Unchanged from my prior rating this is delicious and drinking very well, no need to wait on this 2nd wine of Ch. Montrose. This bottle had a bit of sediment so beware when pouring or decanting. Medium+ body with rich red & black fruit, a hint of tobacco, earth and a very 'fresh' feel in the mouth and on the palate. Consumed over 2 days and I didn't notice any real improvement on day two. Would definitely buy this again if I see it in Costco (paid $38.00) and consider it to be a value leader in the sub-$50 category as it blows away most competitors, some at 2x the price. I wish I could get something like this from California on a routine basis w/out having to pay $100+ (open to suggestions). Fabulous effort from Ch. Montrose. 93 points
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Maybe more closed than my last bottle. Still showed a dark black fruit profile with some flint in the nose. Palate is not as flamboyant as prior bottles—probably shitting down a bit. Tannins are prominent and a bit coarse. Delicious—though be warned this is a large scaled wine.
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93 points -- opened and consumed over the course of 2 hours. Smooth and easy to drink. I will post detailed notes later but this was outstanding and I can't imagine it improving much from where it is now. Glad I have 5 more bottles left. I got this at Costco for $38.00 -- a tremendous deal. Way better than the Pagodes de Cos I bought at the same time...
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Red dark color. Aroma of red berries. Black currant, cedar, coffee and chocolate. Great wine. complex big powerful taste of sweet dark berries, chocolates and cedar. Long, good balance and complex.
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Pretty delicious now. Very ripe profile with viscosity and mouthfeel that speaks more of Napa than bdx. However there’s a beam of austerity though the wine, just a hint of harshness that seems to speak of St Estephe. Very black fruit profile and lush mouthfeel showing the Merlot. Turns a bit austere and dry on the finish showing it’s structure. No heat at all. Pretty enjoyable now but should age medium term. (Wife with a thumbs down, didn’t care for the large scale)
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Still too young but really showing great potential. As another tasting note mentioned there is a significant amount of sediment left after all is said and drank.
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Splash double decant. Deep dark electric magenta color. Blackberry, milk chocolate, dark strawberry, damp leaves, pepper, and subtle truffle on the nose. Smooth, dry palate. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.
This is not quite in it’s drinking window (or needs several hours of air). It’s somewhat Napa-leaning, yet also earthy. Best QPR in the Montrose lineup.
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In a very pleasurable place right now. Lovely balanced fresh clean earthy dark fruits, perfect ripe tannins. Very good now with no decant. Enjoyable and fun right now - not compex so don’t hold your breath.
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This opaque crimson blend of 52% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc was Vinturi-decanted and serially sampled over the ensuing three hours. Packed with cassis, dried cranberries, black cherries, savory herbs, tobacco and exotic spices, it is a full-bodied red with lots of acid and lots of tannic grip. The oak is nicely assimilated and the alcohol (14.5%) lurks quietly in the background, leaving room for a dense mid-palate that leads to a lengthy finish. This juvenile, playing second fiddle to its more esteemed sibling, is an impressive wine on its own. Give it some cellar time and serve it in a blind tasting with its big brother. You may just be surprised. Drink 2025-2038.
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Dark purple in colour. Still very young, but drank next to 2010 for reference. Notes of cassis, licorice, and dark chocolate. Dry, med acidity, med body, chewy tannins, and med finish. Very hard to properly rate a bordeaux this young, but based on the 2010, not hard to believe this will just get better with age.
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As much as I like Montrose, this, my first experience with their second wine, was disappointing. Primary and almost feral nose, with black fruit, vanilla oak and floral/violet notes on the nose; quite perfumed yet chewy, with noticeable alcoholic heat. A bit chunky and unbalanced, my wife did not like this at all, and while I found it to be a serviceable accompaniment to a dry-aged steak, this struggles on its own. This was Coravin'd last night and decanted into a 16oz Boston Round tonight, so I've tried it now at a few stages of its evolution, and I am not optimistic about its potential. Considering its forward nose and chewy tannic finish, this is a bit shrill and thin in the midpalate. This reaffirms my view that 2nd wines, even for top estates, represent relatively poor value.
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While I quite enjoyed this bottle, I didn't find it as appealing as my first bottle of the 2016, nor as exciting as the 2010. 14.5% abv this vintage. 2014 and 2016 are 13.5%. The healthy dollop of sediment in my last glass was unexpected.
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Tasted over two days. At open, this is very primary, ripe, almost grapey but good concentration and you can feel the ripe tannins - which start to show themselves at 30 minutes or so of air. Good second wine and held up well the second day, but feels a step behind the 2016 I tasted at a similar stage, and also a very small step behind the 2018 Labegorce tasted recently. Still a good second wine, just not one I would pay $50 for based on this experience (but I do not taste a lot of very young Bordeaux). B+/A-?
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Bearing a resemblance, albeit smaller in stature, this is going to drink great on release, though it will improve with some age. Medium/full-bodied with sweet, ripe red fruits and spice, the wine is juicy, fresh, sweet, round and ripe. This is quite classy, especially when you consider it is only a second wine. Enjoy this while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop.
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Bought one bottle to Coravin Taste. Super Dark Purple. Very tight, needs lots of air (hours) to show but can tell it is excellent. It's very St. Estephe with mouth coating red fruit, mint, smoke, floral elements, anise. Long finish. Definitely worth cellar purchase if can find at a good price. Hard to believe it's a second wine indeed. Should age well. 92++
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Classified Growth in quality, it is hard to believe this is a second wine. Full-bodied, juicy and ripe, this is a serious mouthful of sweet Cabernet Sauvignon with pop, length and complexity. Give this 4-5 years in the cellar. The wine was produced from blending 52% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc. 92-94 Pts
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4/7/2024 - EricU Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic Bordeaux. Still young. Nice acidity, graphite, cassis. Drank over 3 hrs day 1. Improved on day 2.
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11/21/2023 - brennan18 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Unchanged from my prior rating this is delicious and drinking very well, no need to wait on this 2nd wine of Ch. Montrose. This bottle had a bit of sediment so beware when pouring or decanting. Medium+ body with rich red & black fruit, a hint of tobacco, earth and a very 'fresh' feel in the mouth and on the palate. Consumed over 2 days and I didn't notice any real improvement on day two. Would definitely buy this again if I see it in Costco (paid $38.00) and consider it to be a value leader in the sub-$50 category as it blows away most competitors, some at 2x the price. I wish I could get something like this from California on a routine basis w/out having to pay $100+ (open to suggestions). Fabulous effort from Ch. Montrose. 93 points
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10/21/2023 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Maybe more closed than my last bottle. Still showed a dark black fruit profile with some flint in the nose. Palate is not as flamboyant as prior bottles—probably shitting down a bit. Tannins are prominent and a bit coarse. Delicious—though be warned this is a large scaled wine.
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10/2/2023 - Zlynx wrote:
Very good. Buy again
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5/22/2023 - brennan18 Likes this wine: 93 Points
93 points -- opened and consumed over the course of 2 hours. Smooth and easy to drink. I will post detailed notes later but this was outstanding and I can't imagine it improving much from where it is now. Glad I have 5 more bottles left. I got this at Costco for $38.00 -- a tremendous deal. Way better than the Pagodes de Cos I bought at the same time...
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2/4/2023 - christian.tellvik@limab.se Likes this wine: 93 Points
Red dark color. Aroma of red berries. Black currant, cedar, coffee and chocolate. Great wine. complex big powerful taste of sweet dark berries, chocolates and cedar. Long, good balance and complex.
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12/29/2022 - Sundbyberg wrote: 93 Points
Very good straight from the bottle with deep, dark, seductive, fruit. Typical St Estephe.
Better than the Pagodes de Cos from the same vintage.
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8/22/2022 - cos65 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep nearly opaque purple.
Large scale, lush merlot flavors with a somewhat tannic finish. Nice, but better with a few years
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8/8/2022 - Nutty08 wrote: 92 Points
Pretty delicious now. Very ripe profile with viscosity and mouthfeel that speaks more of Napa than bdx. However there’s a beam of austerity though the wine, just a hint of harshness that seems to speak of St Estephe. Very black fruit profile and lush mouthfeel showing the Merlot. Turns a bit austere and dry on the finish showing it’s structure. No heat at all. Pretty enjoyable now but should age medium term.
(Wife with a thumbs down, didn’t care for the large scale)
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4/25/2022 - J+B_Wines Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still too young but really showing great potential. As another tasting note mentioned there is a significant amount of sediment left after all is said and drank.
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3/21/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 93 Points
Splash double decant. Deep dark electric magenta color. Blackberry, milk chocolate, dark strawberry, damp leaves, pepper, and subtle truffle on the nose. Smooth, dry palate. Firm, full tannins on the longish finish.
This is not quite in it’s drinking window (or needs several hours of air). It’s somewhat Napa-leaning, yet also earthy. Best QPR in the Montrose lineup.
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3/20/2022 - KAT9 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Balanced. Red fruits. High acidity. Tannin is higher. Less acl. More oak. So so effort from montrose.
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3/16/2022 - jmoon Likes this wine: 93 Points
In a very pleasurable place right now. Lovely balanced fresh clean earthy dark fruits, perfect ripe tannins. Very good now with no decant. Enjoyable and fun right now - not compex so don’t hold your breath.
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11/17/2021 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 93 Points
This opaque crimson blend of 52% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc was Vinturi-decanted and serially sampled over the ensuing three hours. Packed with cassis, dried cranberries, black cherries, savory herbs, tobacco and exotic spices, it is a full-bodied red with lots of acid and lots of tannic grip. The oak is nicely assimilated and the alcohol (14.5%) lurks quietly in the background, leaving room for a dense mid-palate that leads to a lengthy finish. This juvenile, playing second fiddle to its more esteemed sibling, is an impressive wine on its own. Give it some cellar time and serve it in a blind tasting with its big brother. You may just be surprised. Drink 2025-2038.
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10/11/2021 - rexmerlot wrote: 90 Points
Dark purple in colour. Still very young, but drank next to 2010 for reference. Notes of cassis, licorice, and dark chocolate. Dry, med acidity, med body, chewy tannins, and med finish. Very hard to properly rate a bordeaux this young, but based on the 2010, not hard to believe this will just get better with age.
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9/15/2021 - GrapeScott wrote: 88 Points
As much as I like Montrose, this, my first experience with their second wine, was disappointing. Primary and almost feral nose, with black fruit, vanilla oak and floral/violet notes on the nose; quite perfumed yet chewy, with noticeable alcoholic heat. A bit chunky and unbalanced, my wife did not like this at all, and while I found it to be a serviceable accompaniment to a dry-aged steak, this struggles on its own. This was Coravin'd last night and decanted into a 16oz Boston Round tonight, so I've tried it now at a few stages of its evolution, and I am not optimistic about its potential. Considering its forward nose and chewy tannic finish, this is a bit shrill and thin in the midpalate. This reaffirms my view that 2nd wines, even for top estates, represent relatively poor value.
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6/3/2021 - Henrik Franck Likes this wine: 91 Points
Perfect drinking despite young age. Lots of power. Not much tannin so perhaps it should be consumed during coming few years.
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4/29/2021 - racerchris Likes this wine: 91 Points
While I quite enjoyed this bottle, I didn't find it as appealing as my first bottle of the 2016, nor as exciting as the 2010.
14.5% abv this vintage. 2014 and 2016 are 13.5%.
The healthy dollop of sediment in my last glass was unexpected.
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3/22/2021 - MC wrote:
Tasted over two days. At open, this is very primary, ripe, almost grapey but good concentration and you can feel the ripe tannins - which start to show themselves at 30 minutes or so of air. Good second wine and held up well the second day, but feels a step behind the 2016 I tasted at a similar stage, and also a very small step behind the 2018 Labegorce tasted recently. Still a good second wine, just not one I would pay $50 for based on this experience (but I do not taste a lot of very young Bordeaux). B+/A-?
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3/9/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Bearing a resemblance, albeit smaller in stature, this is going to drink great on release, though it will improve with some age. Medium/full-bodied with sweet, ripe red fruits and spice, the wine is juicy, fresh, sweet, round and ripe. This is quite classy, especially when you consider it is only a second wine. Enjoy this while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop.
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1/23/2021 - Triforwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bought one bottle to Coravin Taste. Super Dark Purple. Very tight, needs lots of air (hours) to show but can tell it is excellent. It's very St. Estephe with mouth coating red fruit, mint, smoke, floral elements, anise. Long finish. Definitely worth cellar purchase if can find at a good price. Hard to believe it's a second wine indeed. Should age well. 92++
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4/19/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Classified Growth in quality, it is hard to believe this is a second wine. Full-bodied, juicy and ripe, this is a serious mouthful of sweet Cabernet Sauvignon with pop, length and complexity. Give this 4-5 years in the cellar. The wine was produced from blending 52% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc. 92-94 Pts
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