, sweet spices, some savoury. Very ripe tannins, intense flavour of bellpeppe, blackberry, prune, black tea, cigar, wood, black tuffle and hint of game revealing slowly, layers by layers, leading to a very very long finish, seems never ending. A powerful, musculine effort but starting to show its gentleness now.
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Very fine but not a blockbuster and not a 100 point wine.Seems at its peak now.Deep red colour with little bricking,the nose shows dark and red berries,tobacco,wet-earth,cedar,spices.Plenty of dense dark and red fruit on the palate,tannins are smoothly integrated,everything in balance,long smooth finish.This is a very enjoyable wine but I expected much more from it.
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Très bien MAIS ne vaut pas son prix. Il n'a aucune ride,il peut vieillir encore longtemps. Une longueur en bouche exceptionnelle mais manque un peu de nez.
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Best bottle so far. Last time I had this beauty was 2 years ago. Still evolving which is why I love the 89 vintage and why I sometimes prefer it to the more rounded but predictable top 1990 vintage. Homogeneous, complex, hitting maturity and so hedonistic. Very complex nose and structure, tannins now almost resolved and a long mocha and spice cake tinged finish. 5 bottles left.
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Just arriving at it's peak! Decanted for 1 hour. Classic, great Medoc with wonderful array of red fruits (raspberry, dark cherry) and black fruits (black cherry). None of the heat or overripe qualities of the vintage. Elegance and minerality. Not a full bodied, but still concentrated enough for hedonists. Tannins nearly all resolved. Could improve, but why wait? Montrose thru and thru! No Brett as other readers commented.
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My last bottle. Bought on release. Side by side blind with the 1990. The 1990 was better.More stuffing, which was a bit of a surprise, but this was still outstanding. Elegant red fruit. NO BRETT! Yeah! There is alight earthy herbal component that I do not recall from prior bottles. A bit of smooth saddle leather but not much.
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Completely different than the '90 tasted alongside. A stricter wine but it's so very fine with a really wonderful vineyard expression. Really lovely flavors of tobacco, leathers and dark berries and there is a wonderful mineral streak that is not present in the '90. Finishes pure and complex with notes of dark chocolate, truffles and spices. Only getting better from here. 96+
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White pepper on the nose with hints of herbs and mint on the backnose. Mineral-laden palate on this somewhat more mature bottle than many. 2 hour decant. 93-94
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Amazing Wine. 2.5hrs decanted. Opens to warm molten chocolate cake. Raspberry jam, and forest floor. The tannins have shed and this wine is now entering its mature plateau. Drink this today or enjoy it over the next 3 decades. It is no doubt built for the long haul. It would be interesting to put side by side it's younger sibling the 1990 in 20yrs and see who wins. The 1989 is truly legendary!
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Opened this wine last night. Decanted 2.5hrs. Absolutely stunning wine. The nose is so vibrant. It's as if the whole restaurant could smell it. It is now fully hitting its stride. Full body and tannins are shed. There still a hint which tells me it still young. Forest floor, blueberry, flower, warm butterscotch. The taste is a full min and more. I suggest this wine is beginning to eclipse its older sibling the 1990. Spectacular wine that can drink today or over the next 20yrs
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Great wine but faced two problems, first it needed a lot of airing for an intrusive greenness to dissipate and second and most important it came after the superior, sexier and sweeter Mouton 1989. After that wine it was difficult to appreciate the leaner, more savoury and bitter (not in an a bad way) Montrose. Suave texture, pronounced cedary and ink aromas, a great wine which I might have appreciated more had it not been for the Mouton before it.
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Drinking beautifully it is an exceptional wine. Notes of blackcurrent, cassis, and cedar pervade . On the nose the scents are delicate, and on the palate there is an absolute perfect balance with the fruit, hints of tobacco, and steely but smooth tannins. Likewise the finish is lengthy and in absolute harmony. A couple of hours in the decanter is recommended.
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Chateau Montrose with Mr. Herve Berland (Ripple Restaurant in DC): 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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Klassiske toner av mørk frukt, pepper, lær, tobakk, rødt plomme kjøtt og urter. Stor, fyldig, robust og muskulær type - med poengtert tørrende tannin, konsentrert, rik og dyp frukt, en lang utgang med hint av tobakk. Meget bra. Kompleks. Tåler lang lagring.
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Youthful, with ripe black fruit, tar, and damp dark earth, with ample but rounded acid. A couple of hours of air time certainly benefits this wine at this point. 93+
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ett till klockrent bordeauxvin som jag inte skrivt så mycket noteringar på, mer än att det är tydligt balanserad och smakar precis som det ska, klockrent!
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Still plenty of fruit but a long and complex finish. This wine has everything I'd want from an aged Bordeaux. Prototypical - funky leathery nose with blueberry, plums and prune finished with a leathery cognac decadence
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Great color but reticent nose. Decanted an hour ahead and despite the wine having good underlying fruit it was cloaked by tannins. Opened up a little after several hours.
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My favorite of the red Bordeaux this night, including '89 Magdelaine, '89 Fleur de Gay and '89 and '90 Clinet. This one is deep, pure, earthy and stuffed with black fruits. Elegant too, which is unusual for this usually burly St. Estephe. A bit abrupt on the finish, though.
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Very aromatic. Flavors of mixed red and black fruits, mushroom, tobacco, integrated and balanced tannins, acid and fruit. Wine is in a very nice place right now.
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Cellared since release. Cork intact although stained about 2/3 of the way up. Showing really well after about an hour of air. Cassis, red fruits, tobacco, fresh moist earth, full body, great balance, long finish. Still some tannins and a suggestion of more complexity ahead for those patient enough to continue cellaring, but extremely enjoyable now.
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No formal note. Wine of the night! Exuberant, long, classy, mix of red fruits, forrest floor and barnyard notes. Superb! Decant an hour before. Drink or hold until 2030+
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It has been a over a month since I tasted this wine, so my notes are a bit vague.
I bought the bottle on first release and have stored it until my latest birthday on May 21st, 2016. It was pulled from my cellar the day before and stored upright for any sediment to settle.
It was opened and decanted two hours before dinner. The cork broke in the middle, but the lower part remained intact and was extracted cleanly. Very little sediment and nearly the full bottle was decanted cleanly.
My wife and I enjoyed the bottle over 4 hours. At first it was full of fruit flavors along with the usual St Estephe mineral tastes. Lovely. About two hours in the wine closed up again with mostly a tannin structure without much fruit which I found surprising. Shortly after that it opened up again with a totally different fruit taste.
Sorry that I didn't take detailed notes at the time, but it was a very enjoyable bottle.
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Tasted single blind with 4 other 1989 Bordeaux and 4 1991 California Cabernet. This wine won the tasting and was also the wine of the night for me. It was awesome from the get-go, with a very complex nose of red fruit, cigar, oak, and forest floor. The nose was just haunting, a word I used to describe the 1990 Montrose as well. The palate had lovely oak and fruit and really serious intensity and depth. The wine is definitely in its prime time. Friends had a bottle a month back and reported it was similarly great. I had this wine 8 years ago and it was amazingly not ready. So, time for everyone to pop some corks!
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April Acker Auction (Marea): Very smooth, red fruit, leather, easy. Seemed like a wine that was made for food. Good, but again not really great. I sometimes wonder if I might end up being a Bordeaux person but for the time being the only ones to really have wow'ed me were in the first growth category.
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Highly perfumed aromas of spice and cherries. In the mouth there are tart cherries, nicely balanced cedar flavors, good complexity, lush ripeness, all with great length. Wow. From a magnum. Previous 750ml bottle tastings have been disappointing.
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Nice sweet smelling with leafy tobacco and cigar box. Some smoke and dark plums. Exotic fragrances and earthy nuances. This is a wine of toil and soil with the farmer's hand digging deep into the dirt. Good heart and old fashioned tlc went into this wine.
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Drank from magnum at Dovetail before Leon Bridges at The Beacon. The second of three magnums I bought at release. Opened an hour before and decanted, the wine was dark to the rim and, while delicious, has a long, long life ahead. All the flavor so you expect in a middle-aged St. Estephe, with long, complex, cab-dominated favors, this evolved wonderfully over the course of dinner. Very satisfying, and left me wanting more (wine and time in the bottle). Will leave the last alone for at least a few more years.
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This was a very good wine. It had a musty scent to it upon opening, but after an hour in a decanter that faded away and the fruit began to show itself. It had lots of earthy scents as well as that leather and cedar box aroma. The finish was noteworthy not a lot of tannin hanging around. This bottle did not have much sediment but it was decanted for an hour and left in an open bottle for another hour. Having recently had the 1990 Montrose the '89 was a step down from the '90.
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A super example of this wine in all its tobacco, cassis, spice, earth, cigar box and cedar wood charm. Full bodied, concentrated, masculine, yet refined, the finish kept going, with close to 60 seconds of fresh, spicy, ripe fruits that shifted from black to red. The bottle was decanted for about 2 hours before serving. This was much better than the last bottle I tasted about 6 months ago.
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1989 vs. 1990 Bordeaux (Vaucluse): 89 vs 90 tasting. A wine I have had on multiple occasions and have always liked a lot. Tonight it didn't show as well. Next to the 90 I felt the nose was off a bit with some funky flavors. Others liked it better than the 90.
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Dinner with mature Left Bank Bordeaux (Restaurant van Baerle, Amsterdam): Well delineated on the complex nose with earth, (orange) fruits, cedar and iron notes. Full bodied, smooth and super elegant on the palate with enough fruit and tannin for another 20 years of further aging. Long lingering on, a smooth end with some iron notes. Not as pronounced (on the palate) as some other bottles.
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We had the 86 earlier in the week, which was still brawny and robust, though not complex, so opening the 89 I was optimistic. It started quite closed so I decanted, within an hour it was smelling of warm clay and licorice, and after 2hrs it was singing with damp leaves, cedar, black licorice, violets, and plum. It smelled like a big feast in an old library.
Color was deep and only barely fading at the rim, palate was opulent and long with thick tannin. We had it following a '90 cheval blanc, which ending up being a great contrast in style.
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Oh boy! 26 years on this wine is still vibrant. Only the colour betrays its age. Polished, balanced, silky, big, powerful - this is St. Estephe at its best.
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Took about an hour to open up. Sublime nose of cedar, low key mature black fruit, leather, tobacco leaves. Silky resolved tannins, good acidity, elegance. Leathery, tobacco, licorice taste but with the fruit core intermixed. Balanced and mature. Drinks perfectly well now (at least from half bottles like this one). The finish is harmonious and medium long. 95p
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Deep garnet - dark for a wine this old. Full black currant fruit on the nose, bid black candied fruit. Dry, medium plus acid, resolved tannin, alcohol all in balance, full bodied full roar cabernet - but smooth and unexpressive - perhaps the merlot toned down the complexity? Great wine but as one drinker quoted - good wine, but it just lay there. Many diners loved this and thought it was WOTN. No hurry to drink and all bottles were consistently good.
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Ill be interested to see what anyone else thought of this wine tonight? For me, it wasn't a perfect btl. The nose smelled a little tired or perhaps even cooked. Then again, none of the three BDXs where truly moving me tonight. Including mine. Drinkable but uninspiring, for me.
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This was very good. Still tannic, but after 2 hours in the decanter this opened up. Powerful and at the same time elegant. Really good to drink now, but has many years left. A great Bordeaux, one to remember.
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outstanding, still youthful other than slight tawniness on the rim. strong structure but tannins smoothing out. Complex aroma and flavor, slightly tempered by touch of brett in my bottle, but a lot of saddle leather and other secondary nuances front and center as fruit is beginning to recede.
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A wine with the structure, strong tannins and firmness to set against rich fruit reflecting its great St Estephe pedigree. Cigar box nose. Very impressive and has years to go.
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A little musty and closed off from the start, but after an hour, its beauty shined through and became a great example of what this 89' should be. Will be able to go for another 20 years IMO and should sleep a bit longer or have a proper decant.
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A wine of substance and strength, but with more current refinement than one might expect, however not fully grown up and without its full depth of flavor and nuance yet. In many respects this was a younger bottle than others that I have had. Deep but primary fruit with a lot of blackberry. Light tar, dry coffee grounds, dark chocolate and on the nose subtle notes of violet and lavender underneath (I had not noted this is other recent experiences). Some pencil shavings. A slightly sweeter palate and smoother mouthcoating than other recent bottles, albeit with more rounded and approachable tannins. This bottle was ready for current consumption but somewhat of a waste as this wine will undoubtedly get better and develop additional complexity over time. And yet I keep drinking them. Decanted for one hour and then consumed over the following three hours. 96+
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Opened and decanted at the restaurant. Cork was more saturated than I was expecting and broke in half even with the Somm's Ah-So. Luckily he was able to corkscrew the base out cleanly without losing any cork into the bottle. It was then decanted through a strainer for sediment, although there turned out to be very little.
Initially this wine was completely closed. Nose was flat and musty. Initial tasting impressions were gloomy; the thought that the bottle may have been corked even crossed my mind.
About two hours after decanting it started to come alive. The barnyard nose burnt off and the typical St. Estephe profile came through. Pepper, smoke and dark fruit.
In the end I thought this beat out the '89 Angelus - but just by a hair. 95 points
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From half bottle with Coravin. Takes about 2 h to open up. Wonderful nose of sweet dense perfumed dark fruit, cedar and tobacco notes. Nice tobacco and leather flavours with the earthy component in the background. The tannins are still not fully resolved and the acidity is maybe taking too much of the upperhand over the fruit. Long pure finish. The palate is a bit less complex than the nose. 94-96p
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With age, every bottle develops its own personality. This bottle was not at the same level as previous, recent experiences. While good, with its nose of cigar box, cedar, pencil, tobacco, earth, blackberry and cassis, the wine did not display its usual, unreal levels of depth and mouth filling concentration. With 2 hours of air, the wine fleshed out, but not as far as it should. This is not to say the wine is not where it used to be, far from it. I'm simply letting you know where this one bottle was. I'm willing to bet, the next bottle will show much better.
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Similar to the one I had at the Spectrum auction a few weeks ago, but with even more prominent bell pepper/herbal notes. This was definitely a change of pace from the silky smooth, perfumed DRCs.
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AYAYAYE! Just by putting your nose close to the glass, you're getting an amazing experience. Probably at its peak right now, but it should stay there for quite a while. Perfect balance, super complex and tasty, with a very long finish. Typical St-Estephe tiertiary aromas (barnyard, tobacco, leather...) but in a super concentrated way. Wine of the night for everyone - Tied for second place was Clos Lapostolle 2008 and Abreu Cabernet 1996...oh what a night :)
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Perfect cork and fill. Decanted 2 hours prior to service. Had the classic Montrose nose, but more primary than previous bottles. The primary character carried through to the palate. Plenty of dry tannins emerge on the finish. This particular bottle seemed to still be in a slumber and needed at least 5 more years in the bottle. Definitely a disappointment compared to a bottle opened 2 years ago.
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From magnum. Flirting with perfection. I've no idea if it can or will improve but this was spectacular. 1 more magnum left in my cellar... will try hold for a while.
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Dark fruit, smoke, gravel, graphite on the nose. Carried through to the palate. This was excellent, but next to the 1990, this seemed a touch more angular and not as full in the mouth.
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This is the real deal here. The knock out nose of tobacco, cigar box, cedar chest, earth, blackberry and cassis is all there. Full bodied, intense, mouth filling, long and intense, the fruit really leaves a lasting impression on your palate. This is great now and will be even better in 5-10-15 or 20 years! This is one of those price wines that is truly worth the money.
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31 Vintages of Château Montrose: 1928-2010; 5/2/2015-5/3/2015: Dark wine; dark fruits on the nose as well, black currants, some menthol; gorgeous taste, structured, no brett – completely clear fruit, big sweetness. Utterly different from the previous year. Everlasting, just lovely balance, complex finish. A very good bottle, long life ahead.
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Cab & Cow Dinner (Vidalia - Washington DC): Classic French nose. I did not like this (although it was the WOTN for the group) It had a slightly sharp acid punch towards the end and slighly out of balance - not an elegant wine - like a wine made in a very hot year.
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In the end, slow oxed the wine all day in the cellar, recanted before heading out and then decanted at the restaurant. We began drinking the red once it was in the decanter and throughout dinner. The wine was remarkably young in color and still going strong. Beautiful cassis, slight tobacco and an almost iron/mineral core. Very elegant but absolutely full bodied with wonderful balance. All in all, a very pretty wine and a monument to why we cellar fine wines. Forced to choose a number, 94-96.
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Outstanding wine. Decanted and aerated for an hour and drank over another two hours. Lovely mature left bank nose of cassis, tobacco, spices, leather, and hints of black olives. Dense wine, color hardly suggesting the age of this wine, powerful palate full bodied and a long ingratiating finish. Tannins virtually integrated.
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Dark. Beautiful floral nose with no brett. Quite soft with tannins in the background. Super balance and length. A lovely wine in the pocket for current drinking.
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Slow breathing in btl deep garnet color, distinct aroma of bdx, acutually in btw St Estephe and Margaux on the heels of very strong floral element. Some tea leaves and florest floor and cocoa. Plush in mouth, filled with cassis, cedar and floral, tannin already rather smooth, very long finish but complex and continue to be interesting. Rivals the 1990! Superb!
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Nose of blackberry, tar, black truffle, moss and white pepper. Palate is consistent, with still strong tannins that even a a long decant can't fully manage. Decanted for two hours and consumed over the following two. The '89 continues its long evolution and while enjoyable now, could greatly benefit from another 5+ years in the cellar.
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Wow wine. Dark in color and looking young. Mouth coating tannins, with long long finish. Cassis, berry and almost some spice bite on the palate. A bomb. Not peaked and miles left in the tank. Better than I'd remembered, really coming together. I think this is close to perfection in ten years!
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This was the most approachable and a crowd favorite. Drinking nicely now but may not age as well as the 1990. Dark sherry fruit, ample oak and sweet tannins. Not silky but damn easy to drink.
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Surprising but it really needed 3-4 hours of air. Thankfully I reserved half for after dinner. It improved substantially with several hours in the decanter. Absolutely youthful wine but fully resolved tannins. Inky deep ruby color. No bricking or Brett. Nose like a pauillac until a few hours brought out more fruit and less if that roasted leather that many old bdx have. Black currents and beach plums. Smooth, round, and full bodied. Long staining finish. Just great.
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Beautifully evolved nose of leather, mulberry, brambly red berries, clove and dried mint. Medium-bodied with a regal countenance—there is still tons of structure, with mouth-coating fine grain tannin in abundance. Truly, this wine could go on and on and on in the cellar. The 1989 Château Montrose is not terribly fruit-driven, rather it's interior space is occupied by notes of dusty, clayey soil, cedar, black tea and spice. That wonderful impression of clove is on the finish, too.
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Good color, some fading. The nose is lush and fairly elegant, showing feminine aromas of flowers, berries, cedar, oak and minerals. This is fairly full bodied on the palate, with very good concentration and lovely finesse. The fairly long finish shows ripe tannins and balancing acidity. This bottle was not properly stored, so I assume better bottles would be even more exciting.
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Still feels remarkably young with a dense core of black fruit framed by earthy, oaky and pencil lead notes. With some time in the glass it becomes more complex and savoury on the nose, but there's a slightly rustic, coarse aspect to the tannin and texture on the palate, and while it's enjoyable, I felt this suffered in the company of the L'Evangile and old Mayacamas.
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What a wine! The tobacco, earth, spice, cassis, blackberry, cedar, earth and truffle nose is a winner. But that's just the warm up. The palate is where the real action takes place. The fruit does not quit and neither does the finish. This is stellar now, and if you wait, it's going to be even better.
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Bordal chez PG (100% Bordeaux) (Collex-Bossy (Genève)): Superbe! Il venait juste après Cheval-Blanc dans la série et aussi dans mon classement final! La robe est la plus profonde et la plus soutenue de la série. Le nez s'est ouvert lentement et la bouche est devenue de plus en plus complexe. On a pensé avoir à faire à Pauillac... mais non! A boire et à garder. Mon n° 2.
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Rich and deep with blackberry, tar, mocha, and black pepper. Approachable now despite firm tannins, but this should really be held until it evolves further. Not a subtle wine now, this will certainly become more elegant with time. Requires an extended decant. 95+
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Decanted and aerated for over an hour and drank over 2. Deep crimson color, thick and very slight bricking at the rim. Almost as good as the 1990 but different in style. Mature wine, nose reticent at first with leather, complex wet stone, pencil lead, cassis, iron with spicy black fruits emerging towards the end. Rich on the palate, dense and complex, great purity and balance, the wine is classic Bordeaux and full bodied. Still vivacious, super structure, excellent minerality and fully resolved tannins with backbone and an extremely satisfying dry finish. Excellent.
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Decanted. After 4 hours the leathery nose was beginning to open, showing Casis and other black fruit. There was no funk or barnyard at any stage. The pallet was big, rich, dark and brooding with black coffee, pepper and bakers chocolate. There is also pencil lead, earth, and wet stone. If you are patient you will find shadows of black fruit up front. Endless finish. I love it.
Deep opaque purple black. Heady raw meat, iron, iodine aromas. On palate this is still totally raw and fairly primary still and nowhere near ready. Huge promise, but hold for now
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Drank on a Friday afternoon with the usual office crew. Very well structured, decanted for an hour, balanced, delicious. Drunk alongside a 1997 Gaja Costa Russi from the El Bulli Cellar. Mixed opinion as to which was better. Both excellent
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Eclectic Wine Dinner (goosefoot - Chicago IL): Bretty, dirty, barnyardy...to the extent some thought corked. But this had been open and decanted for hours, so if corked would have been worse. Off bottle?
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Barnyard, bretty, animale aromas, dark, horse hair funk. Dark sweet, but loads of bretty shoe polosh quAlity, gamey, dark vlack earthy wuailty. Nice texture and balance. Chewy dark black toast. Rhone funk. Nice structure. An aquired taste. Vit too funky for me.
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Brilliant. Opened and hit by strong funky leather nose very left bank. Left to decant 2 hrs and funk blew off to reveal anise, graphite, leather and sweet wood. Stunning precision, freshness and long finish. Fantastic wine
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Seagrams NY label, as all in the current case are. Decanted 2.5 hours. Was showing its tannin on opening, with some bricking starting to show in the color - but a nose that promised good things. This really is a great wine and wonderful with food or on its own. Dark fruit, all the classic Bordeaux elements. Long finish, but elegant and great with food. I do think I prefer it to the '90 - at least now. Drink now with a 2 hour decant but a long life ahead. A
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A dusty old house in the middle of the forest. Forestfloor, creepers and moss on the wall, vegetal. You push open the door, more dust and some stone assault you. You look around, but there is nothing inside, it is empty. You take a step in, tentatively, and suddenly you see a bowl of red fruit from the corner of your eye. You pick one up, take a bite, and let the flavors wash over you.
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This put on quite a show. Decanted but drank soon thereafter. Young appearing, garnet, hint of bricking. Constantly changing aromas in the glass as well as on the palate. Strong aromas of raw meat and dust initially, but gradually gave way to fruit and earth. Hits everywhere on the palate with a combination of fresh and dried dark fruit, dirt, dried leaves, cigar box, musty smoke, on and on. Long vibrant finish. Spectacular.
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Bordeaux Wimps (La Trompette, Chiswick): Medium/deep garnet. Medium intense, pencil lead, touch of fruit cake, cedar, slightly firm tannins, balanced acidity, very good length finish. ****
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Disappointed with this bottle. We purchased 6 IIRC in an Acker auction and they have all seemed to be far from their prime and perhaps heat damaged at some point in the last 25 years. I've had other bottles of the 1989 Montrose that were off the charts awesome in the mid 90's point wise.
Pretty close to full maturity with more leathery notes than a few years ago. On the palate there is a lot going on: it has notes of iron, iodine and other minerals, overlaid with soy, spices and dark chocolate. It has rasping metallic edge, and perhaps lacks the smoothness and the mid-palate density of some really great wines. Still it is a marvellous complex wine, which should drink well for another ten years. Superb though it is, it has now been overtaken by Cos D'Estournel 1989, which has that extra dimension of class.
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Hedonistic to the bone much like every 89 I've had, and just beginning to hit its maturity. Decanted and aerated for an hour then drank over 2. Deep crimson, slightly black at the core. On the nose, opulent licorice, black fruits and mocha laced with exotic spices and old leather, almost right bank. Creamy entry on the palate, very fat and glycerin like, delectable black fruits, toffee and chocolate mid palate with complexity and a solid structure confirming this wine's pedigree, very nicely balanced with sufficient acidity, fully resolved tannins and a wonderful finish. Excellent wine!
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A saturated ruby-black, this was the best bottle of the 1989 Montrose that I have encountered. An explosive bouquet of black cherry and blackcurrant, hot earth, truffle, rich soil tones and subtle leather is followed by an amazingly expansive, supple and rich palate impression, with comparatively low acidity and amazing intensity. Layered and seamless, this is surely one of the greatest wines ever produced at Chateau Montrose.
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Big Bordeaux VII (Kevin's house): 5 hour decant and followed a small pour over a little over an hour. This opened up considerably within 20 minutes in glass. Tobacco, tar, dusty chocolate, palate was thin initially but became very rich and dynamic. Structure is incredible. Long strong finish.
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Big Bordeaux VII: Featuring 1986 & 1989 Super Seconds (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Purple color - inky. 5hr decant, drank a 2.5oz pour over 2.5 hours. Still a little reticent on the nose at first, opens gradually, cigar, leather, cassis, blackberry, dark and brooding at times, smoky, cedarbox, plum and black cherry. Once this was open for business, the nose was fantastic! The palate was more concentrated, powerful, tobacco, dark chocolate, anise, black fruits, a bit tart, caressing on the palate, full bodied, with a 45second finish. The tannins are round and this is oh so young with the structure to go another 15 years easily. 94(+)pts. My #4 and group #1 WOTN.
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Rich and full bodied but it had a sourness and a sharpness that was off-putting. Even after 2+ hours, though the wine had softened a bit, the sourness persisted. My is higher than it otherwise would be to give it the benefit of doubt based on the other CT scores.(perhaps it does need a 6 hour decant!?)
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Opened for my stepfather's 75th birthday. Capsule and cork in great shape - last 10mm of cork wet, the rest like the day it was bottled. Wine level well into neck. Double decanted and allowed to come to room temperature over 2 hours. Wine a dark, plush garnet, immensely clear and vibrant. Nose a little funky at first, but resolved into a mixture of primary and secondary notes, oscillating between savoury Provençal/smoky/meaty overtones and almost jammy black fruit aromas. Palate reflected this - lovely juicy plum and blackberry up front giving way to savoury charcuterie and leather on the finish, which was long, long, long. A delightful wine and a pleasure to drink.
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Fabulous example of mature Bordeaux. Decanted to accompany a St. Paddy's meal of Potato, Leek, Mushroom and Chicken pie. The cork was in excellent condition and the wine's color still youthful. The tannins are now velvet and the complexity of taste and aroma makes me think another bottle might be wasted on beef. Full, but not overpowering. Exceptional.
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Consistent with my previous note. A 5hr decant isn't enough - try 6hrs next time, but ideally wait for another 2-3yrs before retrying. This wine really puts on weight in the glass and has a beguiling balance that reminds me of the best 96 Bordeaux wines, but provides a laser-like sharpness to the wine despite it's weight. This bottle is more structured than I remember (my last bottle was from a different case and 2yrs ago) but no less impressive. Can't wait for more complexity to come out in this... it will be a legendary wine, and probably the best steak wine I can ever imagine.
Whilst it is a personal preference, I now strongly believe this WILL only continue to improve and exceed the 90 Montrose. The 90 Montrose drinks wonderfully now, but the 89 Montrose will age better and will not be in primetime until 2020 (and last a long time after that). 96-98pts for now, from me and glad to have stocked up at prices only 30% above where the 03 Montrose is selling.
For me, the Montroses to buy are 89, 96, 01, 05, 00, 08 (in that order, factoring price, age and potential). Yup, I've excluded the 03... would take 2 cases of the 05 over it any day...
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Rose from the mountain...Opens up with the smell of house shit (in a good way), one moment later, it becomes wonderful barnyard like Checal Blanc's first nose.
When the fruit gets along, it's very much like Ch. Margaux and ends up with sweet cassis like Haut-Brion. Great wine !!!
Balance is perfect at this moment, very velvet in texture, beautiful structure, very very fine indeed.
Aftertaste is soft and smooth, mild blowin' finished.
Drink now !!! 95-96/100
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Super Bowl 2014 (Roswell, GA): Dark core with brownish brick rim; roasted, cigar, obvious Bordeaux, burnt sugar, leaner quality to it, green pepper, red fruit; viscous, a good bit of tannin, the fruit is a little roasted, coffee, luxurious but lacks a bit of balance; got vintage but was on wrong bank.
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Big but well-mannered. Dark fruit predominantly, some blueberry and anise. Less mineral than last time. Very fresh, but still a bit monolithic. I think this still has the potential to improve.
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Bordeaux matters, along with Burgundy and Champagne and Port and ... (Ripple Restaurant in Washington D.C.): I rated this so high not because I brought the bottle :-). No, because it seems to communicate everything that I want from a great left bank Bordeaux: structure combined with nuanced richness and a long - very long - finish. Certainly it could use another 10 years. The bottle was double decanted five hours before the dinner. Though it was not foreboding, the tannin was present. Prices are going up on this vintage, as more tasters appreciate its consistency compared to the mythical 1990, which too often ends up being less than mythical.
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Belated holiday dinner - Mostly Burg and Bordeaux (Ripple Restaurant in DC): Expressive nose displaying intense sweet dark fruits, cassis, plum, lead pencil, cedar, a hint of leather and earth. Excellent concentration, silky palate, sweet dark fruit impression and nicely integrated tannins. Very complex overall expression and the structure to age. This is more focused, showing greater precision and structure than the 90. Although incredibly enjoyable, it will improve further if you like strong tertiary note.
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tasted back to back with the 1990 montrose nose - beautiful, funk filled mouth - tea, cherry, sweet berry, very open, sweaty and bitter, fruity and complex. a wow wine, and one of the more memorable bordeaux i have had to date. drinking much more open than the 1990.
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The color is a textbook example of a wine of its type and age: a limpid ruby core waning to Almandine garnet at the meniscus. The soaring, room-filling nose is a miracle of complexity: cassis, redcurrant, black plum, cedar wood, crushed violet, Balkan Sobranie tobacco, pine smoke and forest floor are interlaced with a musky-sweet aroma akin to aged grey ambergris. It is moderately large, sensually round, and smooth as Magu silk in the mouth. The palate is pampered by long and generous, almost fulsome, flavors of fully-ripened black fruit, meaty cèpe, espresso bean, veal demi-glace, black olive, cigar box, wet earth and stony minerals. These flavors, which are deep, rich and very umami, are brightened and enlivened by a succulent acidity. The tannins are sweet and rounded, refined and noble. This near-perfect wine epitomizes balance, poise and symmetry and is compellingly beautiful. Approaching maturity, it has many years promised to it. It is why we lay down and drink red Bordeaux. I wish I had more for my soon-approaching dotage. 98+ points.
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This was tremendous. So elegant (for a St. Estephe!), and not a hair out of place. Balance is impeccable. Still lovely structure - great wine with dinner. Nice and savory. Less of the barnyard rusticity than one often encounters with Montrose of this era. A delight!
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Stored in a cold cellar since release. Very top shoulder a surprise and concern. Perfect cork. Perfect condition. Still brilliant red. Best Montrose tasted from experience going back to 1952 - oldest claret I've ever tasted in good condition. Remarkable finesse for St Estephe. Seems perfect now. Hard to see how it will improve - perhaps lucky with the bottle. Will last another 25 years
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This was a really good wine as well. Perhaps a bit more civilized that the GPL '82, but not quite as ready or as exciting. Interestingly, the fruit felt more restrained here. That being said, we are arguing over nits. This is another great wine that is showing great!
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Was double-decanted two hours before drinking and that was not enough; needs more air. Full bodied, fresh and powerful, minerals, little black fruits and well integrated tannins. This bottle (0,75) was more closed than others earlier, from a French private collection recently acquired. Needs more time and gain more points.
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Drank with OT, WTT and Sam 678 dinner. This wine is in a great place, at almost 20 years old. The edges are starting to show some orange and tiger eye. The nose is no longer primary, nice secondary aromas, little brett and rubber. Great fruit-graphite -and very well balanced.
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Black red velvet color. Blackberry, lead pencil and slightly earthy yet a youthful wine - we drank side by side with a 1998 Latour and would never have guessed that these wine were 19 years apart. EM wine dinner.
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Next to the '95. Even this one is big and muscular - long decant surely helped but frankly still a few years away from prime drinking if you ask me. It's deep and black-fruited, almost impenetrable, but shows some savoriness and soil on the back end.
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This was a great example of the legendary 1989 vintage. From the minute the bottle was poured into the decanter, and intoxicating bouqet filled the room. The nose offers the entire spectrum of notes ranging from the finest red berries, dark berries, graphite, pencil lead, vanilla, cedar and tobacco notes which again is offered on the palate. The finish never seems to end.
A magnificent wine with the only error, if one could call it that, it could be more powerful...and that is exactly what you get from the 1990 vintage but alas cost twice the price of the 1989 vintage.
So, if I was to choose between one bottle of the 1990 or two bottles of the 1989...I would (a no-brainer) go for the two bottles because it is simply a fantastic wine!!
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Montose Dinner (89, 90, 95, 96, 99, 00, 01, 05) Plus Others: The nose offered very clean aromas of dark fruit, leather and mineral. The taste was smooth and concentrated with great red fruit and mineral flavors. This filled the mouth with flavor, had such concentration, and yet seemed so light and silky. The finish was long and satisfying.
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Very deep brooding wine. Still too young by at least 3 years. Beautiful nose of dark fruit and a bit of animalistic funk, in a good way. Good length. Will be much better later.
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Left Bank Bordeaux from the 1980-s (semi blind) (Amsterdam Wijn Antiquariaat): From Magnum. Dark sweet fruits, minerals, wet stone, and old leather. Thick and elegant on the palate with fruits, Asian spices, some camphor and mint. Compared to other 80-s Left Bank bottles this evening fairly closed. Tannins "to chew on" and Minutes long lingering on. What a beast of a wine.
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Wow! The montrose 1989 seems to improve again and again. This beauty will be easely compare to the 1990! (but 1989 price is cheaper than 1990). Perfect storage and level. Drink now - 2030 (and more!)
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Flaske Nr 2 leverer på et annet nivå enn den første. Mørk og rustikk nese med innslag av tobakk og hengt kjøtt. I munnen intens, fokusert, bra balanse med strålende syrlige og sødmefulle bær. Strukturert og deilig taningrep. Jeg synes vinen manglet litt friskhet. 94p.
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A fine spring lunch (The Glasshouse, Kew, London): Completing a brilliant trio of clarets, this too was ripe and gamey, much less funky than past bottles. Real top drawer claret entering its prime.
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Bordeaux 1989 Horizontal Tasting (Zurich): Wow! what a wonderful wine the 1989 Montrose is. The nose shows signs of leather, earth with a combination of just red berries and plums. A wonderful sweetness makes this wine very elegant. It is long, complex and powerful. This is just great! Drink now - 2030.
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WOW! Seldom are wines in the Oh My God category. 1989 Montrose is the real deal. Explosive levels of perfume filled with crushed gravel, stone, licorice, tobacco, cocoa, creamy blackberry, mint, caramel, smoke, truffle and incense are off the charts. There is only a minor whiff of barnyard aromas, which adds to the complexity. Powerful, full bodied and almost dense enough to eat with a spoon. This beautiful, pure wine coats your mouth, palate, teeth and gums with sweet, polished, jammy blackberries, There is an intense purity to this stunning wine. The long, finish remains etched in your palate and mind as it builds in flavor and intensity for almost 60 seconds. This sublime tasting experience is only going to get better for several decades. If you love Bordeaux, this wine belongs in your cellar.
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Dinner in LA (Some restaurant in KoreaTown): This is still a youngish Montrose. The earthy, farm-land armosas are there (thankfully), with great acidity. The palate was shy at times, but had some really nice truffle notes with violets and earth. Great bottle, which for me, eclipsed the 1990 from 3 years ago. This should only improve with time.
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Served during a tasting session. This wine was the favorite of the night. Dense, almost new world sweet fruit but then again, the typical Bdx aromas and big but well integrated tannins. Smoky, earthy with black fruits, very Medoc. An impressive showing. If your bottles are kept as well as this one (collector with a temperature controlled cellar brought it) than the wine has still good years ahead.
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turning a bit tawny around the rim. warm, deep cassis and plums on the nose with cedar and a touch of brett, not too much. silky smooth tannins, good balance with prolonged finish.
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tasted from magnum. no formal notes taken. always a relief when such a fabled wine lives up to expectations. 3 hour decant which was plenty. heavy bricking at the rim. i'd say at the height of it's powers where it should remain for another decade. everything you'd expect from mature bordeaux from a top chateau from a great vintage. excellent.
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Tannins mostly gone but good flavor/fruit. Medium body. I did not decant bottle but it needed to breathe. Drank two bottles and the second, which was out of cellar longer, tasted better. We had it with a red seafood pasta dinner and it held up well. I would plan to drink now or over next 5 yrs.
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Have been tasting this wine for a long time & seems to be losing some fruit & tannin as you would expect at this point. Super barnyard nose typical of Bordeaux. I wouldn't buy this wine at this point & look to drink my final bottle in the next year. This was one of the best wines I have ever owned along with the 90.
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Not as blown away as I expected, considering the reputation of this wine. Violets on the nose, great palate and a long lingering finish. Still young and just entering it's plane of maturity. This wine has years of positive evolution ahead. A little monolithic though, at this stage of maturity. Tasted along side '82 Figeac, the Montrose just lacked the subtle elegance that those of us that cellar wine cherish.
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very powerful with much potential but the finish and delineation of the palate are still in development. i'd wait another 5 yrs minimum @IWFS Chicago #781
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This wine was in good form when opened. Drinking perhaps towards the top of it's bell curve, with only slight hints of volatile acidity in the aroma. Flavors of Tobacco, old leather are predominant but lead into burnt raspberry, anise and prune. Acidity was medium plus. Tannin was medium plus on front and medium grit on roof of my mouth.
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'89 montrose and '94 dunn Howell mtn, xmas dinner w prime rib. Both fabulous. Montrose had tons of sweet fruit, sweet tannins, , low acid (almost a CDP style) and a long finish of chalky minerals - this will go another 10 for sure, but no reason to wait. The dunn cork crumbled and smelled corked for the first 20 min after opening, just about to pop another bottle and I decided to check again - it came alive after 1-2 hrs and was humming thereafter. Classic dunn mtn fruit, sweet cassis w unmistakeable structure and balance - this will also go another 5-10, but no reason to wait... make sure you let it breathe.
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On the palate still some faint black fruits, some sweetness, firm acidity, soft tannin with still a bite and some bitterness in the finish. This wine can definitely last for many more years, but I wonder how it will taste like if all the fruit has disappeared. Hope to taste again around 2020 to see.
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End of year dinner; Break out the good stuff- Alto Adige, Rhone, Bordeaux, Barolo, Loire and Port. (Amali.): Always one of my favorite '89s, this showed in typical strong fashion. Wonderful depth and complexity here and while still showing youthfully, there's nice tertiary development. Dark cherry fruit dominates and melds with classic herb, cedar and earth elements. The acidity in the wine has always kept the wine fresh and, imo, makes it a slightly better balanced and more transparent wine than the '90. With air the wine did start to shut down a little. A long life ahead for this one as it's still on the young side of peak. A.
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Jen's Fund Raiser Dinner II (Max's Bistro, Fresno Ca.): Mmmm this was good! Very young and dark still...the perfect ripeness and aged fruit....youthful acidity, plum liqueur, leather, powdery graphite tannins still firm....wonderful complexities of camphor, mint, flowers...very seductive...a sit back wine. Would love some of this in the cellar!
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Perfect fill, mostly damp cork, very little sediment. Everything a mature Montrose should be---earth, iron, blackberry, currant, plums, cigar box, leather, slate, black cherry, and toasted herbs. Wonderful balance. Medium body. Tannins were mostly resolved. Very long finish. Drank great upon opening, improved slightly with air and held for several hours.
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1989 Chateau Montrose is so good, it’s close to being off the charts! Not only is this a stunning wine, it’s remarkably consistent as well. Licorice, espresso, cassis, jammy blackberry, earth, truffle, smoke, cigar box and stone aromas grab you. But it’s the waves of fresh, intense, expansive fruit and spice that remain on your palate for close to 60 seconds that you know, this is what great Bordeaux is all about. This wine is often compared to the 1990 Montrose. This is almost as good, or even better if you like, and it sells for a fraction of the price. This can be enjoyed today or aged for 30 to 50 more years! The wine was produced from a unique blend of only two grape varieties, 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot.
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Big masculine wine. Sweet ripe dark fruits in the nose with minerals, cedar and shaved pencil notes. Classic in the mouth, well-delineated with fresh cherries and earth tones, still quite some tannins in the finish.
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The cork would not come out in one piece and maybe the wine was affected. A high end Bordeaux but not quite like the magnificent and infinitely younger Montrose 1990. Was it the bottle? Typical Bordeaux nose from a hot year with cedar, leather, black earth and jammy blackcurrant fruit. Still has a tannic grip. Serious wine with velvety texture and fluidity, high flavor concentration but I think there was some sign of oxidation.
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Right...exactly like Yiannis described BD almost got it right this time. Textbook mature Medoc on the nose with cedar, mint, integrated oak around a dense core of black fruit. Very refined on palate with polished tannins, great concentration and persistent finish. Well balanced with no edges this is a great example of a mature(ing) Bordeaux. Maybe it will even get better over the next years...
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Third attempt of our friend B.D. to open a monumental bottle last night on the occasion of his daughter's baptism (next tp Pingus 2000 and Domaine du Pegau Cuvee Laurence 1998) and this time he got it (almost) right. Complex and seductive nose of leather, ink, cedar, dark cherry and graphite. Full-bodied, dense and youthful with firm, juicy tannins, freshness and balancing acidity. Very long aftertaste. Once again, good old Bordeaux was proved as representing the safest bet.
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Cos-Montrose Battle (Restaurant Bottles, Sas van Gent): More austere and masculine then the preceding wine. Striking notes of anise/fennel. Vigorous, sourish tannines. Lacking the complexity and length to be extraordinary. 17.5-18/20
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Rupert's 89 'Super Seconds' Offline (The Medlar, London): Single blind. Dark and really quite dense, but ripe. There is some minerality here. A touch of liquorice too. Dense and almost a touch overdone. Cos? No, Montrose. With air it's showing a bit drier and possibly a little cheesier. Bare ****
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Super Tasting 1 of 6 - Andrew (Langdon Hall, Cambridge, ON): What a nose! I could small this all night, so wildly complex. Very exotically spiced with a nice dark cherry fruit profile and some touches of leather. I really love this wine as it send now and I think it was last a long time. I found this not to have too much stink and I think it's on the early side of maturity. So beautiful, so pleasing, I love it.
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Tasting Group Dinner Series (1 of 6) / Andrew's 28th Birthday (Red Room, Langdon Hall, Cambridge, Ontario): Received the same treatment as other bottles in this flight; essentially decanted approximately 2 hours in the bottle. Followed in the glass for the remainder of the evening. Purple in the glass, minor bricking. A wildly funky nose, with quite a bit of brettanomyces on first pour, accented by notes of blackberries, red fruits, spice, earth, iodine, cedar, smoke, light mushroom and dark chocolate. On the palate, still going strong structurally, with firm tannin and moderate acidity. The finish is long, and ends with a lingering sense of dark fruits, spice, earth and a touch of leather. An exceptional wine.
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The Big Sendoff; 9/15/2012-9/16/2012 (The Home of Dave L): Good fill with staining to the top of the cork. Initially very closed but opened over several hours. Nose showing prominent bell pepper, black currants and leather. Palate with well structure and balanced, still showing prominent coarse tannins on the back end. Plenty of darker fruit with a plum and black currant profile. Still coming across as youthful and vibrant. Lengthy finish adding mocha, spice, cedar, black fruit, and wood. A vibrant wine, still young with great complexity, just lacking some of the nuance and polish of the Lynch Bages. A step below a recent ’90 which was much more exotic and flamboyant. I can see the ’96 becoming a similar wine to this (hopefully)
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Decanted for 1 hour. Similar nose to the ’82 Cos but with more complexity with notes of dark fruits, cedar, earth, cassis and spice. On the palate, this is much bigger and masculine than the Cos showing more structure and richer, deeper and more abundant fruit. Has a layered density in the mouth with sweet tannins, superb balance and excellent acidity adding energy and poise. The finish is very long. Drinking extremely well now but should continue at this pace (maybe even continue to improve) for a decade or more. I think I’ll drink my remaining few bottles over the next 10 years or so. Outstanding. 94+
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Can this wine get any better? Each time I taste 1989 Montrose, it seems to improve. It's full bodied, powerful, concentrated, rich, deep, complex and offers a big mouthful of ripe black fruit, spice, tobacco and earth. The tannins are ripe and the finish must last at least 60 seconds! Everything about this wine is in balance. Drink this now, or hold it for 20 or more years. With the exception of the 2003 Montrose, this is the vintage of Chateau Montrose to own.
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A broody wine, very dark and still improving. Decanted 5 hours, when typical tastes of blackcurrent, some toast, earth and clay. Started to developed early aromatic complexity after few more hours in the glass, coupled with a long and complex finish. 97pts with a long decant now, but I would be stunned if this does not become 99+pts in another 5-10 years and last >20years thereafter. Wait and your patience will be rewarded... whilst not cheap, this must be one of the best values for a potentially legendary bottle of Bordeaux.
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beautiful wine, still young and vibrant, dark purple in color with elegant perfume on the nose and smooth rich fruit on the palate. drinking beautifully, opening nicely after decanting and drinking over 2.5 hours.
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9th Annual Blind Challenge (The Square, Mayfair, London): Cool, light, very fresh, tannic. It tastes like another fine youthful claret, but we've had three of those already. Surprised to find it was Montrose 89, which I've found markedly funky in the past, whereas this was quite clean. In any event, a fine wine, which is too young right now.
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Keith's Blind Challenge 2012 (The Square, London): Blind. dark, dense core but lighter at the rim. A little richer. Looks and tastes like another 89 left bank claret. More accessible than the PB on tonight's showing, quite mineral, an interesting mix of line and austerity encased in the rich wrapping of the vintage. 89 left bank but I don't know what. ****1/2
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Bordeaux Søskenparsmaking (Moss, Norway): Dyp rød med så vidt bruning i kanten. Noe jord og våt kjeller på nese, men først og fremst alldeles nydelig parfyme her; innsmigrende, floral og sødmefull. Mørk, nærmest beksvart inngang som følges opp av en utrolig massiv frukt. Vanvittig konsentrasjon. En påle av en vin. Masse tørrstoff. Kraftpakke. 94-95 P
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Bordeaux Siblings (Moss, Norway): Classic notes, very powerful, dark berry fruit, some bonfire, black currents, graphite. A lot of everything, including tannin, primary, enormous concentration, but lacking in elegance. Still, I am utterly impressed.
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Montrose Flight - 1982, 1989, 1990, 1995 (Kendall College - Chicago): A dark, brooding wine that is still a little asleep. Noticeably darker than the 1990. The nose is muted but there's cedar and leather that's starting to come through. The palate is starting to show black fruits, tobacco and licorice with a huge tannic backbone that's not off-putting. This is a classically built Bordeaux if I've ever seen one and needs another 5-7 years of cellaring to see if it's woken up. At that point, I think it has another 40 years left in it, maybe more. Phenomenal.
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Got so excited about the 1990 Montrose the other week that I had to try one of the 89s again. Whilst also a very big and opulent wine, it is just not hitting the high notes that the 90 seem to do, also some acid notes keep atttacking the palate.
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Mostly 89 Bordeaux (La Silhouette): Plenty of cedar, cigar, rocks, and currant fruit, with a lot of fierce tannin, but this was clenched down pretty hard and refused to wake up, even after 2-3 hours of air. It's complex and there are a lot of interesting parts here, but it never quite all comes together. There was nothing "wrong" with this wine, but it also wasn't anything particularly remarkable, either. Did it need more time/air? I don't know.
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Muted nose, and the palate is dominated by tannin. Primary dark fruit. I think this wine needs more time in the cellar, or barring that a far longer decant than I gave it. I'd love to have come back to this on Day 2 but we were at a restaurant, so I won't score it.
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YES, YES, YES. So, this is why people drink aged bordeaux, stunning and so distinctive. First, it is smooth (is this really St. Estephe?) the tannins are all soft and silky, the nose is cigar box and pencilly notes, and ...jesus... it just goes on and on. You have a mouthful and go out to the back room and come back and you can still taste it in your mouth. Amazing. Really lovely wine. Furthermore, it is clear that it will run and run. Another decade it will probably be even better.
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Decanted and consumed over one hour. Complex nose gives a delicious scent of its terroir hallmark, it's like food for the nose with earth notes in spades along with mature oak and red fruits. Still very fresh and light on its feet, showing cranberry, light tobacco, and allspice on the palate. It comes alive on the finish, proving its meddle with a sparkling, almost champagne like effect.
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Deep ruby color. Somewhat off-putting nose that blew off after half an hour and then notes of beef bouillon, charred black currants and roasted meats. Firm and unyielding at first but then began to reluctantly show itself and really came into its own with the oxtail risotto at Daniel. Deep black fruit with a beefy edge and strong mineral notes that lead to a fabulous concentrated finish with notes of cedar and horsehide. There is a core of granite in this big-scaled wine that makes me think it will last a hundred years. Powerful but round and ethereal at the same time. A great Bordeaux that just now seems to be approaching a drinkable level and there is more upside here.
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Super Bowl 2012 (Roswell, GA): Maroon, crimson edge with a deep, dark core. Nose of cedar, cocoa, celery seed, and red currant. Very elegant on the palate. Much better than the one we had a couple weeks earlier.
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89/90 Bordeaux Retrospective with Hart Davis Hart: All gravel and mineral here, dark fruit and leather notes accompanying. With more air, the minerality became more complex, picking up a bit of mint as well. Of course, that was more true of the nose than the palate, which remained decidedly flinty. Still very tannic.
Drinking very well now, but I imagine this will last for ages. Impressive quality, but this just wasn't tugging on the heart strings.
4+ to 5-
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Popped, decanted and poured. Perfect cork and level. Rich, sweet and silky smooth. Almost a California cab fruitiness with a Bordeaux depth of flavors. In a perfect drinking window but at least a decade of drinking time left. Yum!
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Nearly black core with a maroon rim. This took a while to open up both aromatically and on the palate. The nose yielded to black currant and tobacco. Full bodied and plenty of structure intact. This showed dark fruit along with leather and cigar. Scorched earth through the mid palate. Medium acidity and a long, tannic finish. Years and years ahead of this still.
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On the nose, a mixture of secondary funk, perfume, tobacco, pencil lead and a bit of cedar. On the palate, holding strong and gives off the impression of being quite young with a surprising intensity of fruit. Long finish. This is the best Bordeaux I've had in a long time. I'm surprised a bit by that, because I didn't really pull this one from the cellar tonight with any expectations of greatness. I wouldn't be surprised if I looked back to find this as the highest rating I've given a wine this year.
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The colour was very thick to the rim, generous deep red, with black rather than purple, looking immature even now. The nose was multi-dimensional, with tar, sugar-frosted flakes, hung pheasant and elements of the sea-shore. Power was promised … oddly, tasting also provided multiple angles, but not really that of power. The most extraordinary thing was the flavour of hung grouse: more prominently than any other wine I have ever tasted. (It did magnificently with roasted pheasant.) But there was a lot more: minerals, toasted teacakes, tannin to a considerable degree, perhaps more acid than one would have thought, but not a huge deal of alcohol. The finish was a little dry, and the actual fruit is secondary: grapey? Yes, with pomegranates too. This has the interest of a lesser Lafite, perhaps, without its kaleidoscopic palette nor its dignified procession of variety that adorn greater vintages. Nonetheless, this is a great wine.
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2011 Simple Dinner Series 14 :: Ed's big day (Jade Palace Seafood Restaurant, The Forum Shopping Mall, Orchard Road): Alcohol :: 13% To be honest I was a bit disappointed when the identity of this wine being revealed. It was good, but certainly not great, compared to the younger brother 2003, 2005 and 2009. Dark garnet core with brick rim.The very spicy aroma is intense an also quite pungent with alcohol. Slowly, more dark fruits, tobacco and soil note emerged. Started a little bit weak on the palate but with time, this structured, powerful juice put on more weight and mouth coating intensity that offer very good mid palate depth and stunning sap. This is wonderfully structured and layer with liveliness and super intense long finish. Very good, though the alcohol on the nose and slightly rustic tannin mark a notch down of the purity and finesse.
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Christmas WIMPS (Bordeaux Table) (The Ledbury, London.): Very dense, velvety, plush and yet mineral. very impressive. A notch above the Cos I think. The right mix of fruit, structure and savoury complexity. Splendid. *****
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I liked this wine although I had higher hopes. But definitely exiting, exotic notes. Long finish, classic cedar/pencil shavings. Had next to a 90 Pichon Baron on Thanksgiving -- I thought the Baron tasted quite similar albeit with younger fruit richness. Probably chalk it up to too much turkey. Still a delicious btl.
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Superb wine. Still fresh with Limeyness and lots of secondary cigar and leather by now. Howver fruits are still pretty dainty and cheery. A thinking wine with grace and poise
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Deep dark fruit, cassis, pencil lead, and dark flowery perfume on the nose. Blackcurrants, prunes and excellent elegant and finely balanced tannins. Big and full wine, definitely wld benefit frm time in cellar.
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Just beautiful - so polished, balanced, and silky. Big and powerful, yet absolutely approachable. Better by the hour. City Wine Journal said it all. Luckily I have a bottle left out of two (purchased in Woodside, CA some 18 years ago)
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Absolutely magnificent. Auction bottle held one year. Opened for 10 hours, enjoyed for 3 without decanting. Like a three masted ship unfurling and going to full sail -- bigger, more powerful, and more profound with each passing hour, and year. Montrose can be so proud of this wine.
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Montrose Vertical Tasting 1989 - 2005 (Work in Progress) (Switzerland): Tasted blind: Clear garnet in color, one would not expect this wine is over 20 years old. Nose shows flavors of strawberries, tobacco and sweet berries. The wine is very complex and long, yet in comparison to the 1990 in the glass next to it is more elegant. The taste reminds me of cooked cherries, white pepper and stone. All is very balanced. A true beauty. Drink now - 2030.
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Dark ruby color. Incredible nose that only improved during dinner: dark fruit, cigar, truffle, leather and cassis. Long taste of dark fuit, truffle & spice. This is an awesome St. Estephe and I will try to source more of it!
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Masculine, dark, and deep. Killer nose of leather, cigar box, venison, black licorice, dark berries, ash and smoke. Attacks the palate with loads of darkness and earth, mint, blackberries, tobacco, smoke, a touch of brett. Very long finish . This was young and energetic and showed really well. Decanted for 3+ hours.. Great bottle.
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elzer cancer society charity dinner. i somehow got aced out of the 89 clinet, so i was happy to get my mitts on a small pour of this, but it was dangerously close to an empty bottle. damn! all i can say is that i did glimpse the promise land. please, somebody pour this for me again.
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BYO (Le Sommelier): Nose: Packed with pine/resin with a hint of coffee and black currants. Palate: Again a lot of pine but also black currant fruit/leaves. Harsh tannic aftertaste but very intense in the flavors of the mid-palate. Excellent wine!
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One of. if not THE best Montrose I have tasted. Still I do not think Saint Estephe is quite my style. The wine was very deep and quite dark in the nose. Tobacco , soil and black berries. In the mouth there was a good balance but for me it seemed rustic. I think this is just the terroir of the appelation. Never the less that is just my own taste and the wine certainly is of xtremely high quality! Will age for years and years to come. Lovers of Montrose will be thrilled for sure!
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nose: where the lalande's nose was based on finesse, this was based on pure unadulterated power. This was an extremely robust and masculine nose that brings explosive tones of dark red cherries, cedar, tobacco, earth tones, black fruits, bits of ash and smoke tones and a touch of creme de cassis. Intensely deep as well, this nose was almost a 2x4 to the face compared to the lalande
taste: expansive and full bodied with good chewy tannins still persisting along with medium acidity. Very well layered and powerful on the palate with deep tones of smoke, creme de cassis, dark red cherries, tobacco and a good bit of black fruits. This is still quite young on the palate, but is still showing a ton to make this great
overall: I had been told that this recieved a long decant and then bottle airing. It was still young and very much on the powerful side. This has a long way to go and has the ability to be something extremely special. It is already a great wine, but there seems that there is a lot of room to grow as well. This is a marathon wine that should go for a very long time in a good cellar
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Read the reviews from those who said they had flawed bottles. I almost described this the same way, but I couldn't honestly say there was anything wrong other than the wine did nothing for me. Just tasted like average wine w a high alcohol content. Four hours, no evolution, nothing. Plain jane in a basic blue dress. Expected more at this price.
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Tremendous depth of color but failed to deliver after that. Simple nose of cedar and tobacco. Generally austere, muted, and tannic palate, with plentiful brett and a hot, awkward mouthfeel. Disappointing from a bottle that appeared quite sound but was obviously a poor example of this wine.
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Tobacco, truffle, cassis, wet earth and BBQ aromas reveal themselves without much effort. Full bodied, dense and filled with blackberry, cassis and earthy flavors, this mouth filling wine coats your palate with layers of rich, ripe, roasted, spicy black fruit. Still young and fresh, this beautiful example of Montrose that perfectly pairs power with elegance will evolve for decades.
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Deep and dark in color, with some orange at the edge of the glass. Rich and full bodied, velvety smooth, cherry, anise, with great length. An elegant Bordeaux. -JBL
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This was quite closed when first opened, but came alive after 5 hours in the decanter. A pristine bottle, this was drinking very young. I didn't get any of the oft spoken notes of brett or horsiness. I did get rich, almost liquor-like cassis, plums and licorice with a hint of mint. Still some unresolved tannins but they didn't detract from it's elegance. Superb.
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STG End of Year (Roy's): tasted blind sometimes it's kind of a relief, finding 1 wine out of 4 that I can ignore. Gives me more of chance to concentrate on the other wines my palate adores. The brett infusion does not suit me well, and though I could tell it was incorporated well into the beast of a wine, I found it too horsey and too wonky to take seriously. Well, there were other distractions. Not rated since it was not appreciated. THe company loved it, so I'm certain it wasn't flawed in any way.
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This bottle was disappointing. The wine has been drinking at the 96+ level for the past few years. This was lighter, with less intense flavor and complexity. Still a wonderful wine with minerality, cherries, beets, dark fruits, and a long lasting taste. -JBL
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Mmm, screaming Montrose. Heavy, dark, horsey and intense. Much like the 1990, the 1989 packs a wallop of brett, but there is so much spicy, minty, minerally, powerful, dark, brooding character to easily carry all baggage of the earth and the crap. This is really a brute of a wine, and after 2+5 hours in a decanter it started to ease up a bit and show more depth, but for now it is pretty much about a glorious kick in the teeth experience with formidable structure and depth and brooding personality. Not necessarily an ideal companion to a very feminine and refined 1961 Leoville Las Cases, but it was worth the difficulty to juggle between such a beautiful pair of wines.
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I had the *exact* same experience as EGunderson. The wine didn't show any notable flaws...but it didn't show anything else either. It sat in decanter and glass for ~3 hours and was just bland and unrecognizable. The cork was clean and there were no obvious signs of heat damage or oxidation--and I didn't perceive any TCA although coremill said he got a hint of wet cardboard--but given how highly regarded it is by so many posters on this board, I simply have to conclude that this bottle happened to be a lemon. I would look forward to trying this again...although a $180 haircut sure hurts!
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Birthday bottles, along with the '88 Cos D'estournel
Decanted both bottles for two hours, utilizing a funnel. Both bottles are in the same shape, from the same provenance and had no signs of past seepage. Purchased them in '07. Dark and wondrous, with an almost black core and maturing edges. Tobacco leaves, mud, blackberry, scorched earth, currant paste, spice box and leather. The nose really is gorgeous. Long and seductive finish with soft tannins that are still abundant. Truly classic in every way and a fine addition to the '89 pantheon. This might seem controversial and spurious, however, I like the '88 Cos just a little more. As far as '89s are concerned, I also prefer the Pichon Baron (98pts) and the Las Cases (96pts), not to take anything away from this Montrose which is quite insatiable. No reason to wait and there's a lot of life left. Drink now - 2025.
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1989 Montrose continues developing in a positive direction at a slow and steady pace, showing this is a wine for the ages. Filled with powerful scents of truffle, tobacco, cassis, earth, slate, cassis, chocolate, spearmint, underbrush and smoke, the Bordeaux wine is powerful, concentrated and dense. The wine ends with a hint of dusty tannins, a long cassis and blackberry filled finish. Many 89 Left Bank wines have developed a green streak in the finish. That is not the case with 89 Montrose. This is a contender for one of the top wines of the vintage from the Left Bank. 97 Pts
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Not corked, but something not right. Nothing on the nose, very little fruit, and a sharp finish like a young wine. Not at all in line with other tasting notes.
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Seductive, sexy and big ont he nose. Such a beautiful nose typical of a well aged bordeaux. Leather, liquorice and fruit. Did not decant and it didnt feel like it needed it and the sommelier agreed so just opened and let it stand for 30mins. Such an elegant wine. Medium body and length thoughand still not fully integrated and it could use some more age. Colour is still very dark. Hopefully time will not steal away the nose. The nose overpromises but the body is not there yet. Had at Vendome in Cologne and both Nicol and I gave this 95+
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At first smelling like the cote rotie we had before, extremely funky barnyardish but with time gave way to tea leaves, tobacco leaves and taking on more leather though young leather rather than aged. Extremely fresh and more so after we knew the vintage. In fact, this was almost a underaged drinking! given its age! Definitely structured, a little spiced, bitter herbs and even some garrigue Very classical and more austere than modern. I thought stiull tight and hardly at the start of its drinking window. Pristine condition. Really would age very well. Would love to retaste in time.
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Drink along with Mouton 1976. 1989 is still my No.1 of Montrose, a bit too young but great in structure and direction. As good as it breath, needs to open 2-3 hours before drinking. Long finished and I like it very much indeed. Drink 2013 - 2040..........................96-97/100...............................
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Drank some that we'd bought a good few years ago for my son's 21st.
Decent ruby core with mature edge.
Still some good fruit on the nose with hints of mushroom and leather.
Gorgeous mouthful. Tremedous power and tannin still evident, overlaying a core of gorgeous fruit with lingering aftertaste. Mouthfilling and vibrant, tasting 10 years younger than its real age.
Great bottle and one that my son (and I) will remember for a good while.
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Chelsea's Third Annual Birthday Wine Tasting (Lancaster, PA): My #1 wine of the tasting and of the night, and the group's #1. I had originally pegged this as Pichon Baron and actually felt somewhat confident about it. Clearly I was wrong, but hey, St. Estephe and Pauillac are adjacent. A great wine drinking very well right now.
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NSFOW March 2010--An Intimate Evening (The Grapevine, Salem, MA): Youthful, deep ruby with some bricking at the edges. Nose of blackberry, cassis, pencil shavings, wet stones, leather, some mushroom. Similar on the palate with good density. Nice finish. This was a lovely, mature Bordeaux. Paired with a mushroom, prosciutto risotto.
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Had great color and great nose to begin with. dark berries and leather on the nose. Tannins still intact. only thing that thru me off was a metallic taste. chris cotrell hit it on teh head when he said it was iron.
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We celebrate the new year 1 day later. At the Inter Continental, Hua Hin with Maria Sharapova sitting 2 tables away.
Nice and easily remove cork. The killing nose of big and nearly mature bordeaux, blueberries, mint and milky smell. very big and firm tannin with a chocolate like in mouth. The wine keeps getting better and better with the smooth tannin in the end. Exceptional aftertaste. Montrose is my favorite St.Estephe
Along with 1989 Palmer, while the Montrose was clearly better all around somehow I do miss the Palmer . . . .
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Purchased in a small wine shop in St. Emilion as a single, in the summer of 2009, opened as the last bottle of the year, ending "to the nines". What a sensational bottle of wine. Opened at 3PM, decanted at 8, served at 9, and the wine kept on coming all night long holding form through midnight. Big, dark, powerful, balanced, deep and long. Dark fruit, spice, leather and a real sense of deep gravel and old vines of St Estephe. A fantastic 20 year old Bordeaux wine and a superb finish to 2009. Happy New Year!
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I think exctasy is the right word here (as heaven was used by Grinner recently). And again, similar experience as others had, ie big wine, stone and leather dominate the nose, full of fruit and dark chococalte in the mouth. Incredible. Frankly, I was expecting something GREAT but this is beyond that. I've picked it up in the cellar in the morning for the 20yr anniversary Prague is celebrating today (+we have a holiday tday), opened in the am, poured into the decanted around lunch time and poured into the glass early evening. Still 4 more bottles to go but I wont touch them for a while as I am sure waiting will be rewarded
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1989 Bordeaux at 20 years (Morton's NYC): Juicy but firm. Some iron. Cedar, tannins, drinking well with a long life ahead. Some dark notes with leather and licorice. Very nice. A
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Dark red, lightening at rim. Initially I liked the nose on this the best, pretty rich and forward with some flowers, blood and stones, but it was overtaken by the Cos. Dense, big palate feel with lots of fruit and tannins balancing each other out. Medium-long finish. Also not near peak but more accessible than the Cos on the palate to me. Others disagreed and felt this needed another 15 years to strut its stuff. Can’t really disagree – I’m sure it will improve with time.
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Remarkable wine w/ great color, classic nose and palate, with a great finish. Still has many years but the balance and complexity are there for prime time drinking now. I love the wet stone/mineral, tobacco/cedar, and earthy dark fruit. Heaven!
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Nathan probably stored it at the bottom of the wine cabinet, still very young and has no feel of 20 years old Bordeaux. Definitely the bottle to enjoy in the next 15 years.
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Exactly what a bordeaux should be. Exquisite balance with a complex nose. A finish that goes on and on. Drinking wonderfully, but I'll (hopefully) hold my remaining bottle for 5 years and see what this is like at 25 years old.
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Montrose vertical (Dylan Prime, NYC): Some around the table found this slightly corked. I didn't. I enjoyed this bottle a lot. Smooth, full with a sweetness, some herb, and a tart note. Smooth and silky. A
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Deep red. A bit poopy with notes of sausage and red fruit. Quite rustic. Great flavours and a long dry finish. The hints of funk gave a way the village once it was revealed to be Bordeaux. An excellent wine, but not the fruit bomb the 90 is.
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Uncorked for 8hrs and decanted before dinner. Fairly open from the start but added complexity and interest throughout dinner at Aureole. Classic Bordeaux markers of plum, old leather, licorice and a little barnyard earth, were joined by peach stone, wild flowers and sweet spice over time. Full bodied, caressing balance on the palate and a sensual, highly persistent finish. Impresses with the completeness of the whole rather than any individual wow factor. There is at least 10 and likely 20 years of improvement in this superb wine.
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Deep ruby with hints of brick in the hue. Cassis, cedar, earth, mineral, truffle, and licorice scents are made even more complex by intriguing notes of Asian spice. This Bordeaux is dense and concentrated. The mid palate is where it truly shines. The rich, corpulent, multi-layered mouth feel ends with a blast of spicy, black cherry and black berry that lasts at least 40 seconds. After the wine had been decanted about an hour, I scored it 96 Pts. But after a few more hours of air, the wine developed additional nuances, and an elegance married to a power that was stunning. I ended up scoring it two points higher.
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The 89 is coming out of it's shell and throwing big. It is great to have it this evening SBS with the 90 -while it requires a little more contemplation I really like the darker notes and complexity. The aromatics are not as sweet and mature as the 90 yet there is a concentration youthfulness and lingering finish to this wine that impress. Overall it says to the 90 watch out! the king is not yet dead, but new king is coming.
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taste: excellent and young full bodied feel with good tannins and rich tones of cedar, roasted herbs, black currants, tobacco, and dark red cherries. Very powerful and deep with a bit of elegance too
overall: still quite young. This seemed to be holding back a good amount and didn't fully want to come out and play
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A delicious bottle of wine, although not at the level that you see professional reviews. This wine is known to be low in acid, and in the two bottles I've had, it's perhaps missing a little structure. The ripe black fruit is very present in the nose and on the palate, velvety mouth feel, with a good length.
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Had with a dry aged steak was a wonderful paring. Good nose still lots of life. Lots going on with this one!! Tobacco, chocolate, plum and the great earth. No tannins left. Opend for 1 hour and decanted for 1.5.2014+
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At Rest Moerdijk AMS (blind tasting). Eight hours open. Dark coloured big masculine wine. Lots of dark fruit, chocolate and iron. Really thick BUT also elegant! In nose classic Bordeaux with chocolate, earth and thick fruit. One of my most favorite Bordeaux! Drink now - 2030.
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Great wine! Served with grilled leg of lamb for Easter. Dark purplish red. So signs of bricking whatsoever. Nose is fantastic cedar, dark red/black fruits and some earthiness. The wine is so pure on the palate. Similar flavor profile to the nose with dark fruits predominately. Great balance, good tannin still present but not overpowering and a long finish.
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Again very youthfully opaque in color. n the day of the tasting very rich , primal and brooding. Dark stony fruits, black cherries, and a beautful minerality. Rich and dense with loads of cocolate, holding much in reserve. The next day (a few ounces left in a covered decanter), much richer and denser, fantastic palate weight and depth. Profound and delicious. 93 pts day one 96 day two. Great stuff!
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Mouton Madness: SDR's BWE Thursday Night Dinner (Equinox Restaurant, Washington DC): Dark red to rim. Dark fruits, minerals, not as much funk on the nose as the '90 Montrose, and a bit muted. Medium body, decent fruit, but doesn't deliver as well as other bottles, short finish. Revisited at the end of the evening, it has become even more muted and a hint of TCA is detectable.
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Aroma of dark fruits and cherries, cedar. The wine tasted of licorice, cherry cola, and drank like liquid velvet. The tannins are totally resolved, providing a flowing warmth in this complex, rich, long wine. The lasting flavor in the soft palate is remarkable. The 1989 Ch. Montrose just gets better and better every time I open a bottle. This was by far the best. -JBL
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Tpical Montrose with a VERY earthy nose on opening which blew off in a few minutes. Dark garnet color with little signs of aging. Very tight with predominately dark cherry/berry flavor for the first 30-45 minutes. Opened up after about 1 hour and revealed a nose of earth, leather, tobacco, currant and plum. Flavors expanded but never really blossomed. Medium bodied with some elegance, but with a slightly short finish. Overall very good and enjoyable, but not outstanding due to a lack of complexity and length.
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Montrose Vertical Blind - decanted 1 hour thick and solid, dark as hell dark stones, leaves, nose that is complex and dances on your pallet tobacco some said funk, I say complex and interesting what montrose should be, it is classic, concentrated but balanced and elegant Yum!
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(at Abacrombie – Baltimore) A Dickens’ of a wine – a tale of two wines. In the Bordeaux flight this was very disappointing. A youngish garnet color did not prepare this taster for the overwhelming feces smell that came out of the glass. Really off putting. In the mouth, everything fell off quickly and showed none of the breed of past bottles. When a friend directed me to retry after 60 minutes, it was like a new bottle was poured into the glass. Now, this is ’89 Montrose: lilac, tobacco, pure red current fruit. Rich, long and fine. Just awesome. The change was remarkable. (94)
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The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Joe's): Garnet color. Opens with a roasted red bell pepper note, which is followed by cedar, violets and damp earth. Flavors of red currant and cedar/wood, with a long finish dominated by red fruit and herbs. By the end of the flight this had really filled out in the glass with loads of rich fruit. I guessed this to be a 1989 St. Julien.
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UK Wine Pages - Chateau Montrose Vertical (Le Colombier, Kensington, London.): Less expressive on the nose than the 90, with cassis fruit and some beefy notes. Still quite youthful, with prue cassis fruit, less deep, complex and structued than the 90 but still a lovely wine with a good length savoury finish. Needs more time. ****
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32nd Birthday Dinner (Le Gourmand - Seattle, WA): Asparagus, dark cinnamon, broccoli, cardamon, cherry, pipe smoke. Incredibly complex nose. Light brett, adds interesting complexity. Medium to full body with moderate acidity. Tannins are starting to integrate. Great finish.
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The fill was into the neck; the cork was sound. Purple core, turning to ruby-red at the edges. A rather monolithic bouquet, yielding scents of cedary cassis and spice; not much complexity at all. Medium to full bodied in the mouth, with very noticeable structure, good concentration, and an almost astringent finish. I was really disappointed with this bottle; drank over the course of 6 hours, and it did not improve much. Good stuffing, but just very foursquare and straightforward; none of the complexity that you would expect from a "classic" such as this. This bottle actually seemed quite similar in style to the many bottles of the '70 Montrose that I've consumed, just much younger.
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This was a decent but underperforming bottle. Great mouth feel, with fully resolved velvety tannins. However, in both the nose and the palate, the notes of fruit were subdued and the flavor was a bit lacking. It didn't taste flawed, just didn't meet expectations. (1 view)
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This is the real deal. F the 90! To me, this is a better wine. At the table I referred to it as "Black Death!" Why? Because it starts with an inky, black color and offers an incredibly complex Bordeaux perfume of black fruits and finishes with a compelling palate wash of intense, rich, ripe black fruit. Still young, it will improve for decades. This wine is First Growth in quality! And at half the price of the 90, (a wine I never understand) this is the wine to buy. The 90 is more concentrated and possibly when fully mature, clean bottles will best the 89. But if the money were the same, I'd swap my 90 for 89 all day long.
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1989 vs 1990 Bordeaux: Great nose. Lots of fruit, leather, and cigar. A hint of green pepper. Firm, fine grained tannins with nice fruit and weight on the finish. Good balance and acidity. Spectacularly good. Will be even better with more time in the cellar.
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So youthful. Excellent bouquet, which I think is a bit ahead of the palate, simply because it is such a powerful, tannic wine. Its texture and density were entrancing, and it possessed such pure, delineated flavor. Even another 4-5 years would do this wine good. (96+).
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Mature, but clearly with time ahead, this wine offered complete symmetry, with an expressive nose matched with a wonderful intensity and purity of fruit, with a long seamless finish.
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Not a lot of people can say they have had this wine with frozen pizza! We had planned a special meal around it, but discovered we were missing an ingredient. So, we served it with these amazing frozen pizzas, a black truffle one and a walnut/gorgonzola one, and it worked just fine.
Bouquet upon opening was thick, rich, and horsey. Right off the bat, tasting notes of licorice, smoke, beef jerky, integrated tannins, high cocoa chocolate, and a long, teeth-numbing finish. Decanted all for an hour, then enjoyed slowly over 5 hours.
At one hour: stewed plums, dirt, tobacco.
Two hours: lavish.
Five hours: lighter, with a strawberry note.
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Brawny, masculine, dark, dusky, bitter chocolate, blood, funk. Brooding beast with loads of tannin to burn. Great bottle of the 89, loads of guts, huge evolution ahead.
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Color is dark ruby garnet, but who cares. The nose on this wine so hypnotic and indescribable, but I'll try anyway. Dary ripe berry and cassis jump from the glass, upon further inspection, there is damp leather and a definite gaminess. The wine is so elegant and authortative at the same time. I do not believe this wine has peaked by any means. It is so alive in the mouth with a ripeness that I would expect from a much younger wine. This is hands down the greatest Bordeaux wine I have ever tasted. If the 1990 is better, I absolutely must have that wine, but not sure it could be better. By the way, had for my anniversary, what could be nicer.
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Tasting Group Dinner - Steaks & Montrose (Dave's House): Concentrated blackberry liquor, kirsch, cedar, and shoe polish. Just the slightest hint of brett. Waves of intense flavor and minerals. Gorgeous texture, power, and (yes) finesse. Wow!
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Another Tuesday Night in Minneapolis (Montrose 82, 86, 89, 90, 95, 01, 03, 04): Double decanted about four hours before serving. This was a beauty. The nose offered very clean aromas of dark fruit, leather, mineral, and charred meat (or was that Steve's grilling). The taste was even more smooth and concentrated than the 1986 -- just awesome. This filled the mouth with flavor, had such concentration, and yet seemed so light and silky. The finish was long and satisfying. An outstanding bottle of wine.
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BYOB'ed at Michael Mina in SF who handled this bottle beautifully. In perfect balance and far more open than the bottle just a few months back. Classic.
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On the palate, a wonderful sensation of multiple layers of deep, rich, concentrated black fruit washed over your senses. Still tannic, this wine might take another decade before it becomes fully mature. For Montrose, this is almost supple.
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Virtually no decanting. My buddy shows up at my house on Saturday at 10:30 with this bottle in tow. It's nice to have wine geek friends. The nose is too complex and amazing to even describe, it penetrates every square inch of my head. This is one of the silkiest textures I have ever had in my mouth. I need to consume more of this wine.
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This wine is from my original case I have had since release, and stored at 55 degrees. This wine is shut down for the moment, very sleepy. I cannot wait until they wake up. Will improve.
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On the nose, black cerry, blackberry, earth and only moderate barnyard. On the palate, full-bodied and intense with cherries, black cherries, blackberry, earth and copious minerals, with a very long finish with rounded tannins. Still very young and primary, but with excellent balance and more acidity than I expected. Beautiful wine.
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Top Bordeaux and a lot of others... (Gilze (Netherlands)): Great wine. Vegetal, herbal and powerful nose. A powerwine, it almost drill through the tongue. a bit dry tannins. Lavas, very rich, ripe fruit with a delicate and warm finish.
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Bordeaux 1989 (and the rest...) @ Peter V. (Netherlands): This is all about classic, traditional Left bank Bordeaux. Iodine, licorice, cigars and spicebox, black fruit. Very robust and complex. Stupendous, brilliant wine. 19/20
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Decanted 1 hour. Deep garnet red, medium pale cherry rim. Lovely, sweet bilberry and cassis fruit on the nose, some spice and tea leaf notes. Quite full bodied on the palate, dense with mouth-coating, slightly chewy tannins. Very rich with lots of ripe primary fruit, cassis and bilberry, some cocoa and chocolate notes, medium acidity and decent length finish. Harmonious and balanced, but not overly complex and needs a lot more time to show at its best. Won't touch my other bottle for at least 5 years.
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Chicago's Best Bordeaux Tasting Ever? (Ken's Home): Sweet black cherry fruit and earth on the nose. Very nice dried black berry fruit with good acid frame in a dense chewy package. Lots of earth and a touch of animal. A complete wine.
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A great Bordeaux. Color is dark garnet with a hint of lightening. Nose shows cassis, leather, beef boullion, creosote, and spice. On the palate, there is chewy cassis, smoke, and leather with a still somewhat tight finish. The body is very substantial, and the tannins are integrating, but this wine is still relatively young. An excellent bottle, and a true pleasure. Thanks to Matt Bair for bringing this treasure on his birthday.
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Deep dark and reticent first out of the bottle. Surprisingly our bottle had no typical funk or barnyard. Just sexy pure fruit. Scent of acacia flowers, earth, mushrooms. At the one hour mark, this really fell into complete harmony. I had a hard time determining which wine was better - this or the 89 Lynch - but the fact is they were equally impressive, and comparing them is a silly. Incredible and one of the best of the year so far. This is like wearing silk underwear.
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Dinner with Mike Woodhead (Elements - Santa Barbara): This was WOTN for most of us. Clearly just beginning its drinking plateau, but really a fun wine to drink as always. Nose, mouth, finish; the whole package.
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See my review of 1990 Montrose. Tasted blind against the 1990 Montrose. My expectations were that the 1990 would be considerably better than the 1989 however, spured on by the recent WS verticle review of Ch. Montrose where they ranked the 89 higher than the 90 (in contrast to RP) I decided to bring a bottle of each over to Sheila's house for dinner. The 1989 proved the younger tasting of the two. More fruit, powerful, full, amazingly youthful, just a star! Went wondefully with a Provencial lamb dish. 3/4 at dinner preferred the 1989 over the 1990 (which suits me fine since I have more of the 89 than 90).
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This huge wine is packed and stacked with layers of deep, ripe, black fruit. On the nose, a hint of horse adds to the complex scents of oak, spices and black fruit. Very powerful, concentrated and full bodied, this wine will only get better with time.
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(at Sun Valley Lodge Dining Room) Purchased off the wine list. Arrived cool from the cellar, low neck fill. Decanted and consumed over about 2 hours. Dark ruby purple with a bit of browning at the edges. Nose was a wonderful waft of red fruits, cassis, cedar, and a bit of brett, which did blow off after about an hour. The palate was a study in complexity, with notes of red currants, licorice, caramel, and holiday spice cake all densely packed into an elegant whole. Finish was long and seductive, making us both continue to sample it again and again. What a wonderful wine!
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Dave Reidel and Chuck were the first to correctly call this flight 89's over the 90 vintage and the Montrose was the WOTF. Cedar, black fruit, forest floor, sweet sweet nose with great concentration this would appear to have it all. The palate presents is penetrating. The tannin are resolving and not drying which adds to the substantial finish...WOW.
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Had twice over past year. Good friend trying to get me into French wine. I get it, good fruit and balance, but still too much dirt and wet farm animal for me to really enjoy as a 95+ candidate. Sorry!
Seattle Tasting Group 'End of Year Dinner' #3 (Sammamish, WA): Some chocolate shavings greet, and then wow this is tight and packed with minerals. There was a slightly spicy, green note that made me think this was a St. Estephe and perhaps the 1989 Cos d'Estournel. The palate was gorgeously tight, very elegant and powerful with really fantastic minerality. It screamed of 1989.
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Bottle of Angst, Volume I (Older Bordeaux and More) (Chateau Guerette): [Decanted 2 hours]. Closed for business on this night, and definitely not the crowd pleaser that the Dominus was. Slightly cloudy/opaque in the glass, prevailing aromas were smoke, sweet curry, kirsch liquor, and dried herbs. Soft, rich but still propped up by a solid tannic backbone, muted flavors of black fruits, tar, and vanilla came through. Maybe longer, more aggressive decanting would have helped.
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Herbs, olives, cassis, blackberry and wood aromas coupled with amazing concentration make this wine hard not to notice. Huge, expansive mouth feel. Multiple layers of deep, rich, ripe dark fruit cascade over your palate. While this is a monster of a wine, it’s a monster with manners. There is a lot of tannin to resolve.
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Wine and Dinner with Brad England and Scott Manlin (Brad England's House): Served side-by-side with the 1990 with dinner. This wine was a very dark red. This had a classic Montrose nose with some horse/brett showing and then dark earthy flavors. In the mouth this was beautifully balanced and powerful with plenty of fruit and a long finish. As compared to the 1990, this was much more structured. The flavors and tastes were fewer, but more powerful. I preferred this over the 1990 on this night.
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Sweet black fruit nose with mushroom and graphite notes. A medium-bodied mouthfeel and firm, fine, and expansive drying tannins. Classic Bordeaux. With time more red with some cedar notes. A bit sharp on the finish initially but rounds out with air. Wonderful balance with great length of fruit. ****-
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Seattle Tasting Group does 1989 Bordeaux (Issaquah, WA): Wow, there is a LOT of horse on this wine, HUGE notes of brett. Behind the almost overwhelming barnyard, there are spicy, green notes that seem to clearly identify this as St. Estèphe. At first the palate is astringent and horsey, overwhelmed by the brett, not great, earthy but not very rich. I put this down for about 20 minutes, and when I came back it was a different wine. Muscular, tannic, rich, a hard wine, sturdily built, nowhere close to ready. Black, mean, muscular, massive. Holy Freaking Toledo, the tannins are HUGE. This ended up being my second favorite wine of the evening, and, based on the horsiness and similarity to the striking 1990, I successfuly guessed this was Montrose. Group average 94.9 points and WOTF.
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Slightest hint of browning to rim Dried leaf on nose, dry tobacco. Not a massive wine. Lean dry tannin in perfect balance, a classic style. Some barnyard style. With time the fruit sweetens, but the tannin also shows more noticably, an interesting change.
Drunk with the 1990, What was very interesting is that after a couple of hours, there was a marked convergence between the two wines, with the fruit sweetening in the 1989. Interesting to see what will become of this pair, perhaps the 1989 will age better, but the 1990 was singing last night.
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1982-83-89 Bordeaux at Masa's in San Francisco: This deep dark ruby red wine started a bit slower, but only improved with time in the glass. Very different in expression than the 1990 Montrose, this wine seems to show more in common with the 1996 in the sheer brightness and definition of its Cabernet fruit. A wine with great balance and palate coverage that avoids blurring the laser-like precision of its focused flavors. In fact, the delineation only improves with time in the glass. With the Pichon Lalande, the longest finish of the flight.
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TN: 1989 Palmer, 1989 Montrose, 1990 Chapoutier CDP, 2001 Beaucastel CDP, Core 442 (Gramercy Tavern NYC): Darker than the Palmer in color. Another sweet nose with black fruit. Some secondary flavors including meat and game. Plenty of tannins lets you know this wine is built for a long time to go. It's definitly a big boy Bordeaux. Fantastic and balanced. Much bigger in style than its Palmer brotherin, this Montrose only flaw was that the nose never evolved very much. Manlin brought this along from Chicago that day so it was well mixed and waasn't decanted as was the case with my Palmer. The finish was superb with clean ripe fruit traveling down my throat and lingering flavors that lasted for 30 seconds.
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Christie's Wine Department Open Evening & Tasting (Old Brompton Road, London): Unsure of provenance. Dark ruby core with slight bricking to the rim. Mostly dominated by secondary, gamey flavours and a touch of farmyard. Still carrying some tannins, ensuring a drying finish. Unsure whether it's the state of the bottle that left me unimpressed, or the state of its evolution.
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How do you mark a wine at this stage of its evolution? This is massive. Bruce thought it was a young Latour. Dark, thick, brooding; lots of flavour lurking - herbs, spice, coffee. There's enough there to know what it's going to taste like, it's clearly going to be fantastic eventually, but right now on the palate it doesn't really warrant more than an 86 or so. The Riscal 90 that followed was clearly a lesser wine, but at present offers more. In due course, this will be upper 90s.
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Opened shortly before dinner; Deep color, muted nose that never evolved. Flavors of minerals and dried fruit with few tannins. Smooth and harmonious, but disappointing.
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Sporting an opaque, purple, ruby, robe the wine had a great perfume. Black fruit, oak, spice and cassis on the nose. Very tannic, dense wine. Multiple layers of rich, ripe black fruit coat your mouth. This is a huge wine, but balanced. More bottle age will improve this already exceptional wine.
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Consumed at Arterra restaurant with Marshall and Luz Banker. Bottle provided from my personal cellar. The wine was decanted and consumed over a two-hour period, primarily with seared New York steak. Bright disc. Deep ruby/garnet robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing an explosive bouquet of black fruit, minerals, damp earth, brier, chocolate and mushrooms. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, medium sweet tannins and a smooth mouth texture. The flavors mirror the nose. Long, silky finish. Beautiful at this point!
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Dark ruby red, with very intense and appealing aromas of saddles, leather and some wild fruits. Full massive body, with huge and even shocking concentration, loaded with layers of flavors including prunes, some coffee, ripe grapes and a little pepper. Great balance and structure, with integrated tannins that need many more years to soften, nice acidity and very good level of oak. Huge massive finish with a beautiful aftertaste. Overall this is a blockbuster, a heavy weight, and one of the most concentrated wines I have ever had. Loads of personality, with a fantastic feel, that though is approachable now, does need many more years to develop and mature. I’d definitely like to stock up on a case of this wine, and enjoy it slowly in the very far future. Great wine!
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I decided to pull this wine after doing inventory to put my wine into Cellar Tracker an I discovered that I had 10 (now 9) of these when I thought I had just two. A wealth of dark black fruit. Huge concentration and wonderful balance. Cedar and some asian spices on the palate. The tanin is wonderfully intergrated into the finish. I was very pleased with this bottle and based on how well this tasted I am confident that I will be buying the 2003.
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The wine was a dark purple-red very deeply colored and very young looking. The nose was big and layered with ripe fruit. On the palate, the wine was mouth filling with a medium to full body with prominent fruit. Since Montrose is St. Estephe, I was expecting more tobacco and smoke, like a Cos d'Estournel, but this was more refined. The finish was long and enjoyable. Everything about the wine was enjoyable and it was my WOTN, and at least at my end of the table everyone's WOTN. Excellent wine with a long future ahead of it. (SF Offline at Chapeau!)
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This wine is First Growth quality! It is that good! The color is an opaque, purple with no lightening at the edge. The nose offers spectacular scents of walnuts, dark black fruits and cedar. On the palate the weight and depth are incredible. Full bodied does not begin to describe it. Immense concentration, but it's not heavy. It's light on it's feet but in a masculine style. This fills your mouth coating your palate with sweet ripe fruit and soft tannins. This is so unctuous you could almost eat it with a spoon. The wine is seamless. The finish lasts over :50 seconds.
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Dark red appearance. Strong scents of barn, or as we say here; elephant’s cage. The was also an underlying note of tea. Wonderfully intenste, structured, and with great fruit density, ripeness and concentration of flavour. Multiple angles to decipher and a brilliant bitter dark chocolate" flavour profile. As the wine opened with air, yet more dimensions evolved in the bouquet, and an unmistakable hay scent presented itself. The aftertaste was long and lingering, greatly defined and balanced with good focus and finesse, yet lots of power and strength. An ACE. My guess was Montrose.
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Black. A slightly off-putting urinal like quality blew off after a few minutes, and notes of cherries, black currants and other red and black fruits. Chocolaty sweet and round in the mouth. Superbly balanced in the ratio between fruit concentration, oak treatment, and hedonistic pleasure. In other words, despite it’s huge size you don’t have to wrestle this wine. Superb long aftertaste on notes of coffe and chocolate.
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No Complaints, but this bottle is not as good as the others from the same case The wine is a little austere. These need to have a peaceful rest and then emerge as a super great wine in a few years. Will last for a very long time.
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Tasting of 3 1989 Bordeaux, very slight nose, but fragrant cabernet nose, lovely, rich touch of cabernet on the palate, mouth filling fruit, lots of very soft tannins, 3 to 5 years away from it's best. My #3 of 3.
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Taken from personal cellar and presented to Vintage Wines tasting group as an unknown. Bright disc, with opaque garnet robe and red rim. Clean, moderately intense nose of chocolate, cedar and black fruit. Full-bodied on the palate, with moderate acidity and immense tannins. Flavors similar to nose. Long, tannic finish. This is a huge, classic wine which will benefit from more cellaring.
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What a difference since I last tasted this wine, which was hard as nails and totally unyielding two years ago. Tannins have softened considerably. A very good wine now, with great balance, that will be outstanding in another three to five years. Awesome with grilled Black Angus shell steak.
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Screaming at you with red and black cherries and berries. Perfume to rival the wise men. Dark, thick , unctious... what a teriffic Bordeaux, one of the best I have ever tasted.
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Tasted at blind horizontal 1989 Bordeaux tasting at Vintage Wines, Ltd. Bright, very dark ruby with red rim. Nose slightly closed but showing moderate oak and jammy currants. Oak and vanilla predominate palate, but there is plenty of plum and blackberries. Moderate, supple tannins. Low acidity. Despite the acidity, I feel that this wine is quite ageable.
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Nose of ripe fruit, licorice, and vanilla from the oak, same on the palate, tasty, young, needs 7 years to peak, lots of soft tannins and fruit on the finish.
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Tasting of 9 Bordeaux at Primas. Showed a big, intensely earthy nose followed by more of the same in the mouth, soft, supple but earthy, angular fruit that is not my style today. tasted 4 times in 2 weeks. My #7.
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4/20/2024 - jjones Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still needs a minimum of 2 hours to begin to open. Wonderfully complex nose of cedar, red current, earth, meat and leather. In the mouth, correspondingly complex. Mix of red and dark fruit. Tannins present, but soft. Long beautiful finish.
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4/8/2024 - Victor Horsley wrote:
Needs a lot of time to open.
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4/5/2024 - Ernestas Likes this wine: 98 Points
A thrilling St. Estephe, so smoky & animalistic that many of us went directly to N. Rhone. So youthful, wow… according to Jeff Leve it is finally in its drinking window since last year. A blend of 65% CS, 25% Merlot & 10% CF. Explosive intensity aroma of smoked meat, cigar box, earth, smoky prunes, cassis, leather, touch of barn & garrigue. Full body, echoing delightful smokiness from aroma layered with saline earthy red and black fruits, mild dustiness, sublime complexity and concentration, soft medium tannins.
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3/2/2024 - Fatty Cat wrote: 96 Points
Early Mar 2024, Rheingau Gourmet Festival, rarity diner “25 vintages of Chateau Montrose”: according to the sommelier double decanted for up to 3 hours; deep crimson color; thriving bouquet of cassis, cherries, mint and herbs; smooth, round, and fruity texture.
Outstanding Montrose 1989, however, one step behind the 1990 vintage.
Vintages of flight II:
1975 - 1986 - 1989 - 1990 - 1991 - 1994 - 1996
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2/24/2024 - sdr Likes this wine: 97 Points
Almost freakishly good, apotheosis of St. Estèphe mature glory. Medium ruby, amber edge. Majorly intense on nose and palate. The blackest of fruit, juicy acidity, firm integrated slightly coarse tannins, great length. Cannot improve but it doesn’t have to. While it may not fade any time soon there is no reason to wait if you want to catch it at peak. The ‘89 seems more consistent and just as good as the (in)famous 1990 version.
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1/12/2024 - dream Likes this wine: 94 Points
This bottle was stubborn to come around even after a 5-hour double-decant. It opened more in the glass to reveal a fabulous depth of black fruits and lots of earthy, rustic depth. The texture was seamless and the finish showed still strong and slightly coarse tannins. There is a wonderful complexity developing here with notes of Asian spices, dark tilled earth and horse leathers. This bottle, at least, could use more time but love the terroir that's starting to show here. 94+
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12/25/2023 - paulst Likes this wine: 97 Points
Sweet cedar-blackberry nose; resolved tannin; silky and lively; long sweet finish.
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12/3/2023 - jviz wrote: 97 Points
There it is! This was a near perfect wine. For all the 89s I’ve enjoyed, this was on the more elegant, delicate end of the spectrum. Yes, you have blackcurrant, a little sweet fig and tar, with good resolution, but it’s lighter bodied than the 90 Montrose, and cleaner, less rustic than say 89 Pichon Lalande. Anyway, great wine that can sometimes be (wrongly) lost in the shadow of the 1990.
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12/3/2023 - 831900_ Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light, clear, bricking. Some caramel, some menthol and eucalyptus. Long-ish finish. "Beautiful" shows up in my written notes a few times.
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12/3/2023 - Barsacpinci Likes this wine: 94 Points
Took a very long time to open up. Slow oxed from 2 to 7 PM! Opened for Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts convention in DC 2023. Very, very bretty. Once open (by 8 PM), it was a very full bodied intense wine with dark, dark fruit like plums but with lots of leather notes to it.
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11/5/2023 - Motz wrote: 98 Points
The second of five wines tasted with a good friend over a long afternoon and evening. I am grateful to my friend for bringing this. It is the eighth Bordeaux that I have score 98 points or higher on this platform.
Enthralling bouquet! Shading to Margaux. One could sit with the perfume, without tasting, and come away satisfied. Showing more youth than expected. Effusive secondary notes and some tertiary. All as it should be, and so much more.
Firm and wondrously expansive. Wave after wave, turn after turn, this wine brings it! Purity, harmony, and balance, at all phases. The palate, like the bouquet, shows more youth than expected.
This bottle, a great one, seemed to have a few years of evolution remaining. Recommend a two+ hour decant if drinking now. Likely to hold through 2030 with ease. 98-99.
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10/21/2023 - aquacongas wrote: 97 Points
blind
I guessed Pauillac from 1986. Very powerful. Cigar box, iron, black currant, leather. Still very vivid. Not reached his peak. 97
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9/27/2023 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Often as good as, and sometimes even better than the famous 1990, this bottle was singing at the top of its lunch with layer after of sweet, ripe, juicy currants, flowers, citrus, and cedar. Long, intense, concentrated, full-bodied, and harmonious, this is one of the wines of the vintage. Drink from 2023-2055.
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8/15/2023 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Earth and light berry with cedar; balanced and complex; elegant finish.
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6/13/2023 - Ruby99 Likes this wine: 95 Points
A wonderful wine
Brick at the rim
The nose opens with manure and fabulous scorched earth that then gives way to leather and black cherries
On the palate the wine is round and inviting with rich dark red fruits and a bit of spice with a long refined finish
still some tannin here too. This wine probably still has 10 great years in it
Exactly what you want your Bordeaux to be and a pleasure to savor
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5/22/2023 - devraj Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark red in color with slight lightening towards the rim. Intensely aromatic on the nose showing black small berries, truffle, ash and forest floor. Very structured but silky palate shows waves of smoky black fruits, medium acidity, fine tannins and a long finish that shows hints of leather and aged wood spice.
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4/2/2023 - Jth3 Does not like this wine: 80 Points
What a disappointment. Cork and color still good without evidence of significant age despite 34 years. Very little sediment on decanting. The wine is largely devoid of fruit and still somewhat tannic. Disjointed but improved a bit after a couple of hours. I wish I had consumed it 10 years ago when it was more nearly at its peak. I cannot understand some of the exceptional ratings; maybe this bottle was flawed and will open the remaining bottles I own in the near future. Tasted next to a 20 year old California cab and was not even in the same ballpark...
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3/22/2023 - MOWineBoston Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dinner Maison Pavlov March 22 2023. WOTN together with 2003 Haut Brion. Delightful and totally in the best of the drinking window. An historical year for Bordeaux.
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3/18/2023 - Mchiarot Likes this wine: 94 Points
Such a masculine wine, but but with curves, and a subtlety that only comes with age. I love this wine. Has a bit left in the tank but I doubt it will get any better..... why wait. went beautifully with roasted beef tenderloin
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3/12/2023 - Cailles wrote: 96 Points
This is classic Bordeaux at its best. All the beautiful tertiary aromas paired with high precision, an intact fruit core and a masculine, high-tension structural frame. This bottle was not as evolved, complex and soft as the best bottles of this I had (rated 98pts) but not far away.
TN: Tobacco, herbs, truffles, fine dark fruit on the very inviting nose. On the palate this has everything you want from an old Bordeaux: still an intense, good, fresh fruit core alongside beautiful truffles, tobacco, herbs, minerality aromas as well as intriguing minty notes. Complex and precise. Superb tannins, still a bit masculine but fine and round. Not airy but without any shred of excess weight. Long finish.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly 4 hours. It could have used even a bit more.
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3/12/2023 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
Blind tasting. Beautiful mature Medoc nose with underbrush, peat, dark fruit. Complete, complex. I recently had this from Jero where it performed even better.
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3/10/2023 - La Sprezzatura wrote: 96 Points
classic bordeaux-nose with barnyard, leather, pencil lead, everything is nice and compact. like a well orchestrated orchestra. no notes are off.
this is in a great spot now. but I still think that it has some room for improvement and further ageing.
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3/10/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 93 Points
Tasted blind. Dense and nicely aged aroma profile with barnyard notes, underwood and mushrooms. Fruit of dark berries and blueberries, fresh in style and an ideal match with the aging notes. Sufficient tension, but the palate appeared to be thinning out a bit. Slightly leathery finish. This was still pretty good, but the least convincing bottle I’ve had to date (1x in 2019, 3x in 2021).
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3/9/2023 - djhammond wrote: flawed
Unfortunately this was slightly tainted. It was still drinkable and highly enjoyable, but it is unfair to rate.
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2/18/2023 - sdr Likes this wine: 95 Points
A great Montrose which has equaled or eclipsed the variable nineteen-ninety. Massively constructed, packed and stacked. Very black fruity. Has the strong tannins and acidity to support the heavyweight fruit. At peak but should last well. Very St. Estèphe.
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2/11/2023 - Benoit Hardy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank for the first time in December 2020. 3 years later, the wine has not aged a bit.
Very complex nose with still very lively fruit, followed by tobacco, spices and menthol.
The mouth always combines concentration and suppleness. It is easy to read with a nice complexity, it starts with a bright black fruit, then it stretches on a mixture of tobacco / cedar / very noble spice to finish on menthol notes. It is structured and it is expressed through a still insolent youth. The finish is serene, totally untied, all in finesse with great length.
Great Montrose.
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12/31/2022 - sastewart wrote: 98 Points
Opened 3 hours ahead, decanted 1 hour. Very reticient initially, opened beautifully over the course of the evening. Great nose of tobacco, cedar, blackfruits and spice that I only get from older Bordeaux. Medium to full bodied with velvet tannins and flavors of plum, leather and earth that go on for nearly a minute. An incredible wine in fantastic place! 98 points.
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12/31/2022 - rockyal wrote: flawed
My my a week later after we had first half of the the bottle loved it rated it close to a 100 at a fabulous dinner at Blue in Grand Cayman then Coravin by sommelier the wine had lost all fruit and a wet cardboard funk was evident. Bret strikes after one week? Bizzare? Anyone else had similar?
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12/25/2022 - thalver wrote:
This probably could have used more than an hour and a half decant, it continued to open up over the next hour and a half of consumption. Meets lofty expectations...very bordeaux
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12/23/2022 - rockyal wrote: flawed
What a roller coaster wine. Multi course dinner at Blue at the Ritz Cayman. Pristine appearing 1989 Montrose obtained directly from their distributor. 750 ml bottle with high neck fill. They used Coravin to pour 2 glasses and taste for sommelier. Aired for 30 minutes where a bit of mild funk blew off. I have had this wine 5 times before with similar funk that dissipated. The Montrose that night was wonderful with rich fruit velvet tannins multi flavors. Loved it but a week later things would deeply disappoint.
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12/19/2022 - preid wrote: 96 Points
Clear red color. Incredible smell. Classic left bank wine. Leather, cigar box, black fruit and plum. Great balance and long. Smooth. Incredible wine!
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12/10/2022 - Eric wrote:
ESTG Year-End Tasting (Newcastle, WA): Some debate about whether this might be corked and if so ever so lightly. Really structured, intense, so Montrose. Despite the potential taint I loved it.
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10/28/2022 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 99 Points
blind
Guessed 1990 left bank. What a dream wine, so fresh, lovely tannins, great structure. I knew 1990 is sublime but this even better. starting to reach his peak. 99
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8/10/2022 - angelcyn Likes this wine:
Last bottle, opened for wedding anniversary, notes the same as bottle two years ago, apart from faded brown rim and even smoother, nice bottle and typical of the chateau but not exciting in any way, just very drinkable, way to much money now, I stopped buying this type of Bordeaux awhile ago partly because my age means I cannot guarantee I will be around when they mature, and more importantly in these difficult times money is needed elswhere other than a Bordelais vigneron's bank account.
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7/22/2022 - AaronMaxwell Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stellar masculine bold Montrose. Brought to lazy bear, and decanted for 1 hour. Strong funk, lots of youthful fruit, and this was our WOTN
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7/20/2022 - Jsnelten Likes this wine: 92 Points
Warm vintage, opulant, developped, rich style, how will this wine develop in the future? Acidity level?
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7/16/2022 - TONOFBRIX wrote: 97 Points
Masterful wine in a beautiful place. Fell apart a bit after 2 1/2 hours but was absolutely singing until then.
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6/26/2022 - RachaelBjo wrote:
Jeggie says this one is really good. Drank it at a restaurant together when we drank an anniversary wine. She liked this one more
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6/21/2022 - Purple Tooth wrote: 97 Points
Just a truffle scented beauty and with more barnyard notes than the 1990, the 1989 has that signature fruit that made them so special. Denser appearance than the 90, with more earth, mushroom, and tobacco, this is one of those wines that can be mistaken for corked at first sniff by people that just don't know Bordeaux. Luckily and thankfully, theres lots of California wine out there for the faint hearted. This is what serious Bordeaux is supposed to behave, smell, and taste like. Ready to drink and still holdable and in good health.
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4/28/2022 - RockinCabs wrote: 96 Points
Shockingly tannic upon opening and needed 2+ hours to begin to reveal itself, but once open this showed magnificent Montrosian typicity.
Nose: blueberry, Blackberry, graphite, wet stone and lilac. Palate: muscular dark berries and fleshy fruit are on a frame of substantial dark tannin. A bit coiled, but has a beautiful inner mouth perfume. Finish: classic cedar, dark fruit and tobacco.
Wonderful wine that stands in with the very best of 1989.
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4/26/2022 - englishman's claret wrote: 97 Points
Amazingly dumb and unbelievably tannic when opened, the 1989 Montrose underwent a revelatory transition after 2.5 hours in the decanter. While it is by no means at the peak of its powers yet (to give you an idea of the glacial pace of its evolution, it’s barely evolved over the past decade), air helps to reveal cool blue and black fruit, iodine, wet stone, and subtle spring flowers. One cannot help but be impressed by this monumental wine, in possession of seemingly-limitless depth and muscle yet, equally, it is so suave and well-mannered. The ‘89 Montrose is drinking with enough air and is the most engaging counterpoint to the 1990 beside it, but one should really wait another decade. There’s something of the great 1955 here, and that’s worth waiting for.
65% Cabernet Sauvignon / 25% Merlot / 10% Cabernet Franc
13% ABV
Picked Sept 11-28
EC 97-98 points
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4/19/2022 - Mascarello59 wrote: 94 Points
In great shape despite a half bottle.
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3/19/2022 - John III Likes this wine: 96 Points
Removed from cellar 2 hours before dinner to let stand. 45 minutes before dinner, began the opening process. Cork crumbled. Used cheesecloth to filter out the cork and sediment. Breathed in the decanter for 30 minutes. The initial, slight vinegar scent transformed into a lush violet, lavender, mineral, leathery perfume. Classic Bordeaux flavor. This is why I age wine.
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3/12/2022 - asiabear wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at JD’s last night with lamb chops. Stood up at midday and decanted for about an hour and a half. The cork was troublesome but eventually came out. Deep garnet color and slightly brown at the edge with just a hint of nose left. This is fine old-school “old” claret. It will go a few more years but not many. Surprisingly vigorous in the glass— it lasted all evening until we moved on to the Palmer ‘83 with the cheese.
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2/26/2022 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 96 Points
Double decant to remove sediment. Needed 30 min to really open. Absolutely beautiful and elegant.
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2/18/2022 - jviz wrote: flawed
Corked, a shame.
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2/6/2022 - djhammond Likes this wine: 98 Points
With the right bottle this is an incredible wine, and apart from the legendary Haut Brion competes with the Lynch Bages as the leading runner up for the wine of the vintage. The nose is mature and deeply aromatic with blackcurrant, plum, cedar and tobacco. Old leather and tobacco with ripe dark berry fruits dominate the palate with layers of complexity. Likewise the finish is perfection pushing 60 seconds and is unwavering in its balance. It still needs time in the decanter to come alive. What a privilege to drink this. 98+
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12/31/2021 - k H i L o Likes this wine: 93 Points
Impressionnant de puissance à cet âge! Avec énormément de classe.
Il faut le mettre en carafe car il s'est beaucoup ouvert dans les verres.
L'idéal est de l'attendre encore 10 ans. Oui, vous avez bien lu, encore 10 ans.
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12/13/2021 - lozatron Likes this wine:
RZ's Bordeaux Seconds (Hawksmoor Guildhall): Served from half. Popped and poured. A serious, serious wine. So much going on - clearly St Estephe but somehow carries its heaviness lightly. As one of my fellow diners pointed out - you could spend a fun five hours with this on your own one evening.
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10/18/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
A thrilling wine that is happily catching up to the 90 in quality, and sadly, catching up in price as well. Full-bodied, deep, concentrated, long, intense, complex and powerful, the wine opens with an incredible nose of tobacco leaf, cedar, cigar box, ash, spice and currants. There is fabulous volume, weight and density on the palate and in the long, cigar, and red berry-packed finish. An hour of air would really add a lot to the wine. In a few more years, I'd bet and give odds this scores even higher!
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9/10/2021 - dcwino wrote: flawed
Another lost Friday afternoon gathering - mostly French (Jailbreak Brewery, Laurel, MD): The cork is about ¾ soaked, from a passive cellar. There is a hint of brett and the fruit is slightly muted. Still cassis, plum, flower and lead pencil. It is a shame. I am not hypersensitive of cellar temperature. However, prolong passive cellaring will have a serious adverse effect.
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9/9/2021 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 95 Points
Just a small sample, generously shared by an anonymous nearby diner. In prime form, fresh and balanced, with notes of cedar, leather, tobacco and sous-bois surrounding the black cherry core. Plenty of structure, should last for decades.
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9/3/2021 - spillwine wrote: 97 Points
Magnifique
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8/24/2021 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
17x Bordeaux 1982-1990 (+ 2 Martha’s): All wines tasted single blind. It’s a privilege to taste the two legendary Montrose vintages 1989 and 1990 side by side. On this evening the 1990 (96 pts) edged out the 1989 (95 pts) by a small margin. The 1990 was more open and more round than the 1989, which usually needs a a lot of time and air to sing (better on day two). For both wines, this was not their best self as they can be more mature, softer and expressive. These Montrose are quintessential, classic Bordeauxs and truly outstanding.
TN: Intense nose with tobacco, herbs and a fresh dark fruit core. Quite intriguing and precise. The palate just hints at all there is with an intense but not super precise dark fruit potpourri and lots of tobacco and some earthy tones. Already very soft tannins but the wine is full of tension and energy, with a high freshness and not yet the fine, creamy structure this can have at its best. This takes off a bit of that seductiveness. Long lasting finish and overall already very balanced.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly 4 hours, it could have used more. It got better by the minute in the glass.
Group score: 95.5 pts
Group rank: 6th out of 16 reds
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8/18/2021 - BradE wrote:
Picture perfect, and as usual a very soulful bottle.
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8/2/2021 - Verb Likes this wine: 95 Points
similar to my previous tasting notes - dark red with brick rim - intriguing nose of black fruit, Asian spices (anise), and leather - big body in the mouth with good acid-fruit-tannin balance - 20+ second finish with slight bitterness at the end- drinking very nicely now, but many years left to develop into an even more impressive wine
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7/28/2021 - Vicchangus Likes this wine: 96 Points
Undergrowth, saddle leather. Black fruit still present but with some wonderful tertiary notes. Fully mature and beautiful.
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7/15/2021 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
Second time in a week I‘ve came across this beauty. Again, one could smell and taste all the stuffing, complexity, precision... all that greatness... but again, the wine was not fully ready and singing. This 1989 usually takes hours and hours in the decanter and usually is better on day two. This bottle, unfortunately, was not decanted at all. Anyway, a great wine and the best bottles can reach perfection.
TN: Medium expressive only on the nose and palate (the best bottles burst out of the glass) with dark, ashy notes, so much signature black truffles, lots of minerality and underneath lots of dark fruit which is definitely there but still a bit held back. The structure is impeccable with tons of very fine tannins, very high but perfectly round and integrated acidity, a creamy and airy structure. The finish is quite long and intense. This wine can be a perfect wine. Today it just hinted at that perfection.
Decanting: Not decanted. It could have used 6, 8 or more hours in the decanter.
Glass: Gabriel
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7/10/2021 - RayOB Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank in London
Still fresh and vibrant with some green stem. Beautiful
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7/3/2021 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Border of secondary and tertiary with some tobacco elements present.
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7/2/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 95 Points
Magnum rarities tasting; 7/2/2021-7/3/2021 (Zunfthaus zur Waag, Zurich): Magnum rarities tasting hosted by a merchant and collector. The headline line-up of the main event featured 18 aged red wines from magnum which was preceded by warm-up tasting of a dozen aged reds. The highlights across both days were Chris Ringland 1998 (99), Montrose 1990 and Yquem 1948 (both 98). Also strong were Palmer 1989 (97), Cheval Blanc 1985 (97) and Léoville Poyferré 1990 (96). None of the wines were decanted prior to serving.
Tasting note:
Lots of dry leather, tobacco and dried leaves, but also dark and ripe cherry fruit and mineral notes. Very fresh, dense and incredibly structured palate with firm tannin. On the downside, this was not exactly excelling in matters of harmony. I would do a proper decant over several hours. Checking quickly my notes from the last bottle I had not even a week ago were broadly consistent, although I did like this one slightly more – maybe due to the more favourable comparison (paired this one against the 2001 whereas a week ago it was 1989 vs 1990).
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7/2/2021 - G_H wrote: 94 Points
As with the 1990 the night after, we did not do this wine justice by not having it decanted early enough. It did show tremendous potential with some coffee and cola notes, dense and long but it just didn't show its full opulence tonight
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6/26/2021 - La Sprezzatura wrote: 93 Points
93
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6/26/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 94 Points
Bordeaux 1982-1990 tasting (Restaurant Essen'z, Brugg): Bordeaux 1982-1980 tasting of selected wines, including a couple of pirates. All wines were decanted for at least 2-3 hours, tasted in flights of 2 and single-blind. While not a representative sample, I would venture the following observations: 1/ First growths in 1988 should not be underestimated for the hedonistic pleasure they offer, 2/ 1990 first growths have not yet passed through their closed stage, 3/ you’ll find stand-out second tier wines from 1982. 4/ Highlights were Palmer 89 and Gruaud Larose 82 (96 each).
Tasting note:
Subtle sous-bois notes, menthol, mixed cherry fruit, herbal elements and some spices already make for a promising start. What follows is a fantastic palate with depth and concentration and firm structural tannin. However, precision and clarity could have been better. Overall this felt as if it just now cracked open drinking window. In the face to face comparison I preferred the 1990 this time round which is in contrast to previous tastings where 1989 tended to come out ahead in terms of scoring.
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6/24/2021 - djhammond Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is one of my go to special wines at the top of its game, and I would normally rate it a point or two higher, but it was carrying a slight taint. This is the first occasion and it is from the same case and with identical storage. Older Bordeaux can be so frustrating with occasional bottle variance. If it was your first time of tasting you'd still be blown away, but the nose carried a faint whiff of the cork which also lingered on the finish. In spite of this it still merited its score, and is the only recent rival to the perfect 1990 and 2003. Drinking vintage Bordeaux is Russian roulette, but I can't stop!
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4/14/2021 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 95 Points
4 Bordeaux-1989 Vintage+ 2 Rose Champagnes (Yan's China Bistro, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nose of muted fruit for the first 45 minutes than slowly burst into tobacco, black berry, lead pencil, roasted meat, and hints of red berry fruit, over the next 2 hours, same on the palate, big body, intense concentrated fruit, I knew it would improve and grow on me which it did, long finish. My #2 tied of 4. Photo of all wines uploaded.
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2/9/2021 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
This needs a lot of time in the decanter to come out of its shell. At first completly muted it improved a bit but not too much after 5 hours in the decanter. In needed to sit in the very wide Conterno Sensory glass for another 30+ minutes to start to sing. Well-stored bottle like this are still rather young. I’ve had other, more mature, sexy (in its masculinity) and especially expressive bottles of the 89 before. I guess, this would have been much better the next day (unfortunately nothing left). But I love the superb delination and the wide array of aromas.
TN: Not overly expressive and precise at first, the nose improved by the minute in the glass with tobacco, earth and minerality with dark fruit and some red berries underneath. Better, more expressive, much more expressive on the palate. Very intense tobacco, leather, dark fresh berries, cassis and blackberries to be precise, hints of licorice. Very masculine and earthy overall - very Montrose. Very fresh and light with well-rounded but still slightly noticeable tannins. Light but not feminine with a touch of creaminess which could be higher. Good, long dark and earthy finish.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly 5 hours (in the first 4 hours it was non existant). It would have needed much more (see introduction) but all will depend on the bottle condition. I‘ve had bottles which were good from the go before.
Glass: Conterno Sensory
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2/7/2021 - TEKinsider wrote: 99 Points
Another amazing bottle!!!
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2/6/2021 - amateur62 wrote: flawed
Bought on release, had some superb bottles of this and stored the last for a special moment, decanted 6 hours before dinner, but unfortunately it was badly corked!
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1/27/2021 - pkouchu wrote:
went on a journey with this one. gifted for my birthday from generous friends, first night it was showing a decent amount of brett which im not a fan of.
let it sit across the next 3 days hoping the brett would blow off, it got to a point where i was tasting just pruney fruit so i decided to drink it out of respect. left about a good glass pour left.
came back to it on the final day and the brett was barely a whipser and the fruit had sprung back to life. the last sip was the best. soft and balanced, cherries, plums, chocolate, tobacco, loam. A nice wine in the end.
what a roller coaster though
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1/24/2021 - MC wrote:
Decanted 4 hours. The nose was singing as the cork was pulled. I didn't taste at opening. With 4 hours of air this was similar to my last note in showing its ripe dark fruit on the nose and palate, great concentration, and nice long finish. There was just a touch of drying tannin on the finish but still this remains one of my favorite Bordeauxs of all time. A
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1/24/2021 - Benoit Hardy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very complex nose on tobacco, blackcurrant, spices with a minty undertone.
The palate is remarkably intense. We find the whole range of aromas on the nose, with tobacco, spices and blackcurrant. The material is very concentrated but keeps a certain flexibility. The whole is with an excellent balance, the wine expresses itself fully with a lot of intensity and each sip highlights a different facet: sometimes fruity, sometimes cigar cellar or spice box. It's a kaleidoscope of flavors, but easy to approach. It is structured and it is now fully expressed with a beautiful acidity. The finish is very concentrated with beautiful melted tannins, it explodes in the throat with menthol and spices and it is of rare length.
Excellent
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1/23/2021 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted blind. Long decant of 5-6h, then consumed over 3 days. Aging notes of dry leather, barnyard. Fresh herbs piercing through petrol type of notes. Also a dimension of floral and perfumed notes. Lastly a good amount of dried herbs, mostly obacco. Lots of super fresh acidity and tannin still with grip. Felt aged aromatically, but super young on the palate which continued to integrated and actually best on day 3. Bixed berries dark and red as well as lots of tobacco again. This is a dense and fleshy, showing no signs of weakening what so ever. Judging by this bottle, we yet have to reach the peak cruising altitude - and it might not even be soon. Had this next to the 2003 which on day 1 I preferred for its more appealing, feminie aroma profile. But by day 3 this was a tie.
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12/26/2020 - Get Real Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened it a few hours ahead but did not decant. Wonderful nose, cassis, spice, earth notes. Full bodied and intense, only the faintest hint of bricking. Still some tannins but well integrated with a deliciously long finish. A superb experience.
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12/26/2020 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Elegant and sensual with lovely sweetness and good length. Still prefer the blockbuster 90 Montrose, but the 89 is still a close second during this era.
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12/20/2020 - angelcyn Likes this wine: 93 Points
First of my Christmas Bordeaux's, I seem to save this wine for Christmas! though four years on, just starting to fade on the rim, lots of lovely earthy and plummy aromas, very smooth tannins integrated as before with cedar licorice gorgeous dark fruits, a lot of length and the astringency noted in the earlier bottle has almost disappeared, a very good drink by any standards.
Though the price now is exorbitant.
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12/7/2020 - rttpv wrote: 95 Points
Magnifique. Expressif sous-bois animal.
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11/29/2020 - tlhnyc Likes this wine: 96 Points
Brilliant deep youthful color---ruby just starting to turn garnet. I probably paid $25 for this in the early '90s, opened a bottle way too young, and it went down in my memory as the best red wine I'd ever had. This second bottle, after 25+ years of decidedly nonprofessional storage, did little to change my mind. Beautiful earthy cassis fruit on nose and palate, velvet texture, just a bit of tertiary leather and tobacco adding interest. Opened on a landmark birthday, and glad I did.
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11/26/2020 - djhammond Likes this wine: 97 Points
This is in a perfect spot, but probably with development ahead of it. This is the embodiment of old school Bordeaux. Everything is about musty old leather, blackcurrant and plum . The tannin is resolved and the wine displays secondary and tertiary notes. Likewise the finish is 60+ seconds. This is a very special wine should be rationed for special occasions, and really only surpassed by the Lynch-Bages in the vintage
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11/21/2020 - canan wrote: 96 Points
BYO Xmas (Admiralgade): Stunning performance. Compact but evolved. Elegant and intense. Amazing performance.
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9/6/2020 - sdr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Now this is a beauty of a Montrose. Intense, deep and pure. All black. The tannins are there yet totally melted into the juice. Nice acidity, good length, no sense of dryness. Far from a typical rustic or coarse St. Estèphe, it’s not silk but maybe a nice comfortable cotton sheet.
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8/15/2020 - RockinCabs wrote: 95 Points
Wow. Another exceptional bottle of the 1989 that just went from strength to strength. Billiard table smooth mouthfeel loaded with layers black fruit, mineral, travel, tobacco, anise, and licorice. Lacking the sex appeal of the 1990, but depth and classic profile of this estate.
One of the best left bank 89s I have had. Still stands in the shadow of the Palmer for me, but better than the Lafite or Mouton in the northern Medoc in 89.
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8/12/2020 - Cailles wrote: 97 Points
Perfect condition, into neck+ fill. Another stunning bottle of this elixir! Impressive concentration, highly expressive tertiary aromatics, seductive fruit core, high tension, superb balance. Aristocratic in every way but with the necessary touch of seductiveness. This bottle was less advanced and still had some edges compared to other bottles I’ve had before and would have certainly benefit from a longer decant but especially 5-10 more years of cellaring. This is a superstar with the best bottles being able to reach perfection. This one was still a touch too masculine and strong.
TN: Tons of black truffles, wet earth, tobacco, mushrooms on the nose and palate. Intense and sharp. Additional aromas of black and dark red fruits, at first a bit ripe and liquor-like but with more air the fruit became smoother, rounder and fresher. Some fresh herbs and crushed rocks complete the picture. Perfect delineation, high but perfectly integrated freshness, a wall of tannins which will have to mellow further but overall a great balance and very good length. Some points deducted for a more difficult first 30 minutes and the slightly too young and masculine appearance.
Decanting: Decanted for 4 hours, back into the bottle for serving. Followed over 3 hours. It improved further with more air. I guess, well stored bottles need at least 6-8 hours of decanting.
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7/13/2020 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted to serve. Cassis, tobacco, and minerals on the nose and palate. Firm palate with density and power. More elegant than robust.
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6/20/2020 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 92 Points
More wild and less focused than some bottles. Some bret-like notes here. Good, but young.
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5/2/2020 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wow, this was really good! Surprisingly youthful in the glass, plenty of structure left here to age for a very long time. Drank this 750ml side by side with a half bottle 2003 Chateau Margaux and this blew the Margaux away.
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4/30/2020 - Verb Likes this wine: 95 Points
very similar to my tasting note 2 years ago - dark red with brick rim - intriguing nose of black fruit, Asian spices (anise), and leather - very big body in the mouth with excellent acid-fruit-tannin balance - 20+ second finish - drinking very nicely now, but many years left to develop into an even more impressive wine - in comparison to the 90 Montrose tasted alongside, the 89 was more developed and had a much more aromatic nose, but less structure in the mouth, likely attributable to lower acidity - one of the best Montrose vintages I've had over the years
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4/28/2020 - MC wrote:
Decanted 3 hours. At open it clearly needs air, and at 2 hours it still doesn't express itself. But at 3 hours the big, ripe, dark fruit along with the full body and expansive finish are in full motion. The Cabernet seems to shine in this wine, and although it might not appeal to those who prefer a more austere and reserved style of Bordeaux, this is a style I have always enjoyed (and preferred to the '90) for the beautiful combination of ripe, expansive fruit, minerals, and a wonderful sense of balance. A
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4/10/2020 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Soil based complexion to this bottle, with the drak fruit closed in upon itself. This wine still requires another decade in the bottle to become significantly epxressive
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4/3/2020 - dchain Likes this wine: 93 Points
Probably a 95 pointer if just judged on the nose. 30 min decant. So much going on, cassis, forest floor, truffle, leather, dark cherry and a bit of brett which was not overwhelming adding to the complexity. Then became more tobacco, darker and brooding, Palate was well balanced and integrated but I thought it had a pretty short finish and just didn’t delivery the complexity of the nose on the palate. Seemed a bit flat and lacking in energy on the finish. 2 bottles which were broadly the same. Just enjoy that nose! I think the 98+ scores are drinking into their own propaganda a bit and it doesn’t have the depth and addition fruit and density of the 1990 Montrose which has to be at the pinnacle of the 1990 vintage. Very lovely don’t get me wrong but at current market price you could actually buy a first growth and I am afraid a first growth really is just at another level. (See my note on the mystery wine which revealed itself as the 1990 Haut Brion!)
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3/20/2020 - the player Likes this wine: 99 Points
I hesitate as to whether I should award a perfect score as this wine is almost perfection to me and again demonstrates why 89 remains one of my all time favorite vintages in Bordeaux along with 82, 2005 and 2009. I can't pretend that I've had many 61s so to make the parallels. Bricking red color with deep ruby core. Nose evolved and reminds me why I love Bordeaux so much. Earth, spices, dark red fruits, mocha, toffee, and that je ne sais quoi essence of a fully mature Bordeaux which takes you places. On the palate so delicate and fine, multiple layers of red and blue fruits tingling your mid palate and with acidity to last this wine another 10 to 15 years easy, and a cola finish very very long and hedonistic.
Can't think of a better cure to the Corona hysteria and stress!
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3/15/2020 - MQuentel@web.de Likes this wine: 100 Points
This is a perfectly ripened Bordeaux. It's got everything you'd expect from Bdx. Already in the nose a wonderfully interwoven scent of sweet, animal and undergrowth aromas. Leather, plum compote, blackberries, a little truffle. On the palate the harmony of this wine shines; fine melting; very fine sandy and optimally integrated tannins, the medium acidity and perfect structure carry the aromas to the long finish. The seductive sweetness and purity of the aromas are breathtaking. Everything is dense, interwoven and playful at the same time - that is pure hedonism. Still has potential for at least 2 decades, now certainly in optimal condition. Optimal bottle. 100 points 2020 - 2035
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2/28/2020 - jmoon Likes this wine: 99 Points
Double decanted 4 hours prior. Absolutely superb - very full, ripe, rich wonderful classic old school Bordeaux but easy on the leather and more about the fruit still. Remarkable, and no signs of slowing down in a hurry.
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2/19/2020 - WhiteyBordeaux Likes this wine: 98 Points
Birthday gift. . .Wow beautiful classic bordeaux. PNP consumed over next 3 hours. I've had the 1990 a couple of years ago. From memory, I would say the 1990 is a bit more concentrated. If I had to choose, I prefer the 90 but both are phenomenal. . . splitting hairs.
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2/1/2020 - Paul S wrote: 94 Points
Lo Hei at Yan + late night at M&M's (Yan, National Gallery, Singapore): Superb. One year down the road, this was a much stronger bottle. The nose was Montrose at its best, with wafts of damp earth, sweet cassis and pencil lead, wreathed in rings of fragrant tobacco smoke. The palate was beautifully. Velvet tannins, juicy acidity, with lovely, transparent flavours of cassis and dark berries, then earth, spice and graphite, trailing away into a beautifully long, accurately detailed finish. Just a touch of drying tannins at the very end marked it a bit. Otherwise, this was a wonderfully complete, beautifully integrated wine. This was drinking at a delicious peak.
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12/26/2019 - Ericsson wrote: 96 Points
Bouteille achetée en primeur.
Bouteille et bouchon parfaits, in the neck.
Ouvert 90 minutes avant consommation.
Grenat foncé, bord du disque légèrement plus clair.
Thé noir, écurie, fumée, parfumé, anis, cassis et prune sur la fin!
Equilibré, complexe, fin, longueur, douceur.
Très peu de dépôt.
Superbe vin, bien en place, à boire selon mon goût mais tiendra encore de longues années.
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11/30/2019 - djhammond Likes this wine: 98 Points
This is drinking perfectly now, but contrary to some other reviews I feel this really does need at least 3 hours in the decanter, and ideally time in the glass to really come alive. This is a powerhouse of left bank Bordeaux, and embodies everything of a top notch mature wine. The nose is deep and lingering with old leather, blackcurrant and plum. The palate displays full secondary and tertiary characteristics, with an exceptional depth and perfect balance and acidity. Likewise the finish is outstanding and pushes 60 seconds. This is at its optimum level, but has a structure to stay here for the next couple of decades, and after the Lynch Bages is probably the wine of the vintage.
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11/28/2019 - timewithwine wrote:
A slow ox opening for the Thanksgiving meal, about 3.5 hours. Originally, brick from the rim to the core. But as the time passed, the color deepened to opaque at the core with cranberry at the rim shading to more ox blood further toward the core before all light was consumed. Tobacco smoke dominates the nose from the first sniff to the final sip, but with abundant and balanced elements of cedar, graphite, blackberry, plum, tobo leaf and cranberry. Tracking the nose, the palate evenly distributes an integrated weaving of the flavors with the addition of anise on the finish. The finish itself lingers as if to tease the palate to ask for more. A heck of a good wine. Purchased on release for $39.99 and worth about $400 when the cork was pulled. Heavy sediment on the resting shoulder of the bottle and the resting side of the bottom. 13% alc. With smoked duck, cranberry sauce and Brussels sprouts. Excellent wsith the duck and with the cranberries! (Thanksgiving). Highly Recommended.
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11/24/2019 - Collector1855 wrote: 98 Points
Bordeaux 1989 - 30years on in large formats (Luzern): This wine had real power and spice, damp forest floor, wood spices intermixed with a meaty side. Very good freshness as well. A great Montrose only slightly outshined by the Haut Brion.
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11/5/2019 - Mchiarot Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely, sophisticated wine with tertiary flavours, well integrated tannins, and medium to medium long finish. this is peaking or just peaked, still in a great drinking window but no sense to hold further in MHO
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10/27/2019 - ShadowIII Likes this wine: 92 Points
mature with good fruit, currants, sweet notes, cedar, herbs, fine tannins, good mid palate and finish
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10/17/2019 - sirpat00 wrote: 96 Points
An elegant, complex wine with finesse and due gravitas. Fruit profile of dark and blue berries, some black tea, barnyard, earth and truffles. Fine tobacco and black coffee too. In general broad aromatics, especially the various expressions of tertiary aging were impressive. Perfectly harmonious on the palate with a med+ intensity and sufficient fruit. A marginal acidity overhang, however. Still noticeable tannins support the delicate structure. Drinking very well now and probably still years of drinking window left - but my guess is this is also not getting any better. Best to use opportunities as they arise to pop corks here.
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10/16/2019 - Cailles wrote: 98 Points
The first glass was just pure magic, a 100 point experience. After the first sip I was totally moved, goosebumps, even slightly wet eyes. I hardly ever felt moved in such a way by a wine – so intense, elegant, seamless and perfectly aged. The two reasons why I don‘t give a perfect rating: 1) While the nose was great, it was not perfect (in the sense that I had other wines which had a better and more precise expression). 2) The fruit and tension deteriorated during the two hour lunch with the wine being in a decanter (unfortunately we had to decant it as the cork crumbled and the restaurant had no blade corkscrew). 100 points for the first glass, 96 points for the last. Definitely a fabulous wine.
TN: Medium+ expressive nose with leather, black truffles, forest floor and some darker berries. On the palate absolutely sensational with all the before-mentioned tertiary aromas with more tobacco, circling around a core of sour cherries, sweet cherries, cherry candy, strawberry candy, fresh strawberries, cassis, wet slate, crushed rock, lots of roasted herbs, spices, wet earth, tree bark and with time more and more intense and precise black truffles. Very, very complex, very-well defined (especially on the palate), great balance and harmony, medium+ length. Melted tannins but still very much standing with tension and cut.
Decanting: Do not decant it (and do not eat food with it, it has to stand on its own to be fully enjoyed in all its complexity).
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10/10/2019 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dinner with friends. (Our House, Hong Kong): Decanted for 3-4 hours. Deep purple/red totally opaque except translucent at the edges. Nose is deep, unctuous confit black and red berries in the classic 1989 concentration and depth. Palate is wow.... really deep, woodland damp ferns, really rich berry fruit. Heady and very resonant reverberance...enormous length. This is rich and a fabulous expression of 1989. Fabulous. 94+ because it just missed my silence-creating threshold but I wouln't begrudge anyone scoring it a bit higher, especially for sublime drinking right now from a single bottle.
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9/21/2019 - hoservin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for one hour. Nose of blackberry, currant, graphite, licorice and tobacco leaf. Black and red fruit, graphite, tobacco leaf, dried herbs and anise on the palate. Very long finish with excellent depth. Youthful and elegantly balanced. Medium to full bodied. A gorgeous and memorable wine. Served with smoked rack of lamb and garlic, herb butter.
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9/17/2019 - Jammy Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
The 1989 Montrose is arbuably the best vintage Montrose has ever produced, at 30 years of age this wine is still at an infant stage. Aristocratic bouquet of dark fruited berries, mulberry, and graceful earthy/ black truffle and oak spices. Full bodied yet well balanced and complex with seriously long and satisfying finish. (95/100)
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9/11/2019 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 96 Points
From a perfect bottle generously brought by one of the people at our Paulee Bdx table. Small glass and side by side the 05. The 89 is a behemoth and it is difficult to comprehend that it is 30 years old. This bottle was not decanted - it would have benefited from a (long) decant clearly. Bottle was opened around 2 hours prior. In the glass it was inky no sign of ageing. It looked and tasted younger than the 05 side by side. I kept my glass to give more air. Certainly a timeless classic I noted this is going to be a 100 year wine for well kept bottles no doubt. I have two bottles and glad on the read but based on this I am not going to pull my corks anytime soon. Definitely my WOTN pipping Lalande 96 and LMHB 83 and Montrose 05. Drink 2030-2080? 96 points with upside but only time will bring that upside (or maybe an adequate decant but think it just needs to sleep).
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8/31/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Blind "Grand Cru" with Lobster & Flannery Steak (House of Nanda - Chicago IL): Served single blind with 1989 Gaja Barolo Sperss. Opened 3+ hours before serving. Slightly tired, but lots of big black fruits, leather and earth with a complex array of flavors unfolding on long-ish finish. I was very happy this bottle was good because the last two times tasted in the past 5 years were flawed.
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8/31/2019 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Slow-ox for 3.5 hours and splash decanted to serve blind. Full nose of herbs, black cherry, plum, wet cedar and a hint of band-aid. Rich with resolving tanning that still has some chewiness. Delicious.
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8/31/2019 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
"Grand cru" blinds (Chicago, IL): Served blind in a pair with 1989 Sperss, and correctly identified as the Bordeaux. This is a really solid bottle, though I would agree that this should have been a little more fresh and taut. There's a mild hint of barnyard here, in line with the 1990 as well. Good density and complexity; I'm not complaining, this is a splendid bottle to drink now.
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8/22/2019 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good on its own but shy from 89 hb, clinet and latour tonight. Very mineral and graphite driven with subtle ripe dark fruit. Prefer the 90 Montrose. A good wine nevertheless but not a rp99+ wine. Decanting is necessary.
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8/18/2019 - Ary Likes this wine: 98 Points
Montrose 1982, 1989, 1996 and 2003 (JM Amsterdam): Still incredibly young, this 30-years old wine - a timeless classic! In the nose iodine, iron, smoke, leather and forest floor. Powerful and full-bodied palate with black fruits, graphite and tar. Several days later when checking in again on this bottle (under Vacuvin) it had further gained complexity; 'dark and brooding', long and intense. Outstanding wine with a long life ahead. Score based on the second tasting, immediately after opening was closer to 95p.
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8/18/2019 - Frank Schneider wrote: 95 Points
89 vs 90. Same level. Nose was better and more open than 90. Needed vwry much air. Gained more and more freshness . With time it became more complex and balance. Overall a great wine missing a bit more fun in the glass. This is old school !!! Has many times left.
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7/14/2019 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Second Sunday Group: 1989 Bordeaux (MiY's): Double blind. Garnet color with a bit of bricking. Gorgeous bouquet of tobacco, currants, iodine and tea leaf. Flavors of black currant, cherry and dark fruit, turning just slightly austere in the finish. Develops a subtle brett undertone as it sits, and the fruit shows a bit more ripeness, more plum than currant, fleshing out a bit on the finish and no longer austere.
My #1, Domino's #2
Group #1, 30 pts
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6/5/2019 - signotim Likes this wine: 97 Points
The nose on this is beautiful. Damp forest, underbrush, cedar wood, herbal notes, and dried red fruit. It's light and bright on the palate with a silky texture, savory red fruit, more herbal notes, fresh acid, and a great finish. A special wine experience, and this has years to go. But man, it is great now!
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5/31/2019 - Euoinos Likes this wine: 97 Points
Very good. Fantastic bouquet with red berries, leather and tobacco. Rounded tannins with elegant fruit. Reached its prime after 3h of air. Double decanted. Will evolve for at least a decade more!
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5/15/2019 - Eric Likes this wine: 97 Points
THIS is why we drink Bordeaux. It doesn't get much better. After one hour decanting the nose was exploding with tobacco, mint and spicy leaf aromas. The palate is dark, brooding, still structured, but quite deep and generous. With a nicely cooked steak, it is hard to imagine a more enjoyable wine. This was an apex example of Montrose and St. Estephe. Very sad this was my last bottle. :-(
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5/15/2019 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Gorgeous! Rich sweet, fruit still good...even great!
Lovely taut attack. Amazingly long finish.... just keeps going, layer after layer. All BlackBerry fruit. Oak still present. Beginning to dry after time in glass. Med everything.
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5/13/2019 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
Margaux / Saint-Julien 2005 tasting (with many other wines too) (Restaurant Vineum, Rotterdam, NL): Tasted blind. Excellent level. Mature but lively appearance; vegetal nose, cool impression, good depth, develops excellent tertiary complexity and warmth; tight and fresh palate, lots of acidity which feels slightly separated, gentle but grippy tannins, warm minerality, rounded and earthy; very good length. Still very good, but is starting to creak.
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5/13/2019 - Barry Rothof wrote: 95 Points
Restaurant Vineum (Rotterdam, Netherlands): This 1989 was outstanding, it was round and tasty, in great condition with excellent leather, caramel, forest and smoke flavors and close to the 1990 which is a true legend.
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5/13/2019 - dvansteenderen Likes this wine: 97 Points
Delicious bottle from a very good (moist) cellar, so the label was not so pretty anymore. But the nose and taste just fantastic. Benchmark classic superb BDX! Perfectly at peak now...
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4/30/2019 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 93 Points
Best bottle (Restaurant Waldhorn, Kirchheim, Germany): Glass: Gabriel Standard
Popped and poured. A bit of cellar mold at the beginning that vanished with time and air. This is a beast that needs a lot of time and air. Unfortunately, we did not give it enough and I had not enough wine in my glass to follow its evolution over multiple hours. Wonderful, masculine Bordeaux that will gain complexity and depth over the next decade. Lots of power, wonderful red fruit, smoke, tobacco, very long. With enough air it is already a wonderful wine. 93+++
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4/28/2019 - GA Old World Guy Likes this wine: 97 Points
What a wonderfully powerful wine that is still going strong after 30 years of age. Loads of dark red fruit and leather. Wine needed two hour decant. Held its own in a ‘89 Bordeaux Dinner.
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4/18/2019 - jmoore431 wrote: 94 Points
Another great showing for this; super classic Bord character with some Bretty, funky shtink adding some complexity. Loads of dry extract present but overall very resolved and elegant.
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3/21/2019 - fc1910 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Got one last sip from a recently opened bottle, CLASSIC style Bordeaux, to kneel down for, still a lot of life ahead but showing great complexity and the pure St. Estephe iron fist elegance, long+, ****-*****, 94(+) potential
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2/22/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Smoky, cigar box, tobacco, spice and cassis on the nose pop with little effort. On the palate, the wine is powerful, full-bodied, chewy and loaded with juicy, ripe, fresh red berries and cigar wrapper. Long and vibrant, the tannins have softened and the secondary nuances are more attractive than ever. At 30 years of age, this is at maturity and delivers everything fans of Montrose could have hoped for.
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2/18/2019 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
1989 Bordeaux - 30 years on. (Famous Treasure, Capitol Piazza, Singapore): A funkier bottle than the clean, noble 1989 Las Cases on the same flight, but really nice in its own right. The nose had nice thick aromas of cassis and blackberries, earth and funky leather, spice and tobacco leaf. Compelling stuff if you like a bit of the leather and meat. The palate was still youthful and aggressive, with powdery tannins and bright acidity still giving a bit of chew to really fresh flavours of dark cherries, cassis and smoky tobacco spice. Everything felt a bit tight and reserved, with the fruit hiding behind the structure on the midpalate, and needing some time and air to coax out. The lengthy finish was still coated with a chew of tannins as well, just before a drift of spice and tobacco came in at the end. Underneath all that structure though, was a noble, masculine left-bank Bordeaux with tons of authority and strength to it. Needs time, but this is a very good wine indeed.
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1/12/2019 - jrh82 wrote: flawed
Damn, should have been singing but was rather flat. Not the most corked wine I've ever come across but still just not right.
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12/18/2018 - nywine68 wrote: 95 Points
Awesome mature earthy Bordeaux flavors. Great structure and intensity. Classic Montrose.
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12/12/2018 - hprphf wrote: 93 Points
Acker 2018/12 (Vaucluse): Sweetness, licorice, spice, fruit with good body and drive. 93+
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12/12/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Still a young wine. The alc is still visible. Darker fruits. Smokey. Becomes a bit more interesting towards the end of the sip. Good wine.
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12/1/2018 - jkwoodward Likes this wine: 97 Points
Surprisingly fresh and tannic. An hour decant was perfect. Brick colored rim, still dark in the glass. Classic notes of cedar and graphite. Well integrated. Not sure it can get much better. Excellent.
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12/1/2018 - UFGators Likes this wine:
This bottle more mature than the last and only a short decant needed to get it going. Classic Bordeaux flavor profile and first growth in quality with many more years ahead of it. Another 98 rating.
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11/28/2018 - LWI wrote: 94 Points
A lot of brett, iron, tobacco; sweet dark fruit mixed with tannin, tight grip, a lot of concentration here, long and intense. Alas, the nuances are difficult to get hold of due to all that brett.
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11/24/2018 - nm10 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted at a restaurant. Oodles of dark fruits, followed by beef blood, damp tobacco leaf, and charcoal. Over one minute on the finish. A fantastic wine, maybe not quite up to the last time, but still worthy of a 95+ score.
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11/20/2018 - dbhatiamd Likes this wine: 100 Points
Drank with 3 other great wines tonight. Clearly the winner. I have had many 100 point rated wines and I have to agree with this rating. Surprisingly young in the glass. Dark and very little age. The nose was classic Bordeaux and the fruit was amazing. Perfectly matched tannins and fruit. Leather and tobacco as well as dark fruit. Totally amazing
Still has shelf life left.
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11/5/2018 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, cork stained 80% of the way up but no signs of leakage, perfect fill. Decanted and drunk over 3 hours. Red core, lightening and a bit of bricking at rim. Wonderful complex nose of black fruits, leather, earth, cedar, with hints of olive and greens to add more complexity. Soft on the palate yet full-bodied, dark fruits and complexity follow the nose, beautiful balance, medium-long finish. Fully open and ready but I wouldn’t rule out potential for added complexity over time, this should continue to drink well for many years. Outstanding.
It was given a stiff challenge by a well-stored 1989 Lynch Bages with a perfect cork, great depth, balance and palate feel, and emerging complexity. The Lynch was a half step behind but still on the upswing. Would expect more in another 5 years.
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10/24/2018 - GA Old World Guy Likes this wine: 99 Points
Wine was spectacular again! Double decanted back into the bottle at 4:45 and did not consume until 7:45. Wine was amazing on the nose and in the mouth. Will be sure to hunt down more.
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10/21/2018 - whenua wrote: flawed
What a shame, had such huge expectations of this wine, but was stripped off it's flavours and totally disjointed. Maybe a combination of corked, bad storage and oxidised, but surely not how the wine should be. Grrrr...
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8/20/2018 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 97 Points
We tasted the 1989 versus the 2003. TN for both. Funnily these are both only just hitting their stride and both will be better in 5 / 10 years. Pretty amazing to be saying that for a 30 year old wine (the '89). The '89 is well integrated, red fruit, smooth but still a little singular. It tastes like a 10 year old wine - lots of fruit still. The 2003 is a little more tannic, but still highly drinkable - it will just get better. I don't think the 2003 will be this good in 30 years so I'm giving it a mere 95 compared with the '98 97. However the style and fundamental taste of the wines is amazingly similar - the consistent winemaking. Both have a long - minute finish.
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8/18/2018 - UFGators Likes this wine: 98 Points
A monumental wine with a long future. Took a 3-4 hour decant to calm down the tannins and bring out the fruit. Beautiful old school Bordeaux that was more pleasurable with each sip. You can drink it now but I believe the best is yet to come.
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8/14/2018 - Verb wrote: 96 Points
dark red with brick rim - intriguing nose of black fruit, Asian spices (anise), and leather - big body in the mouth with excellent acid-fruit-tannin balance - 20+ second finish - drinking very nicely now, but many (as in MANY) years left to develop into an even more impressive wine - reminiscent of the best Montrose I've had over the years
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8/5/2018 - BBencz Likes this wine: 96 Points
Huge and still going strong. Big tannins. Long finish driven by leather, forest floor, tar, and dark red fruit.
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6/16/2018 - Zweder wrote: 97 Points
Bordeaux 1989 (@ Monarh): Drank from magnum. Juicy dark berries, complex, luxurious, chocolate, well integrated oak. Beautiful wine now and still a great promise for the future. 97+
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6/15/2018 - SimonG wrote: 91 Points
Paul & Keith’s Old World v New World Chardonnay Challenge (La Trompette, London): Blind. Smoky beetroot. Dark. Dense. Chewy. Almost opaque. Dry. A bruiser with attitude. ****
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6/1/2018 - soyhead wrote:
tasted blind
nose - barnyard, wet hay, stinky soil driven nose
mouth - mint infused cherries, coffee, with a long finish. harmonious and mature. I guessed Montrose (mainly due the Brett).
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5/27/2018 - djhammond Likes this wine: 97 Points
A wonderful wine drinking now but with the potential to rival the 1990. It is old school embodied. From.the nose to the palate, everything is full of dark fruit, and musty old leather. It seriously needs time to breath and potentially has the structure to be a 100 point wine. A postscript; I left a couple of glasses in a closed decanter until this evening (ie 24 hours), and it had really come to life, and perhaps even warrant another point on its score. Aeration seems to be key if drinking now, but what a wine.
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5/17/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
It's been 2 years since my last tasting note on this wine. The past 24 months has added more softness and approachability to this beauty. With 2 hours of air, the tobacco, olive, cedar chest, cigar wrapper, forest leaf and dark red fruits shine on the nose. When you get to the palate, the wine is still youthful, with freshness to the fruits. There is concentration, power, and refined elegance, leaving you with a peppery, cedar and, red fruit finish. At a few months before the wine hits 30, this is still going strong.
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4/14/2018 - AudunG wrote: 97 Points
Tasted together with Talbot 89 and Gruaud Larose 89. And this beat the hell out the two others. Monumental, with a massive fruitiness on the nose, together with a compact, soft and intense mouth feeling. There are certainly more elegant wines around, but not as mind-blowing.
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4/3/2018 - KenK Likes this wine: 94 Points
A DC Wino hits Chi-town (RPM Steak): Dark rich dense with an earthy black charred appeal to the sleek texture. Long and concentrated with an espresso spice finish. Really good stuff.
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4/3/2018 - angelcyn Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened at Christmas 2016, lots of aromas on the nose, smooth tannins cedar tobacco dark fruits in the mouth and good balance, slightly spoilt by astringency on the finish.
As good as it is going to get going on this bottle though I do have two left in my cellar, if someone says it needs another twenty years well you wait I will not be around.
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3/17/2018 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 94 Points
An Evening at the "Schwarzer Adler" - Part III (Schwarzer Adler, Oberbergen (Baden, Germany)): Glass: Riedel Bordeaux
From a perfect bottle, decanted for about 1h.
Deep, purple color. Again the problem of this fantastic cellar: This should be a 30 year old Bordeaux? No way!
Nose with lots of red fruit, leather, tobacco, some barn/brett, complex and fine.
On the palate really powerful with high, but silky tannin, that is far from being fully integrated. Lots of power, wonderful red fruit, smoke, tobacco, very long. A wonderful Bordeaux that gave us a glimpse on how 100 PP may taste in about 20 years from now. Great potential. 94++ at moment.
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3/1/2018 - Bourgognefreak Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still very fresh. Very concentrated and big with classic Bordeaux notes. Not yet in its third phase and this makes it a bit one-dimensional. Wait at least 10 years with opening this sleeping beauty.
Still it has developed some sweetness and notes of dark fruit and cedar tree.
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2/27/2018 - UTPK wrote:
100p? No way. This is not ready yet. Very big frame and sweet fruit. Still a bit one dimensional however, with lots of primary aromas, at least compared to 1982 Haut Brion drunk next to it. Black currants, wet clay and dark chocolate. It is obviously very nice to drink with food, and has plenty of tannins left. The finish is long but is still carried by unresolved tannins. I believe it will calm down and be very good once it gets some tertiary aromas.
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2/10/2018 - GA Old World Guy wrote: 98 Points
Wow...wine of the night for sure. This was the best wine I have had out the case. Loads of tobacco, Black Cherry, cedar, etc. tannins fully resolved and silky smooth. Decanted for an hour.
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1/8/2018 - GA Old World Guy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Better than previous bottle. Not as austere as previous bottle. Decanted for 2 hours. Still not showing that 100 points that RP gives out, but still a great wine.
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1/3/2018 - BordeauxBoy wrote: 96 Points
This is the real deal and why we age BDX. Tasted blind and there was no surprise. It is what it is...excellent. Opened for 2-3 hours before tasting and got better through the night as we blind tasted a total of 12 different wines for a birthday party. Wish I had some in my cellar!
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12/24/2017 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 97 Points
Deep purple color. First slightly closed but opening up quickly in the glass. Amazing notes of black cherries, cassis, barnyard, horsesaddle, underwood, tobacco and some sweet spices. It's full-bodied, dense and powerful with medium tannin that is perfectly integrated and medium+ acidity. Excellent length. A superb Montrose full of complexity and density.
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12/22/2017 - GA Old World Guy wrote: 90 Points
Agree with some of the other reviews below. Wine has loads of aromas going on the nose, but the wine has a very tannic finish that continues to increase as the wine evolves. Very astringent finish that is disappointing. Hope that it improves over the next few years.
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12/16/2017 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 96 Points
This wine possesses so many strengths...silky elegance, dark brooding fruit, leather, graphite, mouth-watering acidity, and a finish that seems to never stop. I honestly felt like I could taste this for minutes. There's so much talk of bottle variation with the 1989 & 1990 Montrose, but I honestly can't remember the last disappointing bottle. Guess I'm getting lucky...
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12/9/2017 - wilypod Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cork removed intact. Vivid, dark color red. Old roses, cedar, leather, and some bright cherry and raspberry. Palate dominated by oak spice and espresso. Finish tannic but pleasing at first. After a couple of hours the finish was strongly tannic and bitter, overwhelming the fruit. The pleasure was more contemplative than sensual. Probably would have shown better at a cooler temp. Also it may in fact need more time. 4+14+17+5
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10/26/2017 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep red-violet with no signs of ageing. A bit of earth, a tiny bit of black pepper, and a bit of plum flesh on the nose. This is a multi-layered wine with raspberries up front and diluted coffee on the end palate and into the finish, leading into a lovely red and black fruit mixed, lengthy finish.
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10/18/2017 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 97 Points
Not sure this bottle was correct, but drunk alongside the 19909 (which also wasn't a good bottle) it re-enforced my 1989 preference. There is much more structure and freshness in the 1989 and for my palate it is improving every year whilst the 1990 has plateaued... albeit at a very high level!
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10/17/2017 - cheZ joZef wrote: 90 Points
Honestly, expected more from this bottle. Either too young still, or bad bottle.
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10/4/2017 - Papies wrote:
By Coravin 25ml @ 67 Pall Mall, London.
Even with a tiny 25ml to play with this wine showed its class and elegance. Soft and very much secondary, light red fruit, light leather. Well round and just effortlessly beautiful. Very solid wine and reminiscent of the 95 we rated this 7 years ago when we had the joy of a full bottle.
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9/22/2017 - RayOB wrote: 93 Points
Slightly more mature than the '90 with notes of dark fruit, forest floor and spice.
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9/7/2017 - maranoli Likes this wine: 95 Points
From a bottle with duck confit at On Dining in HK. What a treat. Deep Purple colour. Little sign of fade at the rim. Powerful nose and exquisite bouquet. Cedar and soft dark fruit, a hint of pencil shaving. And what an elegant taste. The last glass was better than the first, which is a big compliment. This will last for years. Don't hurry
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8/6/2017 - MarcelloW Likes this wine: 95 Points
Ripe, but still going strong. Even after 3 hours in the decanter not fading. Again a very good bottle. Best to drink now and over the next few years.
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8/1/2017 - BradE wrote:
This was a very nice bottle, and like most of this case was less brett like than it can present. I like it that way, and this was very nice.
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7/11/2017 - TCCwines wrote:
:)
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6/27/2017 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 98 Points
OMG this is good! Beautifully open and seductive, with notes of blackberries, cassis, underwood, forest floor, some funky notes too, sweet spices, earth, tobacco and also some animalic notes. Very complex. It's medium-full bodied with excellent mid-palate persistance, medium+ acidity, medium-high tannin that is excellent quality. Super long finish. A super impressive Montrose and one of the wines of the night. It combines an almost Napaish kind of fruit with a classic St-Estephe structure.
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6/14/2017 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 98 Points
Neck level. Medium garnet yellowish rim. Enticing complex aroma of blackcurrant, blackberry, sweet prune, cedar wood, tobacco, leather, sweet spices, some savoury. Very ripe tannins, intense flavour of bellpeppe, blackberry, prune, black tea, cigar, wood, black tuffle and hint of game revealing slowly, layers by layers, leading to a very very long finish, seems never ending. A powerful, musculine effort but starting to show its gentleness now.
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6/3/2017 - valedeniro wrote: 93 Points
Very fine but not a blockbuster and not a 100 point wine.Seems at its peak now.Deep red colour with little bricking,the nose shows dark and red berries,tobacco,wet-earth,cedar,spices.Plenty of dense dark and red fruit on the palate,tannins are smoothly integrated,everything in balance,long smooth finish.This is a very enjoyable wine but I expected much more from it.
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5/26/2017 - rttpv wrote: 94 Points
Une robe qui montre le signe de maturité. Très ouvert: moka, raisin de corinthe (rhum raisin), pomme > cidre ?!
Se boit comme du petit lait.
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5/15/2017 - Sievvy wrote: 95 Points
Drinking perfectly now. Real depth and long finish. Earthy hints with a deep forest fruit flavor.
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4/15/2017 - k H i L o Likes this wine: 92 Points
Très bien MAIS ne vaut pas son prix. Il n'a aucune ride,il peut vieillir encore longtemps. Une longueur en bouche exceptionnelle mais manque un peu de nez.
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4/7/2017 - the player Likes this wine: 99 Points
Best bottle so far. Last time I had this beauty was 2 years ago. Still evolving which is why I love the 89 vintage and why I sometimes prefer it to the more rounded but predictable top 1990 vintage. Homogeneous, complex, hitting maturity and so hedonistic. Very complex nose and structure, tannins now almost resolved and a long mocha and spice cake tinged finish. 5 bottles left.
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4/5/2017 - Winemaker51 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just arriving at it's peak! Decanted for 1 hour. Classic, great Medoc with wonderful array of red fruits (raspberry, dark cherry) and black fruits (black cherry). None of the heat or overripe qualities of the vintage. Elegance and minerality. Not a full bodied, but still concentrated enough for hedonists. Tannins nearly all resolved. Could improve, but why wait? Montrose thru and thru! No Brett as other readers commented.
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3/31/2017 - J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine: 95 Points
My last bottle. Bought on release. Side by side blind with the 1990. The 1990 was better.More stuffing, which was a bit of a surprise, but this was still outstanding. Elegant red fruit. NO BRETT! Yeah! There is alight earthy herbal component that I do not recall from prior bottles. A bit of smooth saddle leather but not much.
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3/23/2017 - kenv Likes this wine: 93 Points
WCC Saint Estephe Blind Tasting (Provence Restaurant, Albany, NY): Rich, young, tart, tannic, complex. Bright future.
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3/12/2017 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep, dark and tangy with wonderful tar and soil notes. 93+
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3/8/2017 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted and scored blind. Typical bottle. 93+
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2/24/2017 - dream Likes this wine: 96 Points
Completely different than the '90 tasted alongside. A stricter wine but it's so very fine with a really wonderful vineyard expression. Really lovely flavors of tobacco, leathers and dark berries and there is a wonderful mineral streak that is not present in the '90. Finishes pure and complex with notes of dark chocolate, truffles and spices. Only getting better from here. 96+
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2/23/2017 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
White pepper on the nose with hints of herbs and mint on the backnose. Mineral-laden palate on this somewhat more mature bottle than many. 2 hour decant. 93-94
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2/23/2017 - nywine68 Likes this wine: 95 Points
An epic vertical of Chateau Montrose (Restaurant Daniel): Great structure with deep saturated fruit. A very classic Bordeaux with the cabernet character front and center. Montrose vertical 1895-2000
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2/7/2017 - docjer Likes this wine: 93 Points
minimal sediment, fine nose , color and finish
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2/7/2017 - Jeffrey Silver Likes this wine: 97 Points
Amazing Wine. 2.5hrs decanted. Opens to warm molten chocolate cake. Raspberry jam, and forest floor. The tannins have shed and this wine is now entering its mature plateau. Drink this today or enjoy it over the next 3 decades. It is no doubt built for the long haul. It would be interesting to put side by side it's younger sibling the 1990 in 20yrs and see who wins. The 1989 is truly legendary!
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2/3/2017 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
A typical bottle of this consistent wine. Did not show as well vs the '90 as it sometimes can.
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2/3/2017 - Jeffrey Silver Likes this wine: 99 Points
Opened this wine last night. Decanted 2.5hrs. Absolutely stunning wine. The nose is so vibrant. It's as if the whole restaurant could smell it. It is now fully hitting its stride. Full body and tannins are shed. There still a hint which tells me it still young. Forest floor, blueberry, flower, warm butterscotch. The taste is a full min and more. I suggest this wine is beginning to eclipse its older sibling the 1990. Spectacular wine that can drink today or over the next 20yrs
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1/29/2017 - Stefanos T. Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great wine but faced two problems, first it needed a lot of airing for an intrusive greenness to dissipate and second and most important it came after the superior, sexier and sweeter Mouton 1989.
After that wine it was difficult to appreciate the leaner, more savoury and bitter (not in an a bad way) Montrose. Suave texture, pronounced cedary and ink aromas, a great wine which I might have appreciated more had it not been for the Mouton before it.
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1/29/2017 - djhammond Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drinking beautifully it is an exceptional wine. Notes of blackcurrent, cassis, and cedar pervade . On the nose the scents are delicate, and on the palate there is an absolute perfect balance with the fruit, hints of tobacco, and steely but smooth tannins. Likewise the finish is lengthy and in absolute harmony. A couple of hours in the decanter is recommended.
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1/29/2017 - brianakrin wrote: 89 Points
good nose, sour short finish, horrible QPR
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1/24/2017 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
Chateau Montrose with Mr. Herve Berland (Ripple Restaurant in DC): 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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1/15/2017 - ove_stammrud wrote:
Klassiske toner av mørk frukt, pepper, lær, tobakk, rødt plomme kjøtt og urter. Stor, fyldig, robust og muskulær type - med poengtert tørrende tannin, konsentrert, rik og dyp frukt, en lang utgang med hint av tobakk. Meget bra. Kompleks. Tåler lang lagring.
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1/4/2017 - docjer Likes this wine: 89 Points
BEAUTIFUL COLOR, NOSE, STRUCTURE AND FINISH. MINIMAL AMBERIZATION
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12/24/2016 - NostraBacchus wrote: flawed
WTF... not this bottle... unfortunately corked. My heart is bleeding, I was so excited about tasting this... too bad it's flawed.
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12/23/2016 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Youthful, with ripe black fruit, tar, and damp dark earth, with ample but rounded acid. A couple of hours of air time certainly benefits this wine at this point. 93+
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12/22/2016 - MWiking wrote: 96 Points
ett till klockrent bordeauxvin som jag inte skrivt så mycket noteringar på, mer än att det är tydligt balanserad och smakar precis som det ska, klockrent!
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12/20/2016 - Patrik H Likes this wine: 95 Points
On the nose: Stable, blackcurrant, green herbs
On the palate: Very nice and round. Blackcurrant, high intensity of green herbs.
Long finish
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12/18/2016 - JCSV Likes this wine: 100 Points
Still plenty of fruit but a long and complex finish. This wine has everything I'd want from an aged Bordeaux. Prototypical - funky leathery nose with blueberry, plums and prune finished with a leathery cognac decadence
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11/20/2016 - mnh Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great color but reticent nose. Decanted an hour ahead and despite the wine having good underlying fruit it was cloaked by tannins. Opened up a little after several hours.
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11/19/2016 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
My favorite of the red Bordeaux this night, including '89 Magdelaine, '89 Fleur de Gay and '89 and '90 Clinet. This one is deep, pure, earthy and stuffed with black fruits. Elegant too, which is unusual for this usually burly St. Estephe. A bit abrupt on the finish, though.
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11/13/2016 - MarcelloW Likes this wine: 96 Points
One more time....one year later. Still on the very top. A juicy, sweet upfront black fruit, earthy and spicy with perfect tannins. A great wine!
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11/8/2016 - Dvogt wrote: 97 Points
Very aromatic. Flavors of mixed red and black fruits, mushroom, tobacco, integrated and balanced tannins, acid and fruit. Wine is in a very nice place right now.
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10/2/2016 - ggj wrote: flawed
Corked.
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8/7/2016 - burgcamel wrote: flawed
Corked
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7/25/2016 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release. Cork intact although stained about 2/3 of the way up. Showing really well after about an hour of air. Cassis, red fruits, tobacco, fresh moist earth, full body, great balance, long finish. Still some tannins and a suggestion of more complexity ahead for those patient enough to continue cellaring, but extremely enjoyable now.
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7/22/2016 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 97 Points
No formal note. Wine of the night! Exuberant, long, classy, mix of red fruits, forrest floor and barnyard notes. Superb! Decant an hour before. Drink or hold until 2030+
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6/29/2016 - mollusk wrote: 96 Points
It has been a over a month since I tasted this wine, so my notes are a bit vague.
I bought the bottle on first release and have stored it until my latest birthday on May 21st, 2016. It was pulled from my cellar the day before and stored upright for any sediment to settle.
It was opened and decanted two hours before dinner. The cork broke in the middle, but the lower part remained intact and was extracted cleanly. Very little sediment and nearly the full bottle was decanted cleanly.
My wife and I enjoyed the bottle over 4 hours. At first it was full of fruit flavors along with the usual St Estephe mineral tastes. Lovely. About two hours in the wine closed up again with mostly a tannin structure without much fruit which I found surprising. Shortly after that it opened up again with a totally different fruit taste.
Sorry that I didn't take detailed notes at the time, but it was a very enjoyable bottle.
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6/10/2016 - Bordeaux_Jon Likes this wine: 97 Points
Tasted single blind with 4 other 1989 Bordeaux and 4 1991 California Cabernet. This wine won the tasting and was also the wine of the night for me. It was awesome from the get-go, with a very complex nose of red fruit, cigar, oak, and forest floor. The nose was just haunting, a word I used to describe the 1990 Montrose as well. The palate had lovely oak and fruit and really serious intensity and depth. The wine is definitely in its prime time. Friends had a bottle a month back and reported it was similarly great. I had this wine 8 years ago and it was amazingly not ready. So, time for everyone to pop some corks!
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4/19/2016 - SlimShaney Likes this wine: 93 Points
No signs of being aged. Certainly not past its prime. Completely in its epoch. Classicallly maturing and so ready to drink.
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4/9/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
April Acker Auction (Marea): Very smooth, red fruit, leather, easy. Seemed like a wine that was made for food. Good, but again not really great. I sometimes wonder if I might end up being a Bordeaux person but for the time being the only ones to really have wow'ed me were in the first growth category.
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3/28/2016 - Lipsman wrote: 96 Points
Highly perfumed aromas of spice and cherries. In the mouth there are tart cherries, nicely balanced cedar flavors, good complexity, lush ripeness, all with great length. Wow. From a magnum. Previous 750ml bottle tastings have been disappointing.
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3/11/2016 - Alex H wrote: 91 Points
Nice sweet smelling with leafy tobacco and cigar box. Some smoke and dark plums. Exotic fragrances and earthy nuances. This is a wine of toil and soil with the farmer's hand digging deep into the dirt. Good heart and old fashioned tlc went into this wine.
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3/8/2016 - Kbrumback Likes this wine:
Drank from magnum at Dovetail before Leon Bridges at The Beacon.
The second of three magnums I bought at release. Opened an hour before and decanted, the wine was dark to the rim and, while delicious, has a long, long life ahead.
All the flavor so you expect in a middle-aged St. Estephe, with long, complex, cab-dominated favors, this evolved wonderfully over the course of dinner. Very satisfying, and left me wanting more (wine and time in the bottle). Will leave the last alone for at least a few more years.
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2/25/2016 - EhrlichDY wrote: 95 Points
Dinner with Ravenau, Leflaive, Muller, Fourrier, Pichler, Montrose, Fourrier, de Fargues and more (Black Salt, Washington DC): Popped and decanted for an hour. I was worried that this might be too young but boy was i wrong. The wine was incredibly rich and oozed cassis fruit. The tannin was fine and integrated. There was no obvious oak. I'd say this is clearly in the zone and will stay there for quite some time. This is classic Montrose at its best.
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2/18/2016 - GA Old World Guy Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was a very good wine. It had a musty scent to it upon opening, but after an hour in a decanter that faded away and the fruit began to show itself. It had lots of earthy scents as well as that leather and cedar box aroma. The finish was noteworthy not a lot of tannin hanging around. This bottle did not have much sediment but it was decanted for an hour and left in an open bottle for another hour. Having recently had the 1990 Montrose the '89 was a step down from the '90.
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2/2/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
A super example of this wine in all its tobacco, cassis, spice, earth, cigar box and cedar wood charm. Full bodied, concentrated, masculine, yet refined, the finish kept going, with close to 60 seconds of fresh, spicy, ripe fruits that shifted from black to red. The bottle was decanted for about 2 hours before serving. This was much better than the last bottle I tasted about 6 months ago.
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1/28/2016 - nywine68 Likes this wine: 89 Points
1989 vs. 1990 Bordeaux (Vaucluse): 89 vs 90 tasting. A wine I have had on multiple occasions and have always liked a lot. Tonight it didn't show as well. Next to the 90 I felt the nose was off a bit with some funky flavors. Others liked it better than the 90.
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1/27/2016 - andyf Likes this wine: 100 Points
Joint winner of the evening with Lynch Bages 1989.
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1/17/2016 - Nanda wrote: flawed
1989/1990 Bordeaux Dinner (Feast & Imbibe - Evanston, IL): Sadly, corked.
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1/17/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: flawed
1989/1990 Bordeaux Dinner (Feast & Imbibe - Evanston IL): Corked.
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12/30/2015 - Ary Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dinner with mature Left Bank Bordeaux (Restaurant van Baerle, Amsterdam): Well delineated on the complex nose with earth, (orange) fruits, cedar and iron notes. Full bodied, smooth and super elegant on the palate with enough fruit and tannin for another 20 years of further aging. Long lingering on, a smooth end with some iron notes. Not as pronounced (on the palate) as some other bottles.
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12/29/2015 - LJT wrote:
Wonderful wine. Deep taste and long aftertaste. Strong bouquet. Better than one previous bottle. Drunk with a 1990 Montrose which was better.
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12/27/2015 - nywine68 wrote:
Nice bottle in pristine condition but not quite as god as previous bottles from same lot
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12/27/2015 - ex-sommelier Likes this wine: 97 Points
We had the 86 earlier in the week, which was still brawny and robust, though not complex, so opening the 89 I was optimistic. It started quite closed so I decanted, within an hour it was smelling of warm clay and licorice, and after 2hrs it was singing with damp leaves, cedar, black licorice, violets, and plum. It smelled like a big feast in an old library.
Color was deep and only barely fading at the rim, palate was opulent and long with thick tannin. We had it following a '90 cheval blanc, which ending up being a great contrast in style.
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12/24/2015 - peterk Likes this wine: 95 Points
Oh boy! 26 years on this wine is still vibrant. Only the colour betrays its age. Polished, balanced, silky, big, powerful - this is St. Estephe at its best.
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12/23/2015 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Took about an hour to open up. Sublime nose of cedar, low key mature black fruit, leather, tobacco leaves. Silky resolved tannins, good acidity, elegance. Leathery, tobacco, licorice taste but with the fruit core intermixed. Balanced and mature. Drinks perfectly well now (at least from half bottles like this one). The finish is harmonious and medium long. 95p
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12/17/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep, dark and young. Brambly blackberry, tar, dark earth. One hour decant. Really needs 5-10 years. 94+
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12/15/2015 - Nekodab wrote: 96 Points
Incredible earth
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12/1/2015 - ConnIntChicago Likes this wine:
Deep garnet - dark for a wine this old. Full black currant fruit on the nose, bid black candied fruit. Dry, medium plus acid, resolved tannin, alcohol all in balance, full bodied full roar cabernet - but smooth and unexpressive - perhaps the merlot toned down the complexity? Great wine but as one drinker quoted - good wine, but it just lay there. Many diners loved this and thought it was WOTN. No hurry to drink and all bottles were consistently good.
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11/28/2015 - nm10 wrote: 97 Points
Two hours decanted. Dark cherry, truffle, tobacco on the nose. Dark fruits, cherries, menthol, truffle. 75 second finish. Awesome.
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11/22/2015 - BradE wrote:
Drank nicely, but was smoked by the 89 Palmer drunk side by side.
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11/15/2015 - chablis28 wrote:
Ill be interested to see what anyone else thought of this wine tonight? For me, it wasn't a perfect btl. The nose smelled a little tired or perhaps even cooked. Then again, none of the three BDXs where truly moving me tonight. Including mine. Drinkable but uninspiring, for me.
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11/12/2015 - MarcelloW Likes this wine: 96 Points
This was very good. Still tannic, but after 2 hours in the decanter this opened up. Powerful and at the same time elegant. Really good to drink now, but has many years left. A great Bordeaux, one to remember.
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11/5/2015 - kenv Likes this wine: 94 Points
WCC Blind Tasting of Chateau Musar and Chateau Montrose (Salty's Pub & Bistro, Clifton Park, NY): [Double decanted for two hours the previous evening.] A real beast of a wine. Tannic and structure. Young and complex. This wine has a great future. Still backward. 94-?? Group #2 WOTN.
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11/4/2015 - thwacker Likes this wine: 93 Points
outstanding, still youthful other than slight tawniness on the rim. strong structure but tannins smoothing out. Complex aroma and flavor, slightly tempered by touch of brett in my bottle, but a lot of saddle leather and other secondary nuances front and center as fruit is beginning to recede.
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10/31/2015 - burlingtonm Likes this wine: 94 Points
A wine with the structure, strong tannins and firmness to set against rich fruit reflecting its great St Estephe pedigree. Cigar box nose. Very impressive and has years to go.
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8/16/2015 - LongViewCellars wrote: 96 Points
A little musty and closed off from the start, but after an hour, its beauty shined through and became a great example of what this 89' should be. Will be able to go for another 20 years IMO and should sleep a bit longer or have a proper decant.
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8/13/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 96 Points
A wine of substance and strength, but with more current refinement than one might expect, however not fully grown up and without its full depth of flavor and nuance yet. In many respects this was a younger bottle than others that I have had. Deep but primary fruit with a lot of blackberry. Light tar, dry coffee grounds, dark chocolate and on the nose subtle notes of violet and lavender underneath (I had not noted this is other recent experiences). Some pencil shavings. A slightly sweeter palate and smoother mouthcoating than other recent bottles, albeit with more rounded and approachable tannins. This bottle was ready for current consumption but somewhat of a waste as this wine will undoubtedly get better and develop additional complexity over time. And yet I keep drinking them. Decanted for one hour and then consumed over the following three hours. 96+
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8/7/2015 - Monaco Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened and decanted at the restaurant. Cork was more saturated than I was expecting and broke in half even with the Somm's Ah-So. Luckily he was able to corkscrew the base out cleanly without losing any cork into the bottle. It was then decanted through a strainer for sediment, although there turned out to be very little.
Initially this wine was completely closed. Nose was flat and musty. Initial tasting impressions were gloomy; the thought that the bottle may have been corked even crossed my mind.
About two hours after decanting it started to come alive. The barnyard nose burnt off and the typical St. Estephe profile came through. Pepper, smoke and dark fruit.
In the end I thought this beat out the '89 Angelus - but just by a hair. 95 points
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7/20/2015 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 95 Points
From half bottle with Coravin.
Takes about 2 h to open up. Wonderful nose of sweet dense perfumed dark fruit, cedar and tobacco notes. Nice tobacco and leather flavours with the earthy component in the background. The tannins are still not fully resolved and the acidity is maybe taking too much of the upperhand over the fruit. Long pure finish. The palate is a bit less complex than the nose. 94-96p
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7/19/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
With age, every bottle develops its own personality. This bottle was not at the same level as previous, recent experiences. While good, with its nose of cigar box, cedar, pencil, tobacco, earth, blackberry and cassis, the wine did not display its usual, unreal levels of depth and mouth filling concentration. With 2 hours of air, the wine fleshed out, but not as far as it should. This is not to say the wine is not where it used to be, far from it. I'm simply letting you know where this one bottle was. I'm willing to bet, the next bottle will show much better.
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7/10/2015 - mjg87 wrote:
Similar to the one I had at the Spectrum auction a few weeks ago, but with even more prominent bell pepper/herbal notes. This was definitely a change of pace from the silky smooth, perfumed DRCs.
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6/17/2015 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 97 Points
AYAYAYE! Just by putting your nose close to the glass, you're getting an amazing experience. Probably at its peak right now, but it should stay there for quite a while. Perfect balance, super complex and tasty, with a very long finish. Typical St-Estephe tiertiary aromas (barnyard, tobacco, leather...) but in a super concentrated way. Wine of the night for everyone - Tied for second place was Clos Lapostolle 2008 and Abreu Cabernet 1996...oh what a night :)
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6/6/2015 - DarinC wrote: 91 Points
Perfect cork and fill. Decanted 2 hours prior to service. Had the classic Montrose nose, but more primary than previous bottles. The primary character carried through to the palate. Plenty of dry tannins emerge on the finish. This particular bottle seemed to still be in a slumber and needed at least 5 more years in the bottle. Definitely a disappointment compared to a bottle opened 2 years ago.
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6/2/2015 - jamie24 Likes this wine: 98 Points
From magnum. Flirting with perfection. I've no idea if it can or will improve but this was spectacular. 1 more magnum left in my cellar... will try hold for a while.
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5/29/2015 - jmoon Likes this wine: 95 Points
brilliant, as last bottle... But night was clouded by 53 Lafitte and 29 yquem
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5/24/2015 - johnh1001 wrote: 94 Points
Dark fruit, smoke, gravel, graphite on the nose. Carried through to the palate. This was excellent, but next to the 1990, this seemed a touch more angular and not as full in the mouth.
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5/21/2015 - ttriant Likes this wine: 97 Points
Had another bottle three months earlier.
Same great result.
Dark red with hints of brown.
Exquisite and intense floral nose (roses ?)
Leather, barn, very long!
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5/12/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
This is the real deal here. The knock out nose of tobacco, cigar box, cedar chest, earth, blackberry and cassis is all there. Full bodied, intense, mouth filling, long and intense, the fruit really leaves a lasting impression on your palate. This is great now and will be even better in 5-10-15 or 20 years! This is one of those price wines that is truly worth the money.
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5/3/2015 - LWI wrote: 98 Points
31 Vintages of Château Montrose: 1928-2010; 5/2/2015-5/3/2015: Dark wine; dark fruits on the nose as well, black currants, some menthol; gorgeous taste, structured, no brett – completely clear fruit, big sweetness. Utterly different from the previous year. Everlasting, just lovely balance, complex finish. A very good bottle, long life ahead.
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4/16/2015 - cab blends Does not like this wine: 90 Points
Cab & Cow Dinner (Vidalia - Washington DC): Classic French nose. I did not like this (although it was the WOTN for the group) It had a slightly sharp acid punch towards the end and slighly out of balance - not an elegant wine - like a wine made in a very hot year.
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3/6/2015 - etyc wrote:
"Stiff" and four-squared... Lacking the sensual feel - still very tannic...
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3/5/2015 - Mr T wrote:
In the end, slow oxed the wine all day in the cellar, recanted before heading out and then decanted at the restaurant. We began drinking the red once it was in the decanter and throughout dinner. The wine was remarkably young in color and still going strong. Beautiful cassis, slight tobacco and an almost iron/mineral core. Very elegant but absolutely full bodied with wonderful balance. All in all, a very pretty wine and a monument to why we cellar fine wines. Forced to choose a number, 94-96.
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2/22/2015 - the player Likes this wine: 96 Points
Outstanding wine. Decanted and aerated for an hour and drank over another two hours. Lovely mature left bank nose of cassis, tobacco, spices, leather, and hints of black olives. Dense wine, color hardly suggesting the age of this wine, powerful palate full bodied and a long ingratiating finish. Tannins virtually integrated.
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2/18/2015 - BradE wrote:
Smooth, sexy, and not a bit of brett. I liked it a lot, the table loved it. Drink these, no need to hold.
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2/18/2015 - rnellans wrote: 95 Points
Dark. Beautiful floral nose with no brett. Quite soft with tannins in the background. Super balance and length. A lovely wine in the pocket for current drinking.
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2/14/2015 - ttriant Likes this wine: 97 Points
Dark red with hints of brown.
Exquisite and intense floral nose (roses ?)
Leather, barn, very long!
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1/22/2015 - Bordeauxman wrote: 94 Points
Dark blue, black fruit & red fruit along with a saddle leather and forest floor. Wonderful wine which would benefit from another 10+ years of age.
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1/15/2015 - conviction buy Likes this wine: 97 Points
Slow breathing in btl deep garnet color, distinct aroma of bdx, acutually in btw St Estephe and Margaux on the heels of very strong floral element. Some tea leaves and florest floor and cocoa. Plush in mouth, filled with cassis, cedar and floral, tannin already rather smooth, very long finish but complex and continue to be interesting. Rivals the 1990! Superb!
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1/12/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nose of blackberry, tar, black truffle, moss and white pepper. Palate is consistent, with still strong tannins that even a a long decant can't fully manage. Decanted for two hours and consumed over the following two. The '89 continues its long evolution and while enjoyable now, could greatly benefit from another 5+ years in the cellar.
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1/10/2015 - rcg62 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wow wine. Dark in color and looking young. Mouth coating tannins, with long long finish. Cassis, berry and almost some spice bite on the palate.
A bomb. Not peaked and miles left in the tank. Better than I'd remembered, really coming together. I think this is close to perfection in ten years!
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12/30/2014 - rdsboca wrote: 92 Points
This was the most approachable and a crowd favorite. Drinking nicely now but may not age as well as the 1990. Dark sherry fruit, ample oak and sweet tannins. Not silky but damn easy to drink.
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12/22/2014 - Peliot Likes this wine: 95 Points
Surprising but it really needed 3-4 hours of air. Thankfully I reserved half for after dinner. It improved substantially with several hours in the decanter. Absolutely youthful wine but fully resolved tannins. Inky deep ruby color. No bricking or Brett. Nose like a pauillac until a few hours brought out more fruit and less if that roasted leather that many old bdx have. Black currents and beach plums. Smooth, round, and full bodied. Long staining finish. Just great.
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12/18/2014 - Christine Havens wrote: 96 Points
Beautifully evolved nose of leather, mulberry, brambly red berries, clove and dried mint. Medium-bodied with a regal countenance—there is still tons of structure, with mouth-coating fine grain tannin in abundance. Truly, this wine could go on and on and on in the cellar. The 1989 Château Montrose is not terribly fruit-driven, rather it's interior space is occupied by notes of dusty, clayey soil, cedar, black tea and spice. That wonderful impression of clove is on the finish, too.
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11/18/2014 - aajder wrote: 91 Points
Good color, some fading. The nose is lush and fairly elegant, showing feminine aromas of flowers, berries, cedar, oak and minerals. This is fairly full bodied on the palate, with very good concentration and lovely finesse. The fairly long finish shows ripe tannins and balancing acidity. This bottle was not properly stored, so I assume better bottles would be even more exciting.
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11/13/2014 - salil wrote: 89 Points
Still feels remarkably young with a dense core of black fruit framed by earthy, oaky and pencil lead notes. With some time in the glass it becomes more complex and savoury on the nose, but there's a slightly rustic, coarse aspect to the tannin and texture on the palate, and while it's enjoyable, I felt this suffered in the company of the L'Evangile and old Mayacamas.
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10/31/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
What a wine! The tobacco, earth, spice, cassis, blackberry, cedar, earth and truffle nose is a winner. But that's just the warm up. The palate is where the real action takes place. The fruit does not quit and neither does the finish. This is stellar now, and if you wait, it's going to be even better.
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10/24/2014 - Ericsson Likes this wine: 96 Points
Bordal chez PG (100% Bordeaux) (Collex-Bossy (Genève)): Superbe! Il venait juste après Cheval-Blanc dans la série et aussi dans mon classement final!
La robe est la plus profonde et la plus soutenue de la série. Le nez s'est ouvert lentement et la bouche est devenue de plus en plus complexe. On a pensé avoir à faire à Pauillac... mais non!
A boire et à garder.
Mon n° 2.
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9/9/2014 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 95 Points
Rich and deep with blackberry, tar, mocha, and black pepper. Approachable now despite firm tannins, but this should really be held until it evolves further. Not a subtle wine now, this will certainly become more elegant with time. Requires an extended decant. 95+
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9/6/2014 - the player Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted and aerated for over an hour and drank over 2. Deep crimson color, thick and very slight bricking at the rim. Almost as good as the 1990 but different in style. Mature wine, nose reticent at first with leather, complex wet stone, pencil lead, cassis, iron with spicy black fruits emerging towards the end. Rich on the palate, dense and complex, great purity and balance, the wine is classic Bordeaux and full bodied. Still vivacious, super structure, excellent minerality and fully resolved tannins with backbone and an extremely satisfying dry finish. Excellent.
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8/31/2014 - Nike-Raider Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted. After 4 hours the leathery nose was beginning to open, showing Casis and other black fruit. There was no funk or barnyard at any stage.
The pallet was big, rich, dark and brooding with black coffee, pepper and bakers chocolate. There is also pencil lead, earth, and wet stone. If you are patient you will find shadows of black fruit up front. Endless finish. I love it.
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8/29/2014 - cos65 Likes this wine:
Deep opaque purple black. Heady raw meat, iron, iodine aromas. On palate this is still totally raw and fairly primary still and nowhere near ready. Huge promise, but hold for now
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8/29/2014 - hongkongtom Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank on a Friday afternoon with the usual office crew. Very well structured, decanted for an hour, balanced, delicious. Drunk alongside a 1997 Gaja Costa Russi from the El Bulli Cellar. Mixed opinion as to which was better. Both excellent
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8/14/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Eclectic Wine Dinner (goosefoot - Chicago IL): Bretty, dirty, barnyardy...to the extent some thought corked. But this had been open and decanted for hours, so if corked would have been worse. Off bottle?
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8/14/2014 - KenK Likes this wine: 89 Points
Barnyard, bretty, animale aromas, dark, horse hair funk.
Dark sweet, but loads of bretty shoe polosh quAlity, gamey, dark vlack earthy wuailty. Nice texture and balance. Chewy dark black toast. Rhone funk. Nice structure. An aquired taste. Vit too funky for me.
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8/14/2014 - jmoon Likes this wine: 96 Points
Brilliant.
Opened and hit by strong funky leather nose very left bank.
Left to decant 2 hrs and funk blew off to reveal anise, graphite, leather and sweet wood. Stunning precision, freshness and long finish. Fantastic wine
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8/11/2014 - MC wrote:
Seagrams NY label, as all in the current case are. Decanted 2.5 hours. Was showing its tannin on opening, with some bricking starting to show in the color - but a nose that promised good things. This really is a great wine and wonderful with food or on its own. Dark fruit, all the classic Bordeaux elements. Long finish, but elegant and great with food. I do think I prefer it to the '90 - at least now. Drink now with a 2 hour decant but a long life ahead. A
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7/23/2014 - pixie87 Likes this wine: 91 Points
A dusty old house in the middle of the forest. Forestfloor, creepers and moss on the wall, vegetal. You push open the door, more dust and some stone assault you. You look around, but there is nothing inside, it is empty. You take a step in, tentatively, and suddenly you see a bowl of red fruit from the corner of your eye. You pick one up, take a bite, and let the flavors wash over you.
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7/2/2014 - jinks Likes this wine: 97 Points
This put on quite a show. Decanted but drank soon thereafter.
Young appearing, garnet, hint of bricking.
Constantly changing aromas in the glass as well as on the palate.
Strong aromas of raw meat and dust initially, but gradually gave way to fruit and earth.
Hits everywhere on the palate with a combination of fresh and dried dark fruit, dirt, dried leaves, cigar box, musty smoke, on and on.
Long vibrant finish. Spectacular.
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6/30/2014 - Paul D wrote:
Bordeaux Wimps (La Trompette, Chiswick): Medium/deep garnet. Medium intense, pencil lead, touch of fruit cake, cedar, slightly firm tannins, balanced acidity, very good length finish. ****
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6/29/2014 - Bordeauxman wrote: 88 Points
Disappointed with this bottle. We purchased 6 IIRC in an Acker auction and they have all seemed to be far from their prime and perhaps heat damaged at some point in the last 25 years. I've had other bottles of the 1989 Montrose that were off the charts awesome in the mid 90's point wise.
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6/28/2014 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 93 Points
Pretty close to full maturity with more leathery notes than a few years ago. On the palate there is a lot going on: it has notes of iron, iodine and other minerals, overlaid with soy, spices and dark chocolate. It has rasping metallic edge, and perhaps lacks the smoothness and the mid-palate density of some really great wines. Still it is a marvellous complex wine, which should drink well for another ten years. Superb though it is, it has now been overtaken by Cos D'Estournel 1989, which has that extra dimension of class.
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6/7/2014 - Russell Faulkner wrote:
UAE Wine Dinner: As I remember it, brooding still a little, dark fruits, slate, dense with a bite.
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5/31/2014 - the player Likes this wine: 95 Points
Hedonistic to the bone much like every 89 I've had, and just beginning to hit its maturity. Decanted and aerated for an hour then drank over 2. Deep crimson, slightly black at the core. On the nose, opulent licorice, black fruits and mocha laced with exotic spices and old leather, almost right bank. Creamy entry on the palate, very fat and glycerin like, delectable black fruits, toffee and chocolate mid palate with complexity and a solid structure confirming this wine's pedigree, very nicely balanced with sufficient acidity, fully resolved tannins and a wonderful finish. Excellent wine!
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5/26/2014 - Nekodab wrote: 95 Points
Simply incredible!! Earth outstanding!!
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5/17/2014 - mwanasheria wrote: 95 Points
1989 in the Rheingau (Eltville, Rheingau, Germany): Nose of licorice, raisins and chocolate. On the palate earth, cassis, malt. Pretty nice.
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5/4/2014 - William Kelley Likes this wine: 95 Points
A saturated ruby-black, this was the best bottle of the 1989 Montrose that I have encountered. An explosive bouquet of black cherry and blackcurrant, hot earth, truffle, rich soil tones and subtle leather is followed by an amazingly expansive, supple and rich palate impression, with comparatively low acidity and amazing intensity. Layered and seamless, this is surely one of the greatest wines ever produced at Chateau Montrose.
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4/20/2014 - Tad GW Likes this wine: 93 Points
50+5+12+18+8=93
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4/13/2014 - galewskj wrote: 95 Points
Big Bordeaux VII (Kevin's house): 5 hour decant and followed a small pour over a little over an hour. This opened up considerably within 20 minutes in glass. Tobacco, tar, dusty chocolate, palate was thin initially but became very rich and dynamic. Structure is incredible. Long strong finish.
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4/12/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Big Bordeaux VII: Featuring 1986 & 1989 Super Seconds (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Purple color - inky. 5hr decant, drank a 2.5oz pour over 2.5 hours. Still a little reticent on the nose at first, opens gradually, cigar, leather, cassis, blackberry, dark and brooding at times, smoky, cedarbox, plum and black cherry. Once this was open for business, the nose was fantastic! The palate was more concentrated, powerful, tobacco, dark chocolate, anise, black fruits, a bit tart, caressing on the palate, full bodied, with a 45second finish. The tannins are round and this is oh so young with the structure to go another 15 years easily. 94(+)pts. My #4 and group #1 WOTN.
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4/12/2014 - brianakrin wrote: 89 Points
Rich and full bodied but it had a sourness and a sharpness that was off-putting. Even after 2+ hours, though the wine had softened a bit, the sourness persisted. My is higher than it otherwise would be to give it the benefit of doubt based on the other CT scores.(perhaps it does need a 6 hour decant!?)
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3/22/2014 - wenderoth Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened for my stepfather's 75th birthday. Capsule and cork in great shape - last 10mm of cork wet, the rest like the day it was bottled. Wine level well into neck. Double decanted and allowed to come to room temperature over 2 hours. Wine a dark, plush garnet, immensely clear and vibrant. Nose a little funky at first, but resolved into a mixture of primary and secondary notes, oscillating between savoury Provençal/smoky/meaty overtones and almost jammy black fruit aromas. Palate reflected this - lovely juicy plum and blackberry up front giving way to savoury charcuterie and leather on the finish, which was long, long, long. A delightful wine and a pleasure to drink.
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3/17/2014 - J-Doh Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fabulous example of mature Bordeaux. Decanted to accompany a St. Paddy's meal of Potato, Leek, Mushroom and Chicken pie. The cork was in excellent condition and the wine's color still youthful. The tannins are now velvet and the complexity of taste and aroma makes me think another bottle might be wasted on beef. Full, but not overpowering. Exceptional.
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3/1/2014 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 96 Points
Consistent with my previous note. A 5hr decant isn't enough - try 6hrs next time, but ideally wait for another 2-3yrs before retrying. This wine really puts on weight in the glass and has a beguiling balance that reminds me of the best 96 Bordeaux wines, but provides a laser-like sharpness to the wine despite it's weight. This bottle is more structured than I remember (my last bottle was from a different case and 2yrs ago) but no less impressive. Can't wait for more complexity to come out in this... it will be a legendary wine, and probably the best steak wine I can ever imagine.
Whilst it is a personal preference, I now strongly believe this WILL only continue to improve and exceed the 90 Montrose. The 90 Montrose drinks wonderfully now, but the 89 Montrose will age better and will not be in primetime until 2020 (and last a long time after that). 96-98pts for now, from me and glad to have stocked up at prices only 30% above where the 03 Montrose is selling.
For me, the Montroses to buy are 89, 96, 01, 05, 00, 08 (in that order, factoring price, age and potential). Yup, I've excluded the 03... would take 2 cases of the 05 over it any day...
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2/13/2014 - noppakit s. wrote: 95 Points
To celebrate Valentine's Day 2014.
Rose from the mountain...Opens up with the smell of house shit (in a good way), one moment later, it becomes wonderful barnyard like Checal Blanc's first nose.
When the fruit gets along, it's very much like Ch. Margaux and ends up with sweet cassis like Haut-Brion. Great wine !!!
Balance is perfect at this moment, very velvet in texture, beautiful structure, very very fine indeed.
Aftertaste is soft and smooth, mild blowin' finished.
Drink now !!! 95-96/100
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2/2/2014 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Super Bowl 2014 (Roswell, GA): Dark core with brownish brick rim; roasted, cigar, obvious Bordeaux, burnt sugar, leaner quality to it, green pepper, red fruit; viscous, a good bit of tannin, the fruit is a little roasted, coffee, luxurious but lacks a bit of balance; got vintage but was on wrong bank.
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1/18/2014 - englishman's claret wrote: 95 Points
Big but well-mannered. Dark fruit predominantly, some blueberry and anise. Less mineral than last time. Very fresh, but still a bit monolithic. I think this still has the potential to improve.
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1/18/2014 - RockinCabs wrote: 95 Points
Nose: anise, black cherry, cassis and blueberry. Complex layered nose. Palate: anise, blackberry, spice, sarsaparilla root spice, cherry and rock/mineral notes. Finish: extremely long silky and persistent. Exceptional!
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1/9/2014 - PanosKakaviatos wrote: 97 Points
Bordeaux matters, along with Burgundy and Champagne and Port and ... (Ripple Restaurant in Washington D.C.): I rated this so high not because I brought the bottle :-). No, because it seems to communicate everything that I want from a great left bank Bordeaux: structure combined with nuanced richness and a long - very long - finish. Certainly it could use another 10 years. The bottle was double decanted five hours before the dinner. Though it was not foreboding, the tannin was present. Prices are going up on this vintage, as more tasters appreciate its consistency compared to the mythical 1990, which too often ends up being less than mythical.
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1/9/2014 - dcwino wrote: 97 Points
Belated holiday dinner - Mostly Burg and Bordeaux (Ripple Restaurant in DC): Expressive nose displaying intense sweet dark fruits, cassis, plum, lead pencil, cedar, a hint of leather and earth. Excellent concentration, silky palate, sweet dark fruit impression and nicely integrated tannins. Very complex overall expression and the structure to age. This is more focused, showing greater precision and structure than the 90. Although incredibly enjoyable, it will improve further if you like strong tertiary note.
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12/19/2013 - soyhead wrote:
tasted back to back with the 1990 montrose
nose - beautiful, funk filled
mouth - tea, cherry, sweet berry, very open, sweaty and bitter, fruity and complex. a wow wine, and one of the more memorable bordeaux i have had to date. drinking much more open than the 1990.
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12/12/2013 - Wine Fool Likes this wine: 98 Points
The color is a textbook example of a wine of its type and age: a limpid ruby core waning to Almandine garnet at the meniscus. The soaring, room-filling nose is a miracle of complexity: cassis, redcurrant, black plum, cedar wood, crushed violet, Balkan Sobranie tobacco, pine smoke and forest floor are interlaced with a musky-sweet aroma akin to aged grey ambergris. It is moderately large, sensually round, and smooth as Magu silk in the mouth. The palate is pampered by long and generous, almost fulsome, flavors of fully-ripened black fruit, meaty cèpe, espresso bean, veal demi-glace, black olive, cigar box, wet earth and stony minerals. These flavors, which are deep, rich and very umami, are brightened and enlivened by a succulent acidity. The tannins are sweet and rounded, refined and noble. This near-perfect wine epitomizes balance, poise and symmetry and is compellingly beautiful. Approaching maturity, it has many years promised to it. It is why we lay down and drink red Bordeaux. I wish I had more for my soon-approaching dotage. 98+ points.
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11/22/2013 - Blair Curtis wrote: 96 Points
This was tremendous. So elegant (for a St. Estephe!), and not a hair out of place. Balance is impeccable. Still lovely structure - great wine with dinner. Nice and savory. Less of the barnyard rusticity than one often encounters with Montrose of this era. A delight!
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11/20/2013 - Thoughtful Likes this wine: 98 Points
Stored in a cold cellar since release. Very top shoulder a surprise and concern. Perfect cork. Perfect condition. Still brilliant red.
Best Montrose tasted from experience going back to 1952 - oldest claret I've ever tasted in good condition.
Remarkable finesse for St Estephe. Seems perfect now. Hard to see how it will improve - perhaps lucky with the bottle. Will last another 25 years
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11/12/2013 - coyler Likes this wine:
This was a really good wine as well. Perhaps a bit more civilized that the GPL '82, but not quite as ready or as exciting. Interestingly, the fruit felt more restrained here. That being said, we are arguing over nits. This is another great wine that is showing great!
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11/2/2013 - Spl232 wrote: 93 Points
2013 Atlanta Commanderie Parlement (Four Season Midtown (Atlanta, Ga)): Of the 1989 super 2nds, this wine really paired best with the venison. A little too much acidity on it's own, but really caming into harmony with the meal.
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11/1/2013 - Ary wrote: 94 Points
Was double-decanted two hours before drinking and that was not enough; needs more air. Full bodied, fresh and powerful, minerals, little black fruits and well integrated tannins. This bottle (0,75) was more closed than others earlier, from a French private collection recently acquired. Needs more time and gain more points.
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9/27/2013 - esburgundy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank with OT, WTT and Sam 678 dinner. This wine is in a great place, at almost 20 years old. The edges are starting to show some orange and tiger eye. The nose is no longer primary, nice secondary aromas, little brett and rubber. Great fruit-graphite -and very well balanced.
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9/27/2013 - willthethrill Likes this wine: 93 Points
Black red velvet color. Blackberry, lead pencil and slightly earthy yet a youthful wine - we drank side by side with a 1998 Latour and would never have guessed that these wine were 19 years apart. EM wine dinner.
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9/20/2013 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine:
Next to the '95. Even this one is big and muscular - long decant surely helped but frankly still a few years away from prime drinking if you ask me. It's deep and black-fruited, almost impenetrable, but shows some savoriness and soil on the back end.
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9/8/2013 - rnyrny79 Likes this wine: 97 Points
This was a great example of the legendary 1989 vintage. From the minute the bottle was poured into the decanter, and intoxicating bouqet filled the room. The nose offers the entire spectrum of notes ranging from the finest red berries, dark berries, graphite, pencil lead, vanilla, cedar and tobacco notes which again is offered on the palate. The finish never seems to end.
A magnificent wine with the only error, if one could call it that, it could be more powerful...and that is exactly what you get from the 1990 vintage but alas cost twice the price of the 1989 vintage.
So, if I was to choose between one bottle of the 1990 or two bottles of the 1989...I would (a no-brainer) go for the two bottles because it is simply a fantastic wine!!
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7/24/2013 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 95 Points
Montose Dinner (89, 90, 95, 96, 99, 00, 01, 05) Plus Others: The nose offered very clean aromas of dark fruit, leather and mineral. The taste was smooth and concentrated with great red fruit and mineral flavors. This filled the mouth with flavor, had such concentration, and yet seemed so light and silky. The finish was long and satisfying.
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7/14/2013 - LJT wrote: 93 Points
Good fruit; long aftertaste; ready now
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7/9/2013 - KingSlacker999 wrote: 92 Points
Very deep brooding wine. Still too young by at least 3 years. Beautiful nose of dark fruit and a bit of animalistic funk, in a good way. Good length. Will be much better later.
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6/8/2013 - Ary wrote: 96 Points
Left Bank Bordeaux from the 1980-s (semi blind) (Amsterdam Wijn Antiquariaat): From Magnum. Dark sweet fruits, minerals, wet stone, and old leather. Thick and elegant on the palate with fruits, Asian spices, some camphor and mint. Compared to other 80-s Left Bank bottles this evening fairly closed. Tannins "to chew on" and Minutes long lingering on. What a beast of a wine.
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6/2/2013 - Clos & Cru Likes this wine: 97 Points
What a wine! So elegant, silky smooth tannin and fresh, balanced acidity, beautiful fruit purity.
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5/21/2013 - Wowofwine Likes this wine: 100 Points
Wow! The montrose 1989 seems to improve again and again.
This beauty will be easely compare to the 1990! (but 1989 price is cheaper than 1990). Perfect storage and level.
Drink now - 2030 (and more!)
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5/17/2013 - Cinsault86 wrote: 94 Points
Flaske Nr 2 leverer på et annet nivå enn den første. Mørk og rustikk nese med innslag av tobakk og hengt kjøtt. I munnen intens, fokusert, bra balanse med strålende syrlige og sødmefulle bær. Strukturert og deilig taningrep. Jeg synes vinen manglet litt friskhet. 94p.
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4/22/2013 - Rupert wrote:
A fine spring lunch (The Glasshouse, Kew, London): Completing a brilliant trio of clarets, this too was ripe and gamey, much less funky than past bottles. Real top drawer claret entering its prime.
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4/19/2013 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 96 Points
Bordeaux 1989 Horizontal Tasting (Zurich): Wow! what a wonderful wine the 1989 Montrose is. The nose shows signs of leather, earth with a combination of just red berries and plums. A wonderful sweetness makes this wine very elegant. It is long, complex and powerful. This is just great! Drink now - 2030.
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4/9/2013 - europat55 wrote: flawed
Spring Lamb with 20+ Years Old Bordeaux (Portola Kitchen Restaurant, CA): This was slightly corked (although some tasters at the table disagreed) so it was difficult to see and appreciate what was behind, but I could definitely see a solid backbone and a Parker style palate. Too bad!
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4/8/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 99 Points
WOW! Seldom are wines in the Oh My God category. 1989 Montrose is the real deal. Explosive levels of perfume filled with crushed gravel, stone, licorice, tobacco, cocoa, creamy blackberry, mint, caramel, smoke, truffle and incense are off the charts. There is only a minor whiff of barnyard aromas, which adds to the complexity. Powerful, full bodied and almost dense enough to eat with a spoon. This beautiful, pure wine coats your mouth, palate, teeth and gums with sweet, polished, jammy blackberries, There is an intense purity to this stunning wine. The long, finish remains etched in your palate and mind as it builds in flavor and intensity for almost 60 seconds. This sublime tasting experience is only going to get better for several decades. If you love Bordeaux, this wine belongs in your cellar.
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4/3/2013 - tooch wrote: 95 Points
Dinner in LA (Some restaurant in KoreaTown): This is still a youngish Montrose. The earthy, farm-land armosas are there (thankfully), with great acidity. The palate was shy at times, but had some really nice truffle notes with violets and earth. Great bottle, which for me, eclipsed the 1990 from 3 years ago. This should only improve with time.
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3/29/2013 - Bordeauxman wrote: 94 Points
No notes but this is an awesome wine!
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3/20/2013 - Collector1855 wrote: 98 Points
Served during a tasting session. This wine was the favorite of the night. Dense, almost new world sweet fruit but then again, the typical Bdx aromas and big but well integrated tannins. Smoky, earthy with black fruits, very Medoc. An impressive showing. If your bottles are kept as well as this one (collector with a temperature controlled cellar brought it) than the wine has still good years ahead.
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3/15/2013 - thwacker Likes this wine: 95 Points
turning a bit tawny around the rim. warm, deep cassis and plums on the nose with cedar and a touch of brett, not too much. silky smooth tannins, good balance with prolonged finish.
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3/4/2013 - jamie24 Likes this wine: 96 Points
tasted from magnum. no formal notes taken. always a relief when such a fabled wine lives up to expectations. 3 hour decant which was plenty. heavy bricking at the rim. i'd say at the height of it's powers where it should remain for another decade. everything you'd expect from mature bordeaux from a top chateau from a great vintage. excellent.
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3/3/2013 - gcvita01 wrote: 90 Points
Tannins mostly gone but good flavor/fruit. Medium body. I did not decant bottle but it needed to breathe. Drank two bottles and the second, which was out of cellar longer, tasted better. We had it with a red seafood pasta dinner and it held up well. I would plan to drink now or over next 5 yrs.
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3/3/2013 - LJT wrote: 94 Points
Deep wine. Very good fruit and long aftertaste. Not a lot of tobacco or leather. A very good wine that still has five to ten years left
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2/14/2013 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine: 95 Points
Have been tasting this wine for a long time & seems to be losing some fruit & tannin as you would expect at this point. Super barnyard nose typical of Bordeaux. I wouldn't buy this wine at this point & look to drink my final bottle in the next year. This was one of the best wines I have ever owned along with the 90.
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1/19/2013 - melzar wrote: 93 Points
Not as blown away as I expected, considering the reputation of this wine. Violets on the nose, great palate and a long lingering finish. Still young and just entering it's plane of maturity. This wine has years of positive evolution ahead. A little monolithic though, at this stage of maturity. Tasted along side '82 Figeac, the Montrose just lacked the subtle elegance that those of us that cellar wine cherish.
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1/8/2013 - unrelenting Likes this wine: 94 Points
very powerful with much potential but the finish and delineation of the palate are still in development. i'd wait another 5 yrs minimum
@IWFS Chicago #781
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12/30/2012 - MadelinePuckette Likes this wine:
This wine was in good form when opened. Drinking perhaps towards the top of it's bell curve, with only slight hints of volatile acidity in the aroma. Flavors of Tobacco, old leather are predominant but lead into burnt raspberry, anise and prune. Acidity was medium plus. Tannin was medium plus on front and medium grit on roof of my mouth.
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12/25/2012 - bonedoc wrote: 96 Points
'89 montrose and '94 dunn Howell mtn, xmas dinner w prime rib. Both fabulous. Montrose had tons of sweet fruit, sweet tannins, , low acid (almost a CDP style) and a long finish of chalky minerals - this will go another 10 for sure, but no reason to wait. The dunn cork crumbled and smelled corked for the first 20 min after opening, just about to pop another bottle and I decided to check again - it came alive after 1-2 hrs and was humming thereafter. Classic dunn mtn fruit, sweet cassis w unmistakeable structure and balance - this will also go another 5-10, but no reason to wait... make sure you let it breathe.
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12/21/2012 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
On the palate still some faint black fruits, some sweetness, firm acidity, soft tannin with still a bite and some bitterness in the finish. This wine can definitely last for many more years, but I wonder how it will taste like if all the fruit has disappeared. Hope to taste again around 2020 to see.
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12/11/2012 - BradKNYC wrote:
End of year dinner; Break out the good stuff- Alto Adige, Rhone, Bordeaux, Barolo, Loire and Port. (Amali.): Always one of my favorite '89s, this showed in typical strong fashion. Wonderful depth and complexity here and while still showing youthfully, there's nice tertiary development. Dark cherry fruit dominates and melds with classic herb, cedar and earth elements. The acidity in the wine has always kept the wine fresh and, imo, makes it a slightly better balanced and more transparent wine than the '90. With air the wine did start to shut down a little. A long life ahead for this one as it's still on the young side of peak. A.
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11/15/2012 - Mrbuzz wrote: 96 Points
Jen's Fund Raiser Dinner II (Max's Bistro, Fresno Ca.): Mmmm this was good! Very young and dark still...the perfect ripeness and aged fruit....youthful acidity, plum liqueur, leather, powdery graphite tannins still firm....wonderful complexities of camphor, mint, flowers...very seductive...a sit back wine. Would love some of this in the cellar!
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11/14/2012 - DarinC wrote: 96 Points
Perfect fill, mostly damp cork, very little sediment. Everything a mature Montrose should be---earth, iron, blackberry, currant, plums, cigar box, leather, slate, black cherry, and toasted herbs. Wonderful balance. Medium body. Tannins were mostly resolved. Very long finish. Drank great upon opening, improved slightly with air and held for several hours.
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11/2/2012 - MauriceE wrote:
Not the best example. Sturdy. Yet very good.
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10/28/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
1989 Chateau Montrose is so good, it’s close to being off the charts! Not only is this a stunning wine, it’s remarkably consistent as well. Licorice, espresso, cassis, jammy blackberry, earth, truffle, smoke, cigar box and stone aromas grab you. But it’s the waves of fresh, intense, expansive fruit and spice that remain on your palate for close to 60 seconds that you know, this is what great Bordeaux is all about. This wine is often compared to the 1990 Montrose. This is almost as good, or even better if you like, and it sells for a fraction of the price. This can be enjoyed today or aged for 30 to 50 more years! The wine was produced from a unique blend of only two grape varieties, 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot.
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10/26/2012 - Ary wrote: 96 Points
Big masculine wine. Sweet ripe dark fruits in the nose with minerals, cedar and shaved pencil notes. Classic in the mouth, well-delineated with fresh cherries and earth tones, still quite some tannins in the finish.
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10/18/2012 - Clrv wrote: flawed
This bottle was dead unfortunately. I have one more bottle left and hope it is in better shape
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10/2/2012 - Stefanos T. wrote: 94 Points
The cork would not come out in one piece and maybe the wine was affected. A high end Bordeaux but not quite like the magnificent and infinitely younger Montrose 1990. Was it the bottle?
Typical Bordeaux nose from a hot year with cedar, leather, black earth and jammy blackcurrant fruit. Still has a tannic grip. Serious wine with velvety texture and fluidity, high flavor concentration but I think there was some sign of oxidation.
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10/1/2012 - Dokken wrote: 96 Points
Right...exactly like Yiannis described BD almost got it right this time. Textbook mature Medoc on the nose with cedar, mint, integrated oak around a dense core of black fruit. Very refined on palate with polished tannins, great concentration and persistent finish. Well balanced with no edges this is a great example of a mature(ing) Bordeaux. Maybe it will even get better over the next years...
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10/1/2012 - Yiannis wrote: 95 Points
Third attempt of our friend B.D. to open a monumental bottle last night on the occasion of his daughter's baptism (next tp Pingus 2000 and Domaine du Pegau Cuvee Laurence 1998) and this time he got it (almost) right. Complex and seductive nose of leather, ink, cedar, dark cherry and graphite. Full-bodied, dense and youthful with firm, juicy tannins, freshness and balancing acidity. Very long aftertaste. Once again, good old Bordeaux was proved as representing the safest bet.
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9/22/2012 - jkoenen wrote: 91 Points
Cos-Montrose Battle (Restaurant Bottles, Sas van Gent): More austere and masculine then the preceding wine. Striking notes of anise/fennel. Vigorous, sourish tannines. Lacking the complexity and length to be extraordinary. 17.5-18/20
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9/18/2012 - SimonG wrote: 91 Points
Rupert's 89 'Super Seconds' Offline (The Medlar, London): Single blind. Dark and really quite dense, but ripe. There is some minerality here. A touch of liquorice too. Dense and almost a touch overdone. Cos? No, Montrose. With air it's showing a bit drier and possibly a little cheesier. Bare ****
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9/15/2012 - Dave Canada wrote: 97 Points
Super Tasting 1 of 6 - Andrew does 1989 Bordeaux (Langdon Hall, Blair, Ontario): This wine is gorgeous….spice, pure dark fruit, leather earth and saddle….palate is so pure, integrated and complex with great primary fruit mixed with great secondary nuance and character. Finish is unending…..so long and flavourful.
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9/15/2012 - macker100 wrote: 92 Points
No notes taken at sendoff. Not even close to the '90, especially on the nose. Poyferre outshined.
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9/15/2012 - Wine Canuck wrote: 97 Points
Super Tasting 1 of 6 - Andrew (Langdon Hall, Cambridge, ON): What a nose! I could small this all night, so wildly complex. Very exotically spiced with a nice dark cherry fruit profile and some touches of leather. I really love this wine as it send now and I think it was last a long time. I found this not to have too much stink and I think it's on the early side of maturity. So beautiful, so pleasing, I love it.
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9/15/2012 - alittle wrote: 96 Points
Tasting Group Dinner Series (1 of 6) / Andrew's 28th Birthday (Red Room, Langdon Hall, Cambridge, Ontario): Received the same treatment as other bottles in this flight; essentially decanted approximately 2 hours in the bottle. Followed in the glass for the remainder of the evening. Purple in the glass, minor bricking. A wildly funky nose, with quite a bit of brettanomyces on first pour, accented by notes of blackberries, red fruits, spice, earth, iodine, cedar, smoke, light mushroom and dark chocolate. On the palate, still going strong structurally, with firm tannin and moderate acidity. The finish is long, and ends with a lingering sense of dark fruits, spice, earth and a touch of leather. An exceptional wine.
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9/15/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 95 Points
The Big Sendoff; 9/15/2012-9/16/2012 (The Home of Dave L): Good fill with staining to the top of the cork. Initially very closed but opened over several hours. Nose showing prominent bell pepper, black currants and leather. Palate with well structure and balanced, still showing prominent coarse tannins on the back end. Plenty of darker fruit with a plum and black currant profile. Still coming across as youthful and vibrant. Lengthy finish adding mocha, spice, cedar, black fruit, and wood. A vibrant wine, still young with great complexity, just lacking some of the nuance and polish of the Lynch Bages. A step below a recent ’90 which was much more exotic and flamboyant. I can see the ’96 becoming a similar wine to this (hopefully)
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8/24/2012 - godx wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Similar nose to the ’82 Cos but with more complexity with notes of dark fruits, cedar, earth, cassis and spice. On the palate, this is much bigger and masculine than the Cos showing more structure and richer, deeper and more abundant fruit. Has a layered density in the mouth with sweet tannins, superb balance and excellent acidity adding energy and poise. The finish is very long. Drinking extremely well now but should continue at this pace (maybe even continue to improve) for a decade or more. I think I’ll drink my remaining few bottles over the next 10 years or so. Outstanding. 94+
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8/7/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Can this wine get any better? Each time I taste 1989 Montrose, it seems to improve. It's full bodied, powerful, concentrated, rich, deep, complex and offers a big mouthful of ripe black fruit, spice, tobacco and earth. The tannins are ripe and the finish must last at least 60 seconds! Everything about this wine is in balance. Drink this now, or hold it for 20 or more years. With the exception of the 2003 Montrose, this is the vintage of Chateau Montrose to own.
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8/5/2012 - Bordeauxman wrote: 95 Points
Awesome wine. no notes taken.
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6/27/2012 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 97 Points
A broody wine, very dark and still improving. Decanted 5 hours, when typical tastes of blackcurrent, some toast, earth and clay. Started to developed early aromatic complexity after few more hours in the glass, coupled with a long and complex finish. 97pts with a long decant now, but I would be stunned if this does not become 99+pts in another 5-10 years and last >20years thereafter. Wait and your patience will be rewarded... whilst not cheap, this must be one of the best values for a potentially legendary bottle of Bordeaux.
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6/16/2012 - thwacker wrote: 94 Points
beautiful wine, still young and vibrant, dark purple in color with elegant perfume on the nose and smooth rich fruit on the palate. drinking beautifully, opening nicely after decanting and drinking over 2.5 hours.
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6/15/2012 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
9th Annual Blind Challenge (The Square, Mayfair, London): Cool, light, very fresh, tannic. It tastes like another fine youthful claret, but we've had three of those already. Surprised to find it was Montrose 89, which I've found markedly funky in the past, whereas this was quite clean. In any event, a fine wine, which is too young right now.
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6/15/2012 - SimonG wrote: 94 Points
Keith's Blind Challenge 2012 (The Square, London): Blind. dark, dense core but lighter at the rim. A little richer. Looks and tastes like another 89 left bank claret. More accessible than the PB on tonight's showing, quite mineral, an interesting mix of line and austerity encased in the rich wrapping of the vintage. 89 left bank but I don't know what. ****1/2
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6/1/2012 - -E- wrote: 94 Points
Bordeaux Søskenparsmaking (Moss, Norway): Dyp rød med så vidt bruning i kanten. Noe jord og våt kjeller på nese, men først og fremst alldeles nydelig parfyme her; innsmigrende, floral og sødmefull. Mørk, nærmest beksvart inngang som følges opp av en utrolig massiv frukt. Vanvittig konsentrasjon. En påle av en vin. Masse tørrstoff. Kraftpakke.
94-95 P
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6/1/2012 - LWI wrote: 96 Points
Bordeaux Siblings (Moss, Norway): Classic notes, very powerful, dark berry fruit, some bonfire, black currents, graphite. A lot of everything, including tannin, primary, enormous concentration, but lacking in elegance. Still, I am utterly impressed.
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4/25/2012 - Border Boss wrote: 98 Points
Montrose Flight - 1982, 1989, 1990, 1995 (Kendall College - Chicago): A dark, brooding wine that is still a little asleep. Noticeably darker than the 1990. The nose is muted but there's cedar and leather that's starting to come through. The palate is starting to show black fruits, tobacco and licorice with a huge tannic backbone that's not off-putting. This is a classically built Bordeaux if I've ever seen one and needs another 5-7 years of cellaring to see if it's woken up. At that point, I think it has another 40 years left in it, maybe more. Phenomenal.
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4/12/2012 - PatrikO wrote: 93 Points
Got so excited about the 1990 Montrose the other week that I had to try one of the 89s again. Whilst also a very big and opulent wine, it is just not hitting the high notes that the 90 seem to do, also some acid notes keep atttacking the palate.
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3/6/2012 - coremill wrote: 89 Points
Mostly 89 Bordeaux (La Silhouette): Plenty of cedar, cigar, rocks, and currant fruit, with a lot of fierce tannin, but this was clenched down pretty hard and refused to wake up, even after 2-3 hours of air. It's complex and there are a lot of interesting parts here, but it never quite all comes together. There was nothing "wrong" with this wine, but it also wasn't anything particularly remarkable, either. Did it need more time/air? I don't know.
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3/6/2012 - cooberp wrote:
Muted nose, and the palate is dominated by tannin. Primary dark fruit. I think this wine needs more time in the cellar, or barring that a far longer decant than I gave it. I'd love to have come back to this on Day 2 but we were at a restaurant, so I won't score it.
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3/2/2012 - mukden wrote: 94 Points
YES, YES, YES. So, this is why people drink aged bordeaux, stunning and so distinctive. First, it is smooth (is this really St. Estephe?) the tannins are all soft and silky, the nose is cigar box and pencilly notes, and ...jesus... it just goes on and on. You have a mouthful and go out to the back room and come back and you can still taste it in your mouth. Amazing. Really lovely wine. Furthermore, it is clear that it will run and run. Another decade it will probably be even better.
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2/28/2012 - Robert Pavlovich wrote: 95 Points
Decanted and consumed over one hour. Complex nose gives a delicious scent of its terroir hallmark, it's like food for the nose with earth notes in spades along with mature oak and red fruits. Still very fresh and light on its feet, showing cranberry, light tobacco, and allspice on the palate. It comes alive on the finish, proving its meddle with a sparkling, almost champagne like effect.
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2/21/2012 - dream wrote: 95 Points
Deep ruby color. Somewhat off-putting nose that blew off after half an hour and then notes of beef bouillon, charred black currants and roasted meats. Firm and unyielding at first but then began to reluctantly show itself and really came into its own with the oxtail risotto at Daniel. Deep black fruit with a beefy edge and strong mineral notes that lead to a fabulous concentrated finish with notes of cedar and horsehide. There is a core of granite in this big-scaled wine that makes me think it will last a hundred years. Powerful but round and ethereal at the same time. A great Bordeaux that just now seems to be approaching a drinkable level and there is more upside here.
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2/5/2012 - Rezy13 wrote: 94 Points
Super Bowl 2012 (Roswell, GA): Maroon, crimson edge with a deep, dark core. Nose of cedar, cocoa, celery seed, and red currant. Very elegant on the palate. Much better than the one we had a couple weeks earlier.
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1/25/2012 - englishman's claret wrote: 96 Points
89/90 Bordeaux Retrospective with Hart Davis Hart: All gravel and mineral here, dark fruit and leather notes accompanying. With more air, the minerality became more complex, picking up a bit of mint as well. Of course, that was more true of the nose than the palate, which remained decidedly flinty. Still very tannic.
Drinking very well now, but I imagine this will last for ages. Impressive quality, but this just wasn't tugging on the heart strings.
4+ to 5-
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1/20/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: flawed
St. Estephe Night (Home of Mike and Sandra O.): Terrible looking cork, with signs of seepage when the foil was removed. Low neck fill too. Terribly TCA ridden and undrinkable.
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1/15/2012 - Dr.Scott wrote: 94 Points
Popped, decanted and poured. Perfect cork and level. Rich, sweet and silky smooth. Almost a California cab fruitiness with a Bordeaux depth of flavors. In a perfect drinking window but at least a decade of drinking time left. Yum!
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1/14/2012 - guribh wrote: 94 Points
Drank on out 23rd aniversary at "Sun In My Belly" in Kirkwood, GA.
Drak with no ornage in in sight. Beautiful nise of plum, cassis and violets. Dense, long and classy throughout. Plenty life left in it.
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1/14/2012 - Anthony Lombardi wrote:
Nearly black core with a maroon rim. This took a while to open up both aromatically and on the palate. The nose yielded to black currant and tobacco. Full bodied and plenty of structure intact. This showed dark fruit along with leather and cigar. Scorched earth through the mid palate. Medium acidity and a long, tannic finish. Years and years ahead of this still.
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12/31/2011 - vanpe003 wrote: 97 Points
On the nose, a mixture of secondary funk, perfume, tobacco, pencil lead and a bit of cedar. On the palate, holding strong and gives off the impression of being quite young with a surprising intensity of fruit. Long finish. This is the best Bordeaux I've had in a long time. I'm surprised a bit by that, because I didn't really pull this one from the cellar tonight with any expectations of greatness. I wouldn't be surprised if I looked back to find this as the highest rating I've given a wine this year.
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12/25/2011 - jhtswhiteley Likes this wine: 97 Points
The colour was very thick to the rim, generous deep red, with black rather than purple, looking immature even now. The nose was multi-dimensional, with tar, sugar-frosted flakes, hung pheasant and elements of the sea-shore. Power was promised … oddly, tasting also provided multiple angles, but not really that of power. The most extraordinary thing was the flavour of hung grouse: more prominently than any other wine I have ever tasted. (It did magnificently with roasted pheasant.) But there was a lot more: minerals, toasted teacakes, tannin to a considerable degree, perhaps more acid than one would have thought, but not a huge deal of alcohol. The finish was a little dry, and the actual fruit is secondary: grapey? Yes, with pomegranates too. This has the interest of a lesser Lafite, perhaps, without its kaleidoscopic palette nor its dignified procession of variety that adorn greater vintages. Nonetheless, this is a great wine.
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12/23/2011 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 91 Points
2011 Simple Dinner Series 14 :: Ed's big day (Jade Palace Seafood Restaurant, The Forum Shopping Mall, Orchard Road): Alcohol :: 13%
To be honest I was a bit disappointed when the identity of this wine being revealed. It was good, but certainly not great, compared to the younger brother 2003, 2005 and 2009. Dark garnet core with brick rim.The very spicy aroma is intense an also quite pungent with alcohol. Slowly, more dark fruits, tobacco and soil note emerged. Started a little bit weak on the palate but with time, this structured, powerful juice put on more weight and mouth coating intensity that offer very good mid palate depth and stunning sap. This is wonderfully structured and layer with liveliness and super intense long finish. Very good, though the alcohol on the nose and slightly rustic tannin mark a notch down of the purity and finesse.
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12/13/2011 - SimonG wrote:
Christmas WIMPS (Bordeaux Table) (The Ledbury, London.): Very dense, velvety, plush and yet mineral. very impressive. A notch above the Cos I think. The right mix of fruit, structure and savoury complexity. Splendid. *****
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11/25/2011 - rcg62 wrote: 93 Points
I liked this wine although I had higher hopes. But definitely exiting, exotic notes. Long finish, classic cedar/pencil shavings. Had next to a 90 Pichon Baron on Thanksgiving -- I thought the Baron tasted quite similar albeit with younger fruit richness. Probably chalk it up to too much turkey. Still a delicious btl.
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10/30/2011 - astrauss wrote:
Linda Kiemel 50 th beat
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10/3/2011 - Alex H wrote: 90 Points
Superb wine. Still fresh with Limeyness and lots of secondary cigar and leather by now. Howver fruits are still pretty dainty and cheery. A thinking wine with grace and poise
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9/30/2011 - Mingmong wrote: 93 Points
Deep dark fruit, cassis, pencil lead, and dark flowery perfume on the nose. Blackcurrants, prunes and excellent elegant and finely balanced tannins. Big and full wine, definitely wld benefit frm time in cellar.
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9/16/2011 - peterk wrote: 96 Points
Just beautiful - so polished, balanced, and silky. Big and powerful, yet absolutely approachable. Better by the hour. City Wine Journal said it all. Luckily I have a bottle left out of two (purchased in Woodside, CA some 18 years ago)
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9/10/2011 - aof wrote: 94 Points
1989 Bordeaux First Growth and Super Second Tasting.: Amazingly ripe for a St Estephe (of that era anyway), with a velvety sensuousness. Tannins were a touch dusty though. Great effort.
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9/3/2011 - City Wine Journal wrote: 96 Points
Absolutely magnificent. Auction bottle held one year. Opened for 10 hours, enjoyed for 3 without decanting. Like a three masted ship unfurling and going to full sail -- bigger, more powerful, and more profound with each passing hour, and year. Montrose can be so proud of this wine.
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9/1/2011 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 97 Points
Montrose Vertical Tasting 1989 - 2005 (Work in Progress) (Switzerland): Tasted blind: Clear garnet in color, one would not expect this wine is over 20 years old. Nose shows flavors of strawberries, tobacco and sweet berries. The wine is very complex and long, yet in comparison to the 1990 in the glass next to it is more elegant. The taste reminds me of cooked cherries, white pepper and stone. All is very balanced. A true beauty. Drink now - 2030.
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8/21/2011 - Bordeauxman wrote: 96 Points
Dark ruby color. Incredible nose that only improved during dinner: dark fruit, cigar, truffle, leather and cassis. Long taste of dark fuit, truffle & spice. This is an awesome St. Estephe and I will try to source more of it!
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8/5/2011 - Didman wrote: 88 Points
Still OK, but this bottle really fading.
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6/14/2011 - LeatherPalate wrote: 96 Points
Masculine, dark, and deep. Killer nose of leather, cigar box, venison, black licorice, dark berries, ash and smoke.
Attacks the palate with loads of darkness and earth, mint, blackberries, tobacco, smoke, a touch of brett. Very long
finish . This was young and energetic and showed really well. Decanted for 3+ hours.. Great bottle.
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6/8/2011 - jlgnml wrote: 97 Points
Les Degustateurs Ladies Night (University Club of Chicago): WOW! Big and bold, darker color than the Gruaud ready to drink and exceptional tonight.
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6/5/2011 - jeff nowak wrote:
elzer cancer society charity dinner. i somehow got aced out of the 89 clinet, so i was happy to get my mitts on a small pour of this, but it was dangerously close to an empty bottle. damn! all i can say is that i did glimpse the promise land. please, somebody pour this for me again.
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6/3/2011 - canan wrote: 95 Points
BYO (Le Sommelier): Nose: Packed with pine/resin with a hint of coffee and black currants.
Palate: Again a lot of pine but also black currant fruit/leaves. Harsh tannic aftertaste but very intense in the flavors of the mid-palate.
Excellent wine!
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6/3/2011 - Lord Rodney wrote: 95 Points
One of. if not THE best Montrose I have tasted. Still I do not think Saint Estephe is quite my style. The wine was very deep and quite dark in the nose. Tobacco , soil and black berries. In the mouth there was a good balance but for me it seemed rustic. I think this is just the terroir of the appelation. Never the less that is just my own taste and the wine certainly is of xtremely high quality! Will age for years and years to come. Lovers of Montrose will be thrilled for sure!
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6/1/2011 - KeithAkers wrote: 95 Points
nose: where the lalande's nose was based on finesse, this was based on pure unadulterated power. This was an extremely robust and masculine nose that brings explosive tones of dark red cherries, cedar, tobacco, earth tones, black fruits, bits of ash and smoke tones and a touch of creme de cassis. Intensely deep as well, this nose was almost a 2x4 to the face compared to the lalande
taste: expansive and full bodied with good chewy tannins still persisting along with medium acidity. Very well layered and powerful on the palate with deep tones of smoke, creme de cassis, dark red cherries, tobacco and a good bit of black fruits. This is still quite young on the palate, but is still showing a ton to make this great
overall: I had been told that this recieved a long decant and then bottle airing. It was still young and very much on the powerful side. This has a long way to go and has the ability to be something extremely special. It is already a great wine, but there seems that there is a lot of room to grow as well. This is a marathon wine that should go for a very long time in a good cellar
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5/16/2011 - prufrocksabogado wrote: 88 Points
Read the reviews from those who said they had flawed bottles. I almost described this the same way, but I couldn't honestly say there was anything wrong other than the wine did nothing for me. Just tasted like average wine w a high alcohol content. Four hours, no evolution, nothing. Plain jane in a basic blue dress. Expected more at this price.
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4/16/2011 - petitblanc wrote: flawed
Tremendous depth of color but failed to deliver after that. Simple nose of cedar and tobacco. Generally austere, muted, and tannic palate, with plentiful brett and a hot, awkward mouthfeel. Disappointing from a bottle that appeared quite sound but was obviously a poor example of this wine.
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3/22/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Tobacco, truffle, cassis, wet earth and BBQ aromas reveal themselves without much effort. Full bodied, dense and filled with blackberry, cassis and earthy flavors, this mouth filling wine coats your palate with layers of rich, ripe, roasted, spicy black fruit. Still young and fresh, this beautiful example of Montrose that perfectly pairs power with elegance will evolve for decades.
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3/12/2011 - Lipsman wrote: 92 Points
Deep and dark in color, with some orange at the edge of the glass. Rich and full bodied, velvety smooth, cherry, anise, with great length. An elegant Bordeaux. -JBL
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2/13/2011 - dmalcolm wrote: 95 Points
This was quite closed when first opened, but came alive after 5 hours in the decanter. A pristine bottle, this was drinking very young. I didn't get any of the oft spoken notes of brett or horsiness. I did get rich, almost liquor-like cassis, plums and licorice with a hint of mint. Still some unresolved tannins but they didn't detract from it's elegance. Superb.
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1/21/2011 - tarheel17 wrote:
STG End of Year (Roy's): tasted blind
sometimes it's kind of a relief, finding 1 wine out of 4 that I can ignore. Gives me more of chance to concentrate on the other wines my palate adores. The brett infusion does not suit me well, and though I could tell it was incorporated well into the beast of a wine, I found it too horsey and too wonky to take seriously. Well, there were other distractions. Not rated since it was not appreciated. THe company loved it, so I'm certain it wasn't flawed in any way.
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12/26/2010 - Lipsman wrote: 92 Points
This bottle was disappointing. The wine has been drinking at the 96+ level for the past few years. This was lighter, with less intense flavor and complexity. Still a wonderful wine with minerality, cherries, beets, dark fruits, and a long lasting taste. -JBL
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12/17/2010 - Eric wrote:
Mmm, screaming Montrose. Heavy, dark, horsey and intense. Much like the 1990, the 1989 packs a wallop of brett, but there is so much spicy, minty, minerally, powerful, dark, brooding character to easily carry all baggage of the earth and the crap. This is really a brute of a wine, and after 2+5 hours in a decanter it started to ease up a bit and show more depth, but for now it is pretty much about a glorious kick in the teeth experience with formidable structure and depth and brooding personality. Not necessarily an ideal companion to a very feminine and refined 1961 Leoville Las Cases, but it was worth the difficulty to juggle between such a beautiful pair of wines.
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12/10/2010 - cooberp wrote: flawed
I had the *exact* same experience as EGunderson. The wine didn't show any notable flaws...but it didn't show anything else either. It sat in decanter and glass for ~3 hours and was just bland and unrecognizable. The cork was clean and there were no obvious signs of heat damage or oxidation--and I didn't perceive any TCA although coremill said he got a hint of wet cardboard--but given how highly regarded it is by so many posters on this board, I simply have to conclude that this bottle happened to be a lemon. I would look forward to trying this again...although a $180 haircut sure hurts!
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11/28/2010 - the godfather wrote:
maybe not as good as some previous tastes but still rockin good with trademark complexity
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11/27/2010 - JOsgood wrote:
This is crazy good. Rich and concentrated. Super earthy with all kinds of different dimensions. Still drinking young.
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11/21/2010 - Matt Scott wrote: 95 Points
Birthday bottles, along with the '88 Cos D'estournel
Decanted both bottles for two hours, utilizing a funnel. Both bottles are in the same shape, from the same provenance and had no signs of past seepage. Purchased them in '07. Dark and wondrous, with an almost black core and maturing edges. Tobacco leaves, mud, blackberry, scorched earth, currant paste, spice box and leather. The nose really is gorgeous. Long and seductive finish with soft tannins that are still abundant. Truly classic in every way and a fine addition to the '89 pantheon. This might seem controversial and spurious, however, I like the '88 Cos just a little more. As far as '89s are concerned, I also prefer the Pichon Baron (98pts) and the Las Cases (96pts), not to take anything away from this Montrose which is quite insatiable. No reason to wait and there's a lot of life left. Drink now - 2025.
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11/17/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
1989 Montrose continues developing in a positive direction at a slow and steady pace, showing this is a wine for the ages. Filled with powerful scents of truffle, tobacco, cassis, earth, slate, cassis, chocolate, spearmint, underbrush and smoke, the Bordeaux wine is powerful, concentrated and dense. The wine ends with a hint of dusty tannins, a long cassis and blackberry filled finish. Many 89 Left Bank wines have developed a green streak in the finish. That is not the case with 89 Montrose. This is a contender for one of the top wines of the vintage from the Left Bank. 97 Pts
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9/1/2010 - EGunderson wrote: flawed
Not corked, but something not right. Nothing on the nose, very little fruit, and a sharp finish like a young wine. Not at all in line with other tasting notes.
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7/5/2010 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
Seductive, sexy and big ont he nose. Such a beautiful nose typical of a well aged bordeaux. Leather, liquorice and fruit.
Did not decant and it didnt feel like it needed it and the sommelier agreed so just opened and let it stand for 30mins.
Such an elegant wine. Medium body and length thoughand still not fully integrated and it could use some more age. Colour is still very dark. Hopefully time will not steal away the nose. The nose overpromises but the body is not there yet.
Had at Vendome in Cologne and both Nicol and I gave this 95+
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6/25/2010 - slopeguy wrote:
Paired with a 1982 Ch Le Gay. Barnyard funk but decent elegant fruit on the palate
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6/11/2010 - Alex H wrote: 89 Points
At first smelling like the cote rotie we had before, extremely funky barnyardish but with time gave way to tea leaves, tobacco leaves and taking on more leather though young leather rather than aged. Extremely fresh and more so after we knew the vintage. In fact, this was almost a underaged drinking! given its age! Definitely structured, a little spiced, bitter herbs and even some garrigue Very classical and more austere than modern. I thought stiull tight and hardly at the start of its drinking window. Pristine condition. Really would age very well. Would love to retaste in time.
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6/1/2010 - noppakit s. wrote: 96 Points
Drink along with Mouton 1976.
1989 is still my No.1 of Montrose, a bit too young but great in structure and direction. As good as it breath, needs to open 2-3 hours before drinking. Long finished and I like it very much indeed.
Drink 2013 - 2040..........................96-97/100...............................
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5/28/2010 - slopeguy wrote:
Paired with a 1982 Ch Le Gay. Barnyard funk but decent elegant fruit on the palate
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4/16/2010 - Jossik wrote: 89 Points
Forse troppo in là, comunque vino molto buono
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4/4/2010 - thegoderic wrote: 92 Points
Drank some that we'd bought a good few years ago for my son's 21st.
Decent ruby core with mature edge.
Still some good fruit on the nose with hints of mushroom and leather.
Gorgeous mouthful. Tremedous power and tannin still evident, overlaying a core of gorgeous fruit with lingering aftertaste. Mouthfilling and vibrant, tasting 10 years younger than its real age.
Great bottle and one that my son (and I) will remember for a good while.
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3/14/2010 - rralls wrote: 94 Points
94-95 points. My favorite wine from my table.
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3/13/2010 - TheBusiness724 wrote:
Chelsea's Third Annual Birthday Wine Tasting (Lancaster, PA): My #1 wine of the tasting and of the night, and the group's #1. I had originally pegged this as Pichon Baron and actually felt somewhat confident about it. Clearly I was wrong, but hey, St. Estephe and Pauillac are adjacent. A great wine drinking very well right now.
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3/11/2010 - cgrimes Likes this wine: 94 Points
NSFOW March 2010--An Intimate Evening (The Grapevine, Salem, MA): Youthful, deep ruby with some bricking at the edges. Nose of blackberry, cassis, pencil shavings, wet stones, leather, some mushroom. Similar on the palate with good density. Nice finish. This was a lovely, mature Bordeaux. Paired with a mushroom, prosciutto risotto.
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2/14/2010 - fatboi wrote: 95 Points
Had great color and great nose to begin with. dark berries and leather on the nose. Tannins still intact. only thing that thru me off was a metallic taste. chris cotrell hit it on teh head when he said it was iron.
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1/1/2010 - loverboy wrote: 95 Points
We celebrate the new year 1 day later. At the Inter Continental, Hua Hin with Maria Sharapova sitting 2 tables away.
Nice and easily remove cork. The killing nose of big and nearly mature bordeaux, blueberries, mint and milky smell. very big and firm tannin with a chocolate like in mouth. The wine keeps getting better and better with the smooth tannin in the end. Exceptional aftertaste. Montrose is my favorite St.Estephe
Along with 1989 Palmer, while the Montrose was clearly better all around somehow I do miss the Palmer . . . .
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12/31/2009 - City Wine Journal wrote: 96 Points
Purchased in a small wine shop in St. Emilion as a single, in the summer of 2009, opened as the last bottle of the year, ending "to the nines". What a sensational bottle of wine. Opened at 3PM, decanted at 8, served at 9, and the wine kept on coming all night long holding form through midnight. Big, dark, powerful, balanced, deep and long. Dark fruit, spice, leather and a real sense of deep gravel and old vines of St Estephe. A fantastic 20 year old Bordeaux wine and a superb finish to 2009. Happy New Year!
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11/17/2009 - yenda wrote:
I think exctasy is the right word here (as heaven was used by Grinner recently). And again, similar experience as others had, ie big wine, stone and leather dominate the nose, full of fruit and dark chococalte in the mouth. Incredible. Frankly, I was expecting something GREAT but this is beyond that. I've picked it up in the cellar in the morning for the 20yr anniversary Prague is celebrating today (+we have a holiday tday), opened in the am, poured into the decanted around lunch time and poured into the glass early evening. Still 4 more bottles to go but I wont touch them for a while as I am sure waiting will be rewarded
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11/11/2009 - MRichman wrote:
1989 Bordeaux at 20 years (Morton's NYC): Juicy but firm. Some iron. Cedar, tannins, drinking well with a long life ahead. Some dark notes with leather and licorice. Very nice.
A
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10/17/2009 - dbg wrote:
Dark red, lightening at rim. Initially I liked the nose on this the best, pretty rich and forward with some flowers, blood and stones, but it was overtaken by the Cos. Dense, big palate feel with lots of fruit and tannins balancing each other out. Medium-long finish. Also not near peak but more accessible than the Cos on the palate to me. Others disagreed and felt this needed another 15 years to strut its stuff. Can’t really disagree – I’m sure it will improve with time.
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10/6/2009 - Grinner wrote: 97 Points
Remarkable wine w/ great color, classic nose and palate, with a great finish. Still has many years but the balance and complexity are there for prime time drinking now. I love the wet stone/mineral, tobacco/cedar, and earthy dark fruit. Heaven!
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9/13/2009 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
Nathan probably stored it at the bottom of the wine cabinet, still very young and has no feel of 20 years old Bordeaux. Definitely the bottle to enjoy in the next 15 years.
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9/8/2009 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
IWFSC 747th Dinner (Restaurant Michael): Good fruit and life here, if just a bit blowsy. 92-93 pts.
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8/20/2009 - glg wrote: 96 Points
Exactly what a bordeaux should be. Exquisite balance with a complex nose. A finish that goes on and on. Drinking wonderfully, but I'll (hopefully) hold my remaining bottle for 5 years and see what this is like at 25 years old.
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8/18/2009 - MRichman wrote:
Montrose vertical (Dylan Prime, NYC): Some around the table found this slightly corked. I didn't. I enjoyed this bottle a lot. Smooth, full with a sweetness, some herb, and a tart note. Smooth and silky.
A
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7/20/2009 - David J Cooper wrote:
Deep red. A bit poopy with notes of sausage and red fruit. Quite rustic. Great flavours and a long dry finish. The hints of funk gave a way the village once it was revealed to be Bordeaux. An excellent wine, but not the fruit bomb the 90 is.
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7/3/2009 - pgordon62 wrote: 96 Points
Uncorked for 8hrs and decanted before dinner. Fairly open from the start but added complexity and interest throughout dinner at Aureole. Classic Bordeaux markers of plum, old leather, licorice and a little barnyard earth, were joined by peach stone, wild flowers and sweet spice over time. Full bodied, caressing balance on the palate and a sensual, highly persistent finish. Impresses with the completeness of the whole rather than any individual wow factor. There is at least 10 and likely 20 years of improvement in this superb wine.
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6/19/2009 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Deep ruby with hints of brick in the hue. Cassis, cedar, earth, mineral, truffle, and licorice scents are made even more complex by intriguing notes of Asian spice. This Bordeaux is dense and concentrated. The mid palate is where it truly shines. The rich, corpulent, multi-layered mouth feel ends with a blast of spicy, black cherry and black berry that lasts at least 40 seconds. After the wine had been decanted about an hour, I scored it 96 Pts. But after a few more hours of air, the wine developed additional nuances, and an elegance married to a power that was stunning. I ended up scoring it two points higher.
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6/16/2009 - bon vivant wrote:
The 89 is coming out of it's shell and throwing big. It is great to have it this evening SBS with the 90 -while it requires a little more contemplation I really like the darker notes and complexity. The aromatics are not as sweet and mature as the 90 yet there is a concentration youthfulness and lingering finish to this wine that impress. Overall it says to the 90 watch out! the king is not yet dead, but new king is coming.
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6/13/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
judgment of chicago-California Cabs vs Bordeaux (Chicago IL, Ward's): nose: very powerful nose with cedar, roasted herbs, black currants, dark red cherries and a good bit of rawhide leather. Good layering, but seems to be holding back a bit at this time
taste: excellent and young full bodied feel with good tannins and rich tones of cedar, roasted herbs, black currants, tobacco, and dark red cherries. Very powerful and deep with a bit of elegance too
overall: still quite young. This seemed to be holding back a good amount and didn't fully want to come out and play
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6/11/2009 - BFG wrote: 93 Points
A delicious bottle of wine, although not at the level that you see professional reviews. This wine is known to be low in acid, and in the two bottles I've had, it's perhaps missing a little structure. The ripe black fruit is very present in the nose and on the palate, velvety mouth feel, with a good length.
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5/25/2009 - micser1733 wrote: 95 Points
Had with a dry aged steak was a wonderful paring. Good nose still lots of life. Lots going on with this one!! Tobacco, chocolate, plum and the great earth. No tannins left. Opend for 1 hour and decanted for 1.5.2014+
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5/2/2009 - BigRed1000 wrote: 89 Points
Like the 90 Montrose this is an under performer comparied to currant vintages from this estate. Good but will never be great.
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4/17/2009 - Ary wrote: 97 Points
At Rest Moerdijk AMS (blind tasting). Eight hours open. Dark coloured big masculine wine. Lots of dark fruit, chocolate and iron. Really thick BUT also elegant! In nose classic Bordeaux with chocolate, earth and thick fruit. One of my most favorite Bordeaux! Drink now - 2030.
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4/12/2009 - astrauss wrote: 96 Points
Great wine! Served with grilled leg of lamb for Easter. Dark purplish red. So signs of bricking whatsoever. Nose is fantastic cedar, dark red/black fruits and some earthiness. The wine is so pure on the palate. Similar flavor profile to the nose with dark fruits predominately. Great balance, good tannin still present but not overpowering and a long finish.
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4/9/2009 - cct wrote: 96 Points
Again very youthfully opaque in color. n the day of the tasting very rich , primal and brooding. Dark stony fruits, black cherries, and a beautful minerality. Rich and dense with loads of cocolate, holding much in reserve. The next day (a few ounces left in a covered decanter), much richer and denser, fantastic palate weight and depth. Profound and delicious. 93 pts day one 96 day two. Great stuff!
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4/2/2009 - dbg wrote: flawed
Mouton Madness: SDR's BWE Thursday Night Dinner (Equinox Restaurant, Washington DC): Dark red to rim. Dark fruits, minerals, not as much funk on the nose as the '90 Montrose, and a bit muted. Medium body, decent fruit, but doesn't deliver as well as other bottles, short finish. Revisited at the end of the evening, it has become even more muted and a hint of TCA is detectable.
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3/25/2009 - Chevaliers wrote: 95 Points
Aroma of dark fruits and cherries, cedar. The wine tasted of licorice, cherry cola, and drank like liquid velvet. The tannins are totally resolved, providing a flowing warmth in this complex, rich, long wine. The lasting flavor in the soft palate is remarkable. The 1989 Ch. Montrose just gets better and better every time I open a bottle. This was by far the best. -JBL
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1/31/2009 - MC wrote:
Wonderful, and fully mature. Give in a bit of air, but it is drinking perfectly. A-
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1/29/2009 - rickspicks wrote: 92 Points
Tpical Montrose with a VERY earthy nose on opening which blew off in a few minutes. Dark garnet color with little signs of aging. Very tight with predominately dark cherry/berry flavor for the first 30-45 minutes. Opened up after about 1 hour and revealed a nose of earth, leather, tobacco, currant and plum. Flavors expanded but never really blossomed. Medium bodied with some elegance, but with a slightly short finish. Overall very good and enjoyable, but not outstanding due to a lack of complexity and length.
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1/20/2009 - beachbum wrote: 95 Points
Montrose Vertical Blind - decanted 1 hour
thick and solid, dark as hell
dark stones, leaves, nose that is complex and dances on your pallet
tobacco
some said funk, I say complex and interesting
what montrose should be, it is classic, concentrated but balanced and elegant
Yum!
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1/2/2009 - dbkitc wrote: 94 Points
(at Abacrombie – Baltimore) A Dickens’ of a wine – a tale of two wines. In the Bordeaux flight this was very disappointing. A youngish garnet color did not prepare this taster for the overwhelming feces smell that came out of the glass. Really off putting. In the mouth, everything fell off quickly and showed none of the breed of past bottles. When a friend directed me to retry after 60 minutes, it was like a new bottle was poured into the glass. Now, this is ’89 Montrose: lilac, tobacco, pure red current fruit. Rich, long and fine. Just awesome. The change was remarkable. (94)
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10/19/2008 - AllRed wrote: 95 Points
The Blind Drunks monthly tasting (Joe's): Garnet color. Opens with a roasted red bell pepper note, which is followed by cedar, violets and damp earth. Flavors of red currant and cedar/wood, with a long finish dominated by red fruit and herbs. By the end of the flight this had really filled out in the glass with loads of rich fruit. I guessed this to be a 1989 St. Julien.
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9/12/2008 - Paul D wrote:
UK Wine Pages - Chateau Montrose Vertical (Le Colombier, Kensington, London.): Less expressive on the nose than the 90, with cassis fruit and some beefy notes. Still quite youthful, with prue cassis fruit, less deep, complex and structued than the 90 but still a lovely wine with a good length savoury finish. Needs more time. ****
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8/30/2008 - kris.h wrote: 94 Points
32nd Birthday Dinner (Le Gourmand - Seattle, WA): Asparagus, dark cinnamon, broccoli, cardamon, cherry, pipe smoke. Incredibly complex nose. Light brett, adds interesting complexity. Medium to full body with moderate acidity. Tannins are starting to integrate. Great finish.
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8/17/2008 - 60ouvrees wrote:
This was quite delicious but, not surprisingly, still very youthful and tannic. I wouldn't touch aother bottle for 5 years or so.
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8/10/2008 - tbabes wrote: 90 Points
The fill was into the neck; the cork was sound. Purple core, turning to ruby-red at the edges. A rather monolithic bouquet, yielding scents of cedary cassis and spice; not much complexity at all. Medium to full bodied in the mouth, with very noticeable structure, good concentration, and an almost astringent finish. I was really disappointed with this bottle; drank over the course of 6 hours, and it did not improve much. Good stuffing, but just very foursquare and straightforward; none of the complexity that you would expect from a "classic" such as this. This bottle actually seemed quite similar in style to the many bottles of the '70 Montrose that I've consumed, just much younger.
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4/1/2008 - BFG wrote: 91 Points
This was a decent but underperforming bottle. Great mouth feel, with fully resolved velvety tannins. However, in both the nose and the palate, the notes of fruit were subdued and the flavor was a bit lacking. It didn't taste flawed, just didn't meet expectations. (1 view)
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3/21/2008 - noppakit s. wrote: 95 Points
This is the great Montrose for me. ( from the 80's ) Much better than 1982 ( 91/100 ), More texture and longer finished.
Drink now - 2025
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2/10/2008 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
This is the real deal. F the 90! To me, this is a better wine. At the table I referred to it as "Black Death!" Why? Because it starts with an inky, black color and offers an incredibly complex Bordeaux perfume of black fruits and finishes with a compelling palate wash of intense, rich, ripe black fruit. Still young, it will improve for decades. This wine is First Growth in quality! And at half the price of the 90, (a wine I never understand) this is the wine to buy. The 90 is more concentrated and possibly when fully mature, clean bottles will best the 89. But if the money were the same, I'd swap my 90 for 89 all day long.
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2/10/2008 - MC wrote:
Spectacular Bordeaux. Still young, but a real treat. A
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1/25/2008 - kris.h wrote: 96 Points
1989 vs 1990 Bordeaux: Great nose. Lots of fruit, leather, and cigar. A hint of green pepper. Firm, fine grained tannins with nice fruit and weight on the finish. Good balance and acidity. Spectacularly good. Will be even better with more time in the cellar.
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1/25/2008 - etherscreen wrote: flawed
corked
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1/6/2008 - MarkLA wrote:
So youthful. Excellent bouquet, which I think is a bit ahead of the palate, simply because it is such a powerful, tannic wine. Its texture and density were entrancing, and it possessed such pure, delineated flavor. Even another 4-5 years would do this wine good. (96+).
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12/7/2007 - glg wrote: 97 Points
Mature, but clearly with time ahead, this wine offered complete symmetry, with an expressive nose matched with a wonderful intensity and purity of fruit, with a long seamless finish.
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11/10/2007 - good old ludwig van wrote: 96 Points
Not a lot of people can say they have had this wine with frozen pizza! We had planned a special meal around it, but discovered we were missing an ingredient. So, we served it with these amazing frozen pizzas, a black truffle one and a walnut/gorgonzola one, and it worked just fine.
Bouquet upon opening was thick, rich, and horsey. Right off the bat, tasting notes of licorice, smoke, beef jerky, integrated tannins, high cocoa chocolate, and a long, teeth-numbing finish. Decanted all for an hour, then enjoyed slowly over 5 hours.
At one hour: stewed plums, dirt, tobacco.
Two hours: lavish.
Five hours: lighter, with a strawberry note.
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10/20/2007 - Eric wrote: 95 Points
Brawny, masculine, dark, dusky, bitter chocolate, blood, funk. Brooding beast with loads of tannin to burn. Great bottle of the 89, loads of guts, huge evolution ahead.
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8/23/2007 - the godfather wrote: 100 Points
Color is dark ruby garnet, but who cares. The nose on this wine so hypnotic and indescribable, but I'll try anyway. Dary ripe berry and cassis jump from the glass, upon further inspection, there is damp leather and a definite gaminess. The wine is so elegant and authortative at the same time. I do not believe this wine has peaked by any means. It is so alive in the mouth with a ripeness that I would expect from a much younger wine. This is hands down the greatest Bordeaux wine I have ever tasted. If the 1990 is better, I absolutely must have that wine, but not sure it could be better. By the way, had for my anniversary, what could be nicer.
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8/11/2007 - the godfather wrote: 97 Points
Continues to be one of the greatest Bordeaux's I have ever tasted. Still young and exhuberent, pure cassis on the nose, pure silk in the mouth
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8/7/2007 - Siggy wrote: 97 Points
Tasting Group Dinner - Steaks & Montrose (Dave's House): Concentrated blackberry liquor, kirsch, cedar, and shoe polish. Just the slightest hint of brett. Waves of intense flavor and minerals. Gorgeous texture, power, and (yes) finesse. Wow!
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8/7/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 97 Points
Another Tuesday Night in Minneapolis (Montrose 82, 86, 89, 90, 95, 01, 03, 04): Double decanted about four hours before serving. This was a beauty. The nose offered very clean aromas of dark fruit, leather, mineral, and charred meat (or was that Steve's grilling). The taste was even more smooth and concentrated than the 1986 -- just awesome. This filled the mouth with flavor, had such concentration, and yet seemed so light and silky. The finish was long and satisfying. An outstanding bottle of wine.
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7/25/2007 - jfolsom wrote: 92 Points
not as full of taste as i expected. a bit shallow with a tannic backdrop
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7/13/2007 - keithgg wrote: 97 Points
BYOB'ed at Michael Mina in SF who handled this bottle beautifully. In perfect balance and far more open than the bottle just a few months back. Classic.
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7/7/2007 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
On the palate, a wonderful sensation of multiple layers of deep, rich, concentrated black fruit washed over your senses. Still tannic, this wine might take another decade before it becomes fully mature. For Montrose, this is almost supple.
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4/10/2007 - the godfather wrote: 99 Points
Virtually no decanting. My buddy shows up at my house on Saturday at 10:30 with this bottle in tow. It's nice to have wine geek friends. The nose is too complex and amazing to even describe, it penetrates every square inch of my head. This is one of the silkiest textures I have ever had in my mouth. I need to consume more of this wine.
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4/1/2007 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful ripe and complex bouquet with black fruits and a little barnyard. Full bodied and good soft tannin in the aftertaste.
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3/30/2007 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 94 Points
This wine is from my original case I have had since release, and stored at 55 degrees. This wine is shut down for the moment, very sleepy. I cannot wait until they wake up. Will improve.
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3/6/2007 - d'Auvenay Likes this wine: 95 Points
Much more approachable than the 1990 Montrose. Drink 89 now and 90 in 5-10 years time.
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2/19/2007 - SacredCow wrote: 96 Points
On the nose, black cerry, blackberry, earth and only moderate barnyard. On the palate, full-bodied and intense with cherries, black cherries, blackberry, earth and copious minerals, with a very long finish with rounded tannins. Still very young and primary, but with excellent balance and more acidity than I expected. Beautiful wine.
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2/1/2007 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
HDH Comparative Bordeaux Tasting 1989 & 1990 (Casino Club): Full red. Medium tight red/black fruit nose. Big tight tannic black fruit with coffee notes. Needs time.
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1/28/2007 - bsherwin wrote: flawed
Bordeaux on the Hudson (Peter Pratt's Inn): Slightly corked, but corked nonetheless.
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1/14/2007 - Wine Bill wrote: 96 Points
Horse stable, ripe, complex, full-bodied, soft, a little sweetness, but power. Beautiful
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1/7/2007 - Scheper wrote: 93 Points
Top Bordeaux and a lot of others... (Gilze (Netherlands)): Great wine. Vegetal, herbal and powerful nose.
A powerwine, it almost drill through the tongue. a bit dry tannins.
Lavas, very rich, ripe fruit with a delicate and warm finish.
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1/6/2007 - jkoenen wrote: 96 Points
Bordeaux 1989 (and the rest...) @ Peter V. (Netherlands): This is all about classic, traditional Left bank Bordeaux. Iodine, licorice, cigars and spicebox, black fruit. Very robust and complex. Stupendous, brilliant wine. 19/20
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12/22/2006 - Paul D wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Deep garnet red, medium pale cherry rim. Lovely, sweet bilberry and cassis fruit on the nose, some spice and tea leaf notes. Quite full bodied on the palate, dense with mouth-coating, slightly chewy tannins. Very rich with lots of ripe primary fruit, cassis and bilberry, some cocoa and chocolate notes, medium acidity and decent length finish. Harmonious and balanced, but not overly complex and needs a lot more time to show at its best. Won't touch my other bottle for at least 5 years.
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11/10/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 95 Points
Trip to Dallas - 89/90 Bordeaux and Older Cali Cabs; 11/7/2006-11/10/2006 (Dallas, Texas): Very young, primary, showing a great complex fruit profile underpinned by a powerful dark mineral and tannic structure. This was my sixth time with this over the last year, and I think this was the most primary showing. This will run and run.
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8/27/2006 - KenK wrote: 93 Points
Chicago's Best Bordeaux Tasting Ever? (Ken's Home): Sweet black cherry fruit and earth on the nose.
Very nice dried black berry fruit with good acid frame in a dense chewy package.
Lots of earth and a touch of animal. A complete wine.
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5/5/2006 - Thilo wrote: 95 Points
A great Bordeaux. Color is dark garnet with a hint of lightening. Nose shows cassis, leather, beef boullion, creosote, and spice. On the palate, there is chewy cassis, smoke, and leather with a still somewhat tight finish. The body is very substantial, and the tannins are integrating, but this wine is still relatively young. An excellent bottle, and a true pleasure. Thanks to Matt Bair for bringing this treasure on his birthday.
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4/10/2006 - Dteng wrote: 96 Points
Deep dark and reticent first out of the bottle. Surprisingly our bottle had no typical funk or barnyard. Just sexy pure fruit. Scent of acacia flowers, earth, mushrooms. At the one hour mark, this really fell into complete harmony. I had a hard time determining which wine was better - this or the 89 Lynch - but the fact is they were equally impressive, and comparing them is a silly. Incredible and one of the best of the year so far. This is like wearing silk underwear.
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4/8/2006 - BradE wrote:
Dinner with Mike Woodhead (Elements - Santa Barbara): This was WOTN for most of us. Clearly just beginning its drinking plateau, but really a fun wine to drink as always. Nose, mouth, finish; the whole package.
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3/26/2006 - oenophile59 wrote: 95 Points
See my review of 1990 Montrose. Tasted blind against the 1990 Montrose. My expectations were that the 1990 would be considerably better than the 1989 however, spured on by the recent WS verticle review of Ch. Montrose where they ranked the 89 higher than the 90 (in contrast to RP) I decided to bring a bottle of each over to Sheila's house for dinner. The 1989 proved the younger tasting of the two. More fruit, powerful, full, amazingly youthful, just a star! Went wondefully with a Provencial lamb dish. 3/4 at dinner preferred the 1989 over the 1990 (which suits me fine since I have more of the 89 than 90).
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3/26/2006 - JScott wrote: 95 Points
Really my kind of wine. Does have a mild brett funk, but this is one of those cases where it only adds character.
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2/27/2006 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
This huge wine is packed and stacked with layers of deep, ripe, black fruit. On the nose, a hint of horse adds to the complex scents of oak, spices and black fruit. Very powerful, concentrated and full bodied, this wine will only get better with time.
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2/18/2006 - DougLee wrote: 95 Points
(at Sun Valley Lodge Dining Room) Purchased off the wine list. Arrived cool from the cellar, low neck fill. Decanted and consumed over about 2 hours. Dark ruby purple with a bit of browning at the edges. Nose was a wonderful waft of red fruits, cassis, cedar, and a bit of brett, which did blow off after about an hour. The palate was a study in complexity, with notes of red currants, licorice, caramel, and holiday spice cake all densely packed into an elegant whole. Finish was long and seductive, making us both continue to sample it again and again. What a wonderful wine!
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2/16/2006 - Eric wrote:
Leve does 1989 Bordeaux at Mélisse (Los Angeles, CA): Horsey, horsey, horsey, and easy blind pick. I love this. Blood, mineral, structure, huge and fantastic.
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2/13/2006 - madeiradog wrote: 94 Points
Montrose Vertical and Others Dinner (Afghan Kabob): Slightly funky maybe bretty but in a good way. Really still young, spicy and delicious. Dense but great saddleback, sweet tobacco and sasparilla.
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1/4/2006 - Alpine wrote: 95 Points
Dave Reidel and Chuck were the first to correctly call this flight 89's over the 90 vintage and the Montrose was the WOTF. Cedar, black fruit, forest floor, sweet sweet nose with great concentration this would appear to have it all. The palate presents is penetrating. The tannin are resolving and not drying which adds to the substantial finish...WOW.
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12/14/2005 - atwkite wrote: 93 Points
Had twice over past year. Good friend trying to get me into French wine. I get it, good fruit and balance, but still too much dirt and wet farm animal for me to really enjoy as a 95+ candidate. Sorry!
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12/10/2005 - Eric wrote: 94 Points
Seattle Tasting Group 'End of Year Dinner' #3 (Sammamish, WA): Some chocolate shavings greet, and then wow this is tight and packed with minerals. There was a slightly spicy, green note that made me think this was a St. Estephe and perhaps the 1989 Cos d'Estournel. The palate was gorgeously tight, very elegant and powerful with really fantastic minerality. It screamed of 1989.
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11/5/2005 - antiwood wrote: flawed
Corked.
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10/29/2005 - ERoss wrote: 92 Points
Bottle of Angst, Volume I (Older Bordeaux and More) (Chateau Guerette): [Decanted 2 hours]. Closed for business on this night, and definitely not the crowd pleaser that the Dominus was. Slightly cloudy/opaque in the glass, prevailing aromas were smoke, sweet curry, kirsch liquor, and dried herbs. Soft, rich but still propped up by a solid tannic backbone, muted flavors of black fruits, tar, and vanilla came through. Maybe longer, more aggressive decanting would have helped.
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10/5/2005 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Herbs, olives, cassis, blackberry and wood aromas coupled with amazing concentration make this wine hard not to notice. Huge, expansive mouth feel. Multiple layers of deep, rich, ripe dark fruit cascade over your palate. While this is a monster of a wine, it’s a monster with manners. There is a lot of tannin to resolve.
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9/28/2005 - Dave Dalluge wrote:
Wine and Dinner with Brad England and Scott Manlin (Brad England's House): Served side-by-side with the 1990 with dinner. This wine was a very dark red. This had a classic Montrose nose with some horse/brett showing and then dark earthy flavors. In the mouth this was beautifully balanced and powerful with plenty of fruit and a long finish. As compared to the 1990, this was much more structured. The flavors and tastes were fewer, but more powerful. I preferred this over the 1990 on this night.
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9/18/2005 - psmith wrote:
Sweet black fruit nose with mushroom and graphite notes. A medium-bodied mouthfeel and firm, fine, and expansive drying tannins. Classic Bordeaux. With time more red with some cedar notes. A bit sharp on the finish initially but rounds out with air. Wonderful balance with great length of fruit. ****-
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7/10/2005 - Russell Faulkner wrote:
Gary Margol Offline (Bentley Hotel London): Again slightly faulty, not sure what is wrong, but this is nothing on previous bottles this year. Not rated
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6/11/2005 - Eric wrote: 96 Points
Seattle Tasting Group does 1989 Bordeaux (Issaquah, WA): Wow, there is a LOT of horse on this wine, HUGE notes of brett. Behind the almost overwhelming barnyard, there are spicy, green notes that seem to clearly identify this as St. Estèphe. At first the palate is astringent and horsey, overwhelmed by the brett, not great, earthy but not very rich. I put this down for about 20 minutes, and when I came back it was a different wine. Muscular, tannic, rich, a hard wine, sturdily built, nowhere close to ready. Black, mean, muscular, massive. Holy Freaking Toledo, the tannins are HUGE. This ended up being my second favorite wine of the evening, and, based on the horsiness and similarity to the striking 1990, I successfuly guessed this was Montrose. Group average 94.9 points and WOTF.
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5/31/2005 - Russell Faulkner wrote:
Chateau L'Eglise-Clinet Vertical (Bentley Hotel, London): Very lively young
After all those Pomerols, the lack of sweetness took some getting used to, a very different, more solid, blockbuster tannins. Very good
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5/6/2005 - Russell Faulkner wrote:
Slightest hint of browning to rim
Dried leaf on nose, dry tobacco. Not a massive wine.
Lean dry tannin in perfect balance, a classic style.
Some barnyard style. With time the fruit sweetens, but the tannin also shows more noticably, an interesting change.
Drunk with the 1990, What was very interesting is that after a couple of hours, there was a marked convergence between the two wines, with the fruit sweetening in the 1989. Interesting to see what will become of this pair, perhaps the 1989 will age better, but the 1990 was singing last night.
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5/5/2005 - bdenuyl wrote: 96 Points
Yummy! Really excellent, with elegance and richness that is drinking perfectly now. Very silky.
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5/5/2005 - slmral wrote: 94 Points
Lighter color, slight orange rim. Plum and cassis with soft tannins. Very good/long finish. My 1st and the groups 1st
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5/3/2005 - CSteefel wrote: 95 Points
1982-83-89 Bordeaux at Masa's in San Francisco: This deep dark ruby red wine started a bit slower, but only improved with time in the glass. Very different in expression than the 1990 Montrose, this wine seems to show more in common with the 1996 in the sheer brightness and definition of its Cabernet fruit. A wine with great balance and palate coverage that avoids blurring the laser-like precision of its focused flavors. In fact, the delineation only improves with time in the glass. With the Pichon Lalande, the longest finish of the flight.
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5/3/2005 - cassetta wrote: 97 Points
Dark purple and opaque. Aromas of blackcurrant and licorice. This is a delicious big powerful chewy wine with great balance.
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3/17/2005 - jamiekutch wrote: 93 Points
TN: 1989 Palmer, 1989 Montrose, 1990 Chapoutier CDP, 2001 Beaucastel CDP, Core 442 (Gramercy Tavern NYC): Darker than the Palmer in color. Another sweet nose with black fruit. Some secondary flavors including meat and game. Plenty of tannins lets you know this wine is built for a long time to go. It's definitly a big boy Bordeaux. Fantastic and balanced. Much bigger in style than its Palmer brotherin, this Montrose only flaw was that the nose never evolved very much. Manlin brought this along from Chicago that day so it was well mixed and waasn't decanted as was the case with my Palmer. The finish was superb with clean ripe fruit traveling down my throat and lingering flavors that lasted for 30 seconds.
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3/16/2005 - IanL wrote:
Christie's Wine Department Open Evening & Tasting (Old Brompton Road, London): Unsure of provenance. Dark ruby core with slight bricking to the rim. Mostly dominated by secondary, gamey flavours and a touch of farmyard. Still carrying some tannins, ensuring a drying finish. Unsure whether it's the state of the bottle that left me unimpressed, or the state of its evolution.
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2/13/2005 - Rupert wrote:
How do you mark a wine at this stage of its evolution? This is massive. Bruce thought it was a young Latour. Dark, thick, brooding; lots of flavour lurking - herbs, spice, coffee. There's enough there to know what it's going to taste like, it's clearly going to be fantastic eventually, but right now on the palate it doesn't really warrant more than an 86 or so. The Riscal 90 that followed was clearly a lesser wine, but at present offers more. In due course, this will be upper 90s.
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1/22/2005 - vinolovers wrote: 85 Points
Opened shortly before dinner; Deep color, muted nose that never evolved. Flavors of minerals and dried fruit with few tannins. Smooth and harmonious, but disappointing.
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8/5/2004 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Sporting an opaque, purple, ruby, robe the wine had a great perfume. Black fruit, oak, spice and cassis on the nose. Very tannic, dense wine. Multiple layers of rich, ripe black fruit coat your mouth. This is a huge wine, but balanced. More bottle age will improve this already exceptional wine.
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8/5/2004 - cybergod wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding.
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7/20/2004 - mnh wrote:
Another excellent bottle, at peak now, but will probably maintain
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6/5/2004 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 97 Points
Consumed at Arterra restaurant with Marshall and Luz Banker. Bottle provided from my personal cellar. The wine was decanted and consumed over a two-hour period, primarily with seared New York steak. Bright disc. Deep ruby/garnet robe with red rim. Clean nose, showing an explosive bouquet of black fruit, minerals, damp earth, brier, chocolate and mushrooms. Full-bodied on the palate, with low acidity, medium sweet tannins and a smooth mouth texture. The flavors mirror the nose. Long, silky finish. Beautiful at this point!
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6/4/2004 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
A business lunch (Restaurant De Librije ***, Zwolle, Netherlands): Rich and warm good weight, more developed than expected, no need to decant, much smoother than the Barton 1989, richer than the Chevalier 1989. Now - 2010+.
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6/2/2004 - Lorien wrote: 97 Points
Dark ruby red, with very intense and appealing aromas of saddles, leather and some wild fruits. Full massive body, with huge and even shocking concentration, loaded with layers of flavors including prunes, some coffee, ripe grapes and a little pepper. Great balance and structure, with integrated tannins that need many more years to soften, nice acidity and very good level of oak. Huge massive finish with a beautiful aftertaste. Overall this is a blockbuster, a heavy weight, and one of the most concentrated wines I have ever had. Loads of personality, with a fantastic feel, that though is approachable now, does need many more years to develop and mature. I’d definitely like to stock up on a case of this wine, and enjoy it slowly in the very far future. Great wine!
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5/11/2004 - Alpine wrote: 96 Points
I decided to pull this wine after doing inventory to put my wine into Cellar Tracker an I discovered that I had 10 (now 9) of these when I thought I had just two. A wealth of dark black fruit. Huge concentration and wonderful balance. Cedar and some asian spices on the palate. The tanin is wonderfully intergrated into the finish. I was very pleased with this bottle and based on how well this tasted I am confident that I will be buying the 2003.
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3/19/2004 - PaulH wrote: 96 Points
The wine was a dark purple-red very deeply colored and very young looking. The nose was big and layered with ripe fruit. On the palate, the wine was mouth filling with a medium to full body with prominent fruit. Since Montrose is St. Estephe, I was expecting more tobacco and smoke, like a Cos d'Estournel, but this was more refined. The finish was long and enjoyable. Everything about the wine was enjoyable and it was my WOTN, and at least at my end of the table everyone's WOTN. Excellent wine with a long future ahead of it. (SF Offline at Chapeau!)
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1/26/2004 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
This wine is First Growth quality! It is that good! The color is an opaque, purple with no lightening at the edge. The nose offers spectacular scents of walnuts, dark black fruits and cedar. On the palate the weight and depth are incredible. Full bodied does not begin to describe it. Immense concentration, but it's not heavy. It's light on it's feet but in a masculine style. This fills your mouth coating your palate with sweet ripe fruit and soft tannins. This is so unctuous you could almost eat it with a spoon. The wine is seamless. The finish lasts over :50 seconds.
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12/26/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 95 Points
Dark red appearance. Strong scents of barn, or as we say here; elephant’s cage. The was also an underlying note of tea. Wonderfully intenste, structured, and with great fruit density, ripeness and concentration of flavour. Multiple angles to decipher and a brilliant bitter dark chocolate" flavour profile. As the wine opened with air, yet more dimensions evolved in the bouquet, and an unmistakable hay scent presented itself. The aftertaste was long and lingering, greatly defined and balanced with good focus and finesse, yet lots of power and strength. An ACE. My guess was Montrose.
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11/1/2003 - traill wrote:
v.g. but somewhat dusty
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10/15/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 98 Points
Black. A slightly off-putting urinal like quality blew off after a few minutes, and notes of cherries, black currants and other red and black fruits. Chocolaty sweet and round in the mouth. Superbly balanced in the ratio between fruit concentration, oak treatment, and hedonistic pleasure. In other words, despite it’s huge size you don’t have to wrestle this wine. Superb long aftertaste on notes of coffe and chocolate.
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8/1/2003 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 93 Points
No Complaints, but this bottle is not as good as the others from the same case The wine is a little austere. These need to have a peaceful rest and then emerge as a super great wine in a few years. Will last for a very long time.
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5/28/2003 - mnh wrote:
Dark ruby. No amber. Copper/mineral nose, sl reticent. Ripe fruit, med tannins, long mineral finish. Years to go.
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12/20/2001 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasting of 3 1989 Bordeaux, very slight nose, but fragrant cabernet nose, lovely, rich touch of cabernet on the palate, mouth filling fruit, lots of very soft tannins, 3 to 5 years away from it's best. My #3 of 3.
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12/14/2001 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 95 Points
Taken from personal cellar and presented to Vintage Wines tasting group as an unknown. Bright disc, with opaque garnet robe and red rim. Clean, moderately intense nose of chocolate, cedar and black fruit. Full-bodied on the palate, with moderate acidity and immense tannins. Flavors similar to nose. Long, tannic finish. This is a huge, classic wine which will benefit from more cellaring.
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5/23/2001 - Peter Hirdt wrote: 93 Points
What a difference since I last tasted this wine, which was hard as nails and totally unyielding two years ago. Tannins have softened considerably. A very good wine now, with great balance, that will be outstanding in another three to five years. Awesome with grilled Black Angus shell steak.
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9/10/1998 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 96 Points
Screaming at you with red and black cherries and berries. Perfume to rival the wise men. Dark, thick , unctious... what a teriffic Bordeaux, one of the best I have ever tasted.
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2/8/1992 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at blind horizontal 1989 Bordeaux tasting at Vintage Wines, Ltd. Bright, very dark ruby with red rim. Nose slightly closed but showing moderate oak and jammy currants. Oak and vanilla predominate palate, but there is plenty of plum and blackberries. Moderate, supple tannins. Low acidity. Despite the acidity, I feel that this wine is quite ageable.
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1/10/1992 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nose of ripe fruit, licorice, and vanilla from the oak, same on the palate, tasty, young, needs 7 years to peak, lots of soft tannins and fruit on the finish.
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1/4/1992 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 86 Points
Tasting of 9 Bordeaux at Primas. Showed a big, intensely earthy nose followed by more of the same in the mouth, soft, supple but earthy, angular fruit that is not my style today. tasted 4 times in 2 weeks. My #7.
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