At Quo Vadis, 3 bottles decanted - mat dense ruby, little development; more plum than cassis, pronounced earthy minerality, bit monolithic and dull, not pure, more funk; fullish, slightly granular, not particularly long or persistent, dry tannic structure over dominant relative to fruit though improved slightly in glass, little complexity, drinkable with some pleasure but at an awkward stage of its development, time should help but the balance seems wrong for long term, perhaps some upside, 10 but probably not 20 years. At best VG+ (16.5)......as a fan of Montrose in the noughties this was a disappointment, so glad I didn't buy it!
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A quatuor of Bordeaux for this supper. Lafite Rothschild 1996, Gruaud-larose 2009, Montrose 2006 and Smith-Haut-Lafite 2011. My favorite was the Lafite but I was disappointed. I rated it 94 (93-94). Impressive youthfulness for such an old wine. Cassis, tobacco and lead pencil with some green pepper. Complex and long but without the concentration and wow effect I expected from a Premier Grand cru. The three other guests rated it 92. My second close favorite was the Gruaud-Larose: I rated it 93. The others had 92 or 93 ratings. It had more fruit but it still was less rich than I had hoped for. The Smith-Haut Lafite was also excellent, tasting younger and having classic Bordeaux character: I rated it 92, The others, 91 to 93. The Montrose barely made the 90 mark for me: very austere, dry wood on the mouth mixed with black fruits. We were three rating it 90 with the fourth of us gaving it 94.
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Decanting advisable to let this beauty of a wine sing. This classic in so many way beauty performs again and so beautiful to cross paths with it again. In a very good place in its drinking window for sure and even with that I. Mind this has so much more to deliver over then next couple of decades that always begs the question why do we bother with En Primeurs when the wine world is full of these magnificent gems. Beautiful wine and ever so elegant. 93-94 once again
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A spellbinding nose of sandalwood, cigar box & leather, married with red fruits, Asian spices and red pepper flakes.
A vibrant palate with the beautifully bright and focused acidity providing real lift and interest. The earthy elements of tobacco, sandalwood and cinnamon are first up. Then the acidity heralds the fruit, at first redcurrant and cranberry then the sweeter fruits of cherry and wild strawberry with a dusting of Chinese five spice powder. The robust tannins kick in after 10 or so seconds, providing a sturdy frame and drying the palate, but not to the detriment of the medium finish.
While not the best year, I love the vibrancy without any heaviness, and it’s really singing at the moment. It also still has the fruit, acidity and structure for another 5-10 years at least.
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CdB BoG; 1/25/2024-1/27/2024 (Denver): Blind. Lunch. Guessed Pauillac. Had called the Pontet Canet as St Estephe so I guess that’s where I went wrong. Lost my notes but recall this was really good. Big rich still fruity and structured, a bit of spice and chocolate.
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Slow ox one hour. A relatively underpowered Montrose. Medium to full bodied with some pleasant classic Bordeaux notes but underwhelming focus and length.
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Mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I appreciated the lower level of alcohol and thus lack of porty sweetness that I have noted in this vintage. On the other hand I do not consider that the tannins have fully resolved or become balanced in the wine. There was an edgy rawness that was not immediately attractive and further aeration did not see a significant improvement. Definitely needed food
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Having had this one month ago and rated 94 this wine was a bit of a let down and was nowhere close to the experience we had then. Even decanting did not wake up the wine so pointless to rate or provide a TN as definitely this bottle has nothing to do with the real wine.
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It’s been a long time since we had this ( Papies 90 in 2016) and what a wine it has become. Interesting to see the 2006a of this pedigree deliver ( 2007s too) and especially this lovely wine delivered with minimal decanting an excellent experience. Still on the primary side mostly but with little glimpses of evolution, beautifully open and classic nose , well rounded and elegant palate. This is an excellent top end claret and shows once again the magic of Montrose. 93-95 Papies split.
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On day 2: there is touch of maderisation, but the palate has deepened out. What great depth of dark flavour! What vertical integrity! Time to buy more, but perhaps not from this vintage.
I've tried 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2006. I've got more and 2012, 2017 and 2019 down the road. In 2014 I bought Cos over this and I'll live with it. 2001 was the best of these but none of them bad and this was comparable to 2004. Burgundy shoe polish color showing some age on the edge, maybe 2004 is a little deeper at this point. I aired this out for four hours. There is typicity/"terroir" with this place. Earthy aromas. Polished tannins and entry. Opens with black currants, lead pencil, green tobacco, all trimmed in a cedar frame. Nice, clean finish. Quite savory. Pinpoint balance of the elements of structure, fruit and acidity. Medium body, yet full in the mouth. This moves around a bit and is interesting to follow over the night. These seem to be 20 year wines, but there's no harm in treating oneself at sixteen - you're seeing the show. I'm fairly sold that this comes from a special place. I haven't had a bad one. The best is yet to come too. 93
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Pavel (see below) has it absolutely right. There is a deep nose of spice and dark fruit on the nose (typically Montrose), but the palate is simply not there. It starts well with a certain depth but ends rather disappointedly with a thinning on the back palate.
This is day 1. I will get back tomorrow, when I often find that these bigger wines perform at their best.
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Slow ox’ed for a few hours and the poured bit decanter and drank slowly. Wonderful deep and layered nose of dark fruit and some wood spices, the palate seems tight initially and then a bit too lean to hold up with the beautiful nose. Fairy short finish. Nose 94, palate 89. Interesting to see how Neal Martin consistently has rated this in the higher 80s, and Parker, known for his preference for big wines saw this repeatedly in the lower to mid 90s. 92 overall for me, and given the lean body not sure about the upside here
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Sunday Lunch with Christiaan & Gerber & Spouses (Home): mid garnet, the bouquet is tilled soil, liquorice, black fruits and tar. A medium-bodied entry with some power and grip, good depth of flavour wth earthy elements and a smattering of fruit. It took its time to evolve in the glass and the length is long but lacks the concentration of a second growth and felt lacking on the fruit side too despite its age. It felt static and lacked confidence and delta-ed out toward the end feeling underwhelming for such a prestigious estate.
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Young, but really delightful with 6 hours decant. Well structured. Integrated fruit. Spice box. A touch of graphite. This is great now but will get a lot better.
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Lovely, traditional left bank bordeaux in early maturity. Red fruit, tobacco, leather, a touch of chocolate, some cedar; medium bodied. Almost has a Rutherford dust smell - reminds me of the Mondavi reserves from the mid 2000s. Folks are complaining about the tannin but this is well within my tolerance - what did they make of the 1975s!? Very classy and drinkable; great QPR.
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Medium+ intense nose of menthol, soft cheese, leather glove, black currant, soy sauce.
On the palate: elegant red and black currant, wet earth, hint of dried leather.
Medium alcohol, medium+ body, medium+ acidity. Medium grained tannins still pronounced. Good balance of weight and acidity. Elegant throughout and has the structure to evolve further.
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A touch of barnyard and herbs and spices in the bouquet. On the palate cherries and red berries, firm acidity, tannin and bitterness. Drying and sticky tannin in the finish. Beautiful wine, but I still think (and hope) this wine will show more finesse in 4 – 5+ years from now.
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Lovely nose showing mostly blue and some red fruit. Cassis, blueberries, tobacco and a touch of cherry dominated (?) mix of red fruit. Liquorice root and a touch of herbs back provides some lovely freshness to the nose.
On the palate this is very classic, but with more approachable than expected. Ripe and smooth, but slightly linear fruit. Surprisingly more approachable than 4 years ago when it was quite stern and tannic. Quite smooth, but with a touch grainy tannins at the slightly drying St. Estephe finish. Medium bodied.
Clearly better bottle than my last, that drinks well now, but some upside in further cellaring. Today 92 points, but may add another point or two with cellaring. Lets see where this goes! Scored 93
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Dark with a brick edge. Very fine scents of blueberries, raspberries and wet gravel-very blue fruits in profile with very subtle oak perfectly integrated. Mouthful wine with outstanding ripeness of exuberant blue fruits, sweet and concentrated, with a good amount of sap in the mid palate, and loads of tannins that are fine but a tad dry-flavors lingering for 30 seconds in the end. This is a domesticated Montrose, a different Montrose than the old tannic beasts of the past. A very good value, and approachable now. Although the underlying material is there so that it could age for another 15 years, I prefer to drink it on its opulence of fruit as it counterbalances well the tannins.
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Tasted from magnum. Great and well made Wine, that needs more time to fully blossom. This is in late primary phase and hence a little linear. I have little doubt that there is a good 2-3 points hiding in there. Will keep the rest for at least 5 more years. I hope.
Classic nose of wet leather, tobacco, black and blue fruit. Moderately tannic, high acid with a medium minus body, tastes of faint red fruit, toasted cocoa and slightly drying; finish is fine but tight. Pretty nose but body and palate leave a bit to be desired. Maybe with more time this improves.
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Ridiculously youthful still, as good Bordeaux at this age should be. But still excellent integration of fruit, tanins, acidity and alcohol. Beautiful dark stone fruit flesh. Rich and hedonistic. Some boiled sweets on the nose. Wonderful full bodied Cabernet dominant. Lots of currents and fruit cake, matched the ossonuco perfectly.
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3rd bottle from a half case bought soon after release. A very traditional St. Estephe for long ageing and with moderate alcohol at 12.5pc. Blackcurrant pastil nose at first, then dark plums and oak. Slightly green with loads of tannin and excellent persistence. There is a lot of soft fruit in the background. Was my favourite at a wine society tasting in 2010 when I gave 96 points. Has been in an awkward phase for a long time. With any luck it will follow along the lines of 75 Haut Brion (although not quite of the same class), tannic and austere at 15 years old, lean with fabulously complex nose at 23 yrs on. It needs to shed the green tannins. Next bottle 2024.
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Clear medium/deep garnet; clear medium plus nose of juicy cassis, graphite, tobacco, cracked fall leaves and barnyard; dry; high acidity; high tannins; medium plus alcohol; medium plus body; pronounced flavour intensity; palate is tarter with very little fruit and addition of 99% cocoa; long finish; drink now or in the next couple years if you like fruit; has the structure to age another decade; really beautiful
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A 91, at best. Disappointing. This wine has still not evolved to what it should be. One-dimensional with not a lot of fruit or depth. I hope it comes around. I made a note to not try it again until 2022. I sense that others are having a similar experience because the auction price for this wine has not performed along with other Bordeaux wines I own with similar vintages and price ranges.
Decanted for 2 hours and started to open somewhat after 3. Berry, leather, and decent length. Medium+ bodied. Patience still very much required. 5 years before opening the next bottle.
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Medium red; requires air - give it some hours at least, tight to begin with, opening up after some hours with nice fruit; taste same experience, quite tight and flat to begin with, opening up after hours; guess lots of potential - but wait 10 years; tasted with La Dame same year, La Dame is ready now, this one not
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From Mag, double decanted for 5h, only French that night among 4 Austrians of a similar age, was clearly identified during blind tasting, built for the longterm as most Montrose, probably needs another 5-10 years to develop, enjoyable but even with 5h of air not really open
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Medium ruby. Cassis, blackberry, black cherry, mushroom, leathery, meaty nose, dense, some vanilla. High acidity, furry mouth-coating tannins still intact - a bit drying, medium(+) bodied, medium alcohol. Long finish. A bit of a hollow core? Should benefit from further ageing as tannins soften
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Did not rate since this was a pop and pour and didn’t get the air it needed to come together. Drank balance on day two and it still had a good tannic grip. So I suspect this needed an hour or two in a decanter prior to drinking...or more time on its side.
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Another wedding wine opened in celebration of doing the family lock-down boogie for the last 2+ months. Pristine condition, still young, decanted for 1 hour. Notes of earth, rocks, currant, tobacco and licorice. Tannins still grippy, hopefully will soften with further age. Nicely crafted wine, medium-bodied for a Montrose, but built for further aging.
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Big blackcurrant and mushroom sous bois nose as the bottle was opened and decanted. Dark colour and lots of soft fruit. Some green tannic bitterness on the long finish. Drinking well now and could improve as those tannins age.
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From a Mag. A bit simple, some secondary after about 2 hours open. Threw into a few decanters at that point, the wine tastes sweet, more one dimensional at this point. I think this will taste better in 2 hours, will report back. later this was marginally better.
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Drank back-to-back with the 06 Cos d’Estournel and while the Cos was a very nice and fairly easy drinking Bordeaux, I liked the Montrose a bit more. The Cos was soft and round with dark fruits and some wood spices. Integrated tannins. Seemed fully ready to drink. The Montrose had more depth but also seemed a more serious wine, perhaps not entirely ready with still some medium (-) tannins sticking out but overall a more profound Bordeaux in my eyes. 93+
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Full body, still quite alot of tannins but soft, with just some air it opens up well. Black fruits, tobacco leather smoke licorice dried flowers nutty earthy Good precision and length. Drink or hold.
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A baby for a Montrose, but the good news is that its potty trained. Young, firm, crunchy, red fruit dominated, and medium bodied for a Bordeaux best describe this wine. The nose throws off scents of damp earth and mulch while the palate brings bright, firm red fruit and cedar to the party. I would say that this wine is lean and will most likely hold this profile for the near term, and will only be more interesting to my liking when it starts developing its secondary persona...So to me, this is a HOLD for about 5 more years or longer. Charming
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Big, powerful, dense and tannic, this is a step back into the more, strict, severe styling with a strong, strict, tannic edge. The fruit is ripe, there is concentration, but the tannins are severe, and the fruit, is on the bright, fresh side of the style range. Time could bring this around, but I am not sure it will change the style of the vintage. Lovers of old-school Cabernet Sauvignon Bordeaux blends could enjoy this more than I did.
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Absent of fruit, green and dull. Drank over two nights and it didn’t really develop into anything more than swig of some over-priced alcohol. Finished this second day after enjoying a bold Napa red wine.
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Dark fruits, oak, but also Classic bordeaux-nose. On the palate full bodied, with mostly cassis and plum, with fine oak, some early notes of mature bdx, but I find it a bit hard yet, this needs a few more years to reach it´s prime.
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At Reflections. After about 2 hours of air in decanter. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of dark red cherries, blackberries, ribena blackcurrant, fresh leather, sweet spices, asphalt. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium- alcohol (12.5%), fine puckery high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of blackberries, sweet dark red cherries, ribena blackcurrant, sweet spices. Long finish. Very good quality. Packed with concentrated ripe fruit, yet commendably maintaining only 12.5% alcohol. On the primary side of things now. Holds good promise for the future. Keep for another 5 years.
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A very Bordeaux typical and totally approachable effort, the 2006 Ch Montrose reveals classical subdued fruit, red currant, stony minerals, led pencil and last but not least in a secondary layer Cigar box wood. This is very typical and exactly what to expect - perhaps even a bit boring. The palate adds aa fresh and rather vocal acidity, but balance and integration are definitely the keywords here. Tannins are not very present. The wine drinks very well tonight, but it will cellar well for many years to come. (score is 92+)
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Bright, dark red. The nose had earth, leather and hints of dark fruits. On the palate the wine was even, medium in length with pleasurable earthiness and some fruit (I was expecting more?).
I have had the luck of tasting many vintages of Montrose over the years. My normal trajectory with this wine is not to touch 750 ml bottles for 14 years after vintage. I suspect this might actually be better in a few years. The Wine Advocate has many interesting notes re tasting/accessing of this wine. Parker scored the wine at 94+ in 2009; Martin an 87(?) in 2017. I wonder if the famous Bordeaux funky period is moving out in start time and longer in length; making the wines drinkable immediately, then the funk (lasting longer) and finally returning to great mature Bordeaux after 12 to 14 years in the bottle. Besides Montrose I have seen this kind of evolution profile in the Chateau L'Evangile 1982 and 1990 and other Bordeaux classified growth wines.
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Decanted for 3+ hours. This wine seems to have a lot behind it, but still will not completely open up. Will not touch it again for a couple of more years.
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Fiole récupérée en Abitibi, env 140$ Épaulé 2 heures, il aurait surement pris plus. Avec tourtière de Jérome Ferrer maison. Robe disque discrètement pourprée. Bouquet très intéressant sur les mures, fleurs séchées. Plus tard dans le verre, les feuilles séchées et le tabac était plus reconaissables. Pas très jasant en bouche toutefois, pas mal plus court que mes attentes, vaguement minéral. Un vin de nez plus que de bouche. ***
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Bordeaux Left Bank: The Famous Four (The Wine Society, Stevenage): 72% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot. Medium garnet. Clean nose, medium (+) intensity aromas, cassis, bramble, hint of green herbs, vanilla, cedar, leather. Developing. Dry palate, high acidity, medium alcohol (12.5%), medium (+) body, medium (+) firm tannins, medium (+) intensity flavours, medium finish, a bit drying, A big wine. Personally I think this needs more time to soft and integrate the various elements.
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Medium red; dark berries and licorice; lean expression, nice deep fruit, lots of tannins ; really likeable, lots of taste and fruit, nice balance, depth and also nicely structured and stringent; tannins might improve with either more air/decanting or age; really good
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Opens up after 4 hours decanting: smell of cedar, plum and cherries. Tannins are integrated and the wine is soft in a medium aftertaste. Red berries, white peppar, cherries and a certain heat from the alcohol.
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Paul's birthday (@ PdV): In the bouquet creamy dark forest/berry fruits, licorice, caramel and autumn forest. The same on the palate, good acidity, firm acidity and bitterness. Still very youthful. A wine in its puberty stage. Around 2024+ probably much more refined.
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2006 Left Bank Red Bordeaux, with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): Probably one of the tightest and charmless Montrose we have come across, ever. Dark in color, light touch of mocha, dark fruits. Not very herbal to be honest. Tight but not harsh, very tannic and this wine needs time. Not very giving at this time. 90 at best for now and this needs a good 10 yrs in bottle.
Medium ruby red color. Full bodied wine, still very tannic at this stage. Nose of blackberry, dark cherry. Palate of red and dark fruits, earth, spices. Medium mouthfeel and finish. Needs time for the tannins to resolve, tough to rate
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After 1 hour decanting: smell of earth, cedar, wood, cave. Tannins seem to soften over time, taste of black berries, tar, cherries. Bitterness in the aftetaste, medium finish. Much better than 3 years ago, but still some way to go. Revisit in 2-3 years.
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A typically powerful intense wine in a challenging and atypical year. The finish was certainly shorter than 2005, 09, 10, etc etc. It was softer but had a core of fruit intensity that still gave away its heritage. Nice but not sure if it will improve. Qualification also that this was stored around 18C and not in commercial refrigeration.
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Tough to get by the tannins on this. Jury is out for me. Will let the next five sit for a few years before revisiting. Seems like lots of potential but even after five hours the close was tough.
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Full bodied, powerful, concentrated, and tannic. This needs at least another 10 years to come together as the firm, muscular tannins are out in full force today. The dark red fruits and earthy, spicy, ripe berries are crisp and fresh, but it's really hard to move past the strict wall of tannins today. This is the first vintage under new owners, the Bouygues family.
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Body: All have dark choc, coffee, toast vanilla, minerals, gravel. Keep on changing through out the 3 hours testing ... all are very nice & interesting
2006 Montrose: need more time, keep changing 93pts 2007 Montrose: Med body, nice, complex 92pts 2008 Montrose: Med+ body, elegant, med+ complexity 94pts 2009 La Dame: Med+ body, med+ complexity 93pts 2010 La Dame: Med+ to full body, med+ complexity 95pts
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Clearly a wine that has split the jury, and it was the same here. Farmy nose at first, then dark plums and oak. Slightly green with loads of tannin and excellent persistence. There is a lot of soft fruit in the background. Was my favourite at a wine society tasting 5 years ago. Now going through an awkward phase. With any luck it will follow along the lines of 75 Haut Brion (although not quite of the same class), tannic and austere at 15 years old, lean with fabulously complex nose at 23 yrs on. I look forward to the journey.
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Two-hour Vinturi decant. Still tannic and a bit musty with tobacco and earthy notes most prominent. I've been waiting for years for bottle age to justify this purchase, but it's just not happening. HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT and since this was my first foray into this vineyard, I think I'm bailing...no thanks! When the threshold is a hundred bucks, expectations are high. Goodbye!
(Decanter FWE). Tasted alongside 2009 and 2012. More restrained nose but starting to open up. Rather earthy and tannic still. Good fruit to balance though. Give it a couple of more years in the cellar. 91-92p
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(Decanter Fine Wine Encounter 2015) :: I struggled with this. It is Montrose and meant to be impressive. It wasn't. Still tight, unyielding, with little real character and felt like a very generic left bank bottle. Meh. Maybe I was having on off day...
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Tasted next to the 2009 and 2012. More red and blue fruit notes, grippy, very balanced and settled without the concentration and depth of the 2009. Nice length. Firm and too young still, but quite promising. 92-93+
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Nose of sweet blackberry, black cherry, asphalt and stone. Distinctly layered on the palate with deep black fruit notes, pencil and a hot stone element that drives the wine. Small pour at an in store tasting. My #1 in the lineup
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Decanted for 2 hours....nice on the nose with dark fruit, vanilla, and a trace of cinnamon (?)...still young and tannic on the palate...can definitely see the potential as the wine was somewhat complex and did have a long finish with a silky mouth feel....got one more of these...will wait a few years on that one...could probably get to 93-94 with time.
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Pulled the cork on a bottle I previously accessed via Coravin in April 2015. Back then I scored it 91 Pts and thought it needed more aging to provide enjoyment. I must add that for the last 6 months I have stored this bottle in my kitchen as my Eurocave was too full, also the cork was a bit soaked on top after the Coravin access but I managed to pull it out clean - however potentially there may have been some chance of enhanced oxygen contact. I took a sip immediately after pulling the cork and thought the wine tasted a lot more evolved - suave and round - then when tasted half a year ago. I gave it a 2-3 hour decant and consumed. On the nose this was very shy and did not give much, but on the palate it did deliver - not as tannic as previously, very nice red fruit, creme de cassis, the oak was very subtle and barely noticeably. Overall pleasantly suprised (hence I am upping my score by 2 points this time). If you have stored this perfectly chances are this may still be a bit tannic and needs more time but I feel more certain about a positive development now and it is a great wine which will provide a lot of pleasure over the next 20 years. BTW I think a slight notch below the Cos d'Estournel 2006 which I had a couple of months back which totally bewitched me and of which I immediately had to order a case. But the Montrose is a good 25-30% cheaper making it an equally excellent buy I think in today's market. I may be buying a case myself after this last bottle... I actually enjoyed this a lot more then the 2005 Montrose I had the previous week (which I concluded was nowhere near ready yet.)
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It's really hard for me to score this any lower than 94. This is a superb wine with some minor imperfections but nevertheless head and shoulder above the rest. It has an intoxicating bouquet that you can sense from the next table over. It's effusive with red currants, creme de cassis, vanilla, and new oak. The palate is a bit tight at the moment but contains lots of black and red fruits with considerable complexity. The finish is long as the wine sticks around in your mouth with purity of fruit for more than a minute. In my book, this bouquet and lengthy finish is what sets the great wines apart from the rest. Yes the palate needs time to resolve or perhaps never will, but it does not detract much from the incredible experience. 94-96.
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Complex but elegant nose, slightly subdued (still a young wine), cherries, sandalwood. Great fruit, structured and prominent tannins, pleasing acidity. Almost Chianti-like taste, but lot of deeper notes as well, asphalt and dark berries. This is in for the long run, but accessible already today.
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Youthful dark garnet red with vibrant crimson hue. Big expressive nose along with rich cassis, vanilla oak, fresh tobacco and hints of minty notes. Nice complex nose at this young age. Decanted for 2 hours and it's still tight on the palate, good youthful palate,showing blackcurrant and tobacco, but not as complex as '94. Firm chewy tannins and long finish.
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Well made, classic St Estephe. For me the fruit is lacking a bit to be a truly great wine and the wine is certainly comes across as quite bit rustic / tannic at this point. I am sure this will round out a bit with time - I think it is a good 3-5 years away from its perfect drinking window. 91 for now with potential for an additional point or two as it gains some more bottle age.
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Two-hour Vinturi decant. Still tannic and a bit musty with tobacco and earthy notes most prominent. I waited two years since last try, but this doesn't really seem to be mellowing a bit. Wait some more! I expect more at this price point...
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Classic Bordeaux, but needs a good 2-3 hours to open up. I'm not sure it'll evolve into a classic, nor worth the price paid. But its a good enough drinker.
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Regular dinner group (@ EM): Beautiful bouquet with a lot of cassis and other dark berry fruit, cedar, graphite and beautiful oak. Same on the palate. A lot of good acidity and tannin. A classical wine. A confirmation of previous bottle; wait at least until 2018 – 2020.
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Powerful, tannic and with some austerity in its profile, this classic Medoc displays fresh, crisp cassis, tobacco, earth and spice. Masculine in style, the dusty textured finish is long, but this wine is not for early drinking. Give it another 10-15 years.
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Intensivt, lätt kryddighet i doften, mörka bär, patroner, lakritstoner. Grymt gott och definitivt drickbart trots ung ålder. Tappar koncentration i smak och doft efter ca 1h... är det årgången som är lite klen?
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dark cherry red, in color. dark fruit, plum, blackberry, earth, hint of brett, mocha, olive, licorice, cedar, on the nose. high acid, medium tannins, on the finish.
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K&L Bordeaux Tasting (K&L, San Francisco): Youthful, good fruit, blackberry, underlying minerality, slightly chalky; very young, plump tannins, fresh fruit. Very good, very young. 92+
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Very dark. Lots of red and black fruit on the nose, cherries, herbs, dark chocolate. On the palate the wine's sweet fruit, great structure and balance isn't be fully covered by very firm, drying tannins which are leading to a long finish. I would recommend to leave this wine alone for at least 5 years. Great future and potential.
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Beautiful and classical bouquet with dark fruits, cedar, tobacco and also some mint and eucalyptus. On the palate beautiful dark forest fruits and beautiful acidity and powerful tannin. A beauty, but still in its infant stage. Wait until 2018 - 2020 at least. 92+
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Medium brick color, medium bodied with forest and earth aromas, restrained and austere fruit, firm tannins, clean, dry, silky mineral finish. Terroir driven wine.
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Popped and poured from split. This is a dark ruby wine, with very good concentration and only some minor sediment at the end. The nose carries forest, red fruits, rain on asphalt, and a slightly vegetal note. In the mouth, this is structured and enjoyable, although on the lighter side of fruit. The finish (unsurprisingly) still has some tannin and tightness. Overall, this is young but highly encouraging; I would happily go back again. 93 points with upside potential.
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Extremely closed, young tasting right now. About 4 hours of air and it came out with dark fruits and classic Bordeaux tones like graphite. More than anything, though, young, and closed. Wait, wait, wait.
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rett fra flasken den første dagen, lite fruktdreven nese med mer mørke toner som kaffe og aske. Rustikk. I munnen medium til kraftige tanniner, høy syre og en stram vin. Mineralsk og rustikk. Savner litt fruktsødme. Neste dag og med seks timer dekantering har denne, som 2006, blitt mye mer elegant. På nesen er den mineralsk og gir noe aske. Syrlige røde og mørke bær i munnen, med bra konsentrasjon. Relativt grove tanniner. Fra 89 til 91p.
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I think this is a bit closed. It has some dark fruit, earth, leather and dusty tannins. It is pretty polished, but the tannins do stick out at the end a little bit. I think it will open up and the tannins will incorporate to make it a nicer wine in the future, but I don't see a much higher ceiling. To be honest, I would have liked to seen better from this 2nd growth.
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Seven months since last try...dark fruit still reticent, but blueberry note is a nice addition from last time. Earthy mineral with just a touch of mustiness still prominent; suggest giving this a bit more bottle rest before trying again, since I expected a bit more for a $100-ish bordeaux.
Needs time to breathe, open bottle or decant, and swirl away and this wine delivers a silky sweet blackberry pie with fruit and crust. Full-bodied, with dark chocolate, cassis, and cinnamon, an elegant beauty with a rounded finish with delicious finesse.
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Bordeaux lost the Tour d' France, bested by Burg, CdP and Hermitage. Muted nose of dark fruits. Soft ripe fruit balanced by some tobacco and well integrated tannins. Nothing wrong, just not exciting...AM
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The bouquet is still a bit locked, but there is cassis, coffee and chocolate. On the palate lush, a bit dusty, good cassis, firm acidity and tannin. In this stage the wine is a little disappointing and I scored it only 91, but there is plenty of future. I guess the wine needs more time to show its merits. Probably 2018 is a good moment to try it again.
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a shy nose initially opens up to aromas of crushed blackberries, mountain springs and roses, the palate shows earth and mineral in a very elegant and balanced way, very dry, almost a dusty quality on the finish, old-school, while still very young, I feel the 2006 vintage already really speaks of St. Estephe and shows those qualities well, the mineral quality is very vivid and pleasing
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Even after a 2+ hour Vinturi decant, still reticent all the way around...some dark fruit, earthy mineral, but lackluster finish. I expected a bit more here; will wait & see if bottle age improves the situation.
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Medium to dark red with a nose of game, vanilla and anise; very tight at the start with pepper and leather but limited fruit; very closed down; opened a bit with air but needs cellaring.
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Chateau Montrose vertical (Tower Club): Alcohol :: 12.5% The aroma profile here is a little bit tighter and darker. Intense aromas of savoury meatiness and mint intermixed with blackberry, tobacco and ink. This has better intensity and concentration than the 2004 with bright acidity and firm but very fine tannin backbone. Overall this is more complete wine that the 2004 with decent depth and scale. This too has very good acid grip and lushness on the long finish with mineral, touch of spiciness, bitter sweet cocoa and dark chocolate. Yet another beautiful wine that is drinking well, though not as well as the 04 now but the material here is more complete and will eventually surpass the 2004 in years to come. 90-92+
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Extremely young and tanic. However, good aromatics and underlying blackberry, blueberry and new saddle leather (together with great price in market) suggests maybe worth stocking up on this - together with 2000 Montrose could come strong in time... And does seems to have the stuffing to last
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Opened to appease a friend who loves Montrose. Too young, but opened up after a couple of hours and was really a great wine. Really nice combination of fruit and acidity. Nice earthiness and structure. Those who wait will certainly be rewarded. An excellent value at $50.
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A nice nose with barriers and spices i good harmony but needed a lot of air and is still too young! The tannins was powerful and the wine was able to keep up with this even though it god better with time opened! The finish was long and harmonic and very nice!
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Dark purple in color, viscous. Completely shut down at first, only starts to open up with lots of air, releasing black currant, blackberry, black cherry and blue berry aromas with a little bit of jam, vanilla extract, coffee, tobacco, leather, pencil shavings and a nutty overtone. Medium to full body. Blackberry, cherry and plum on the attack, but the fruit is very much muted. Very firm structure with velvety tannin and fresh acidity. Long finish and goes on for 45 seconds with complex nuances, but all comes at very low heat, power and concentration: needs to be dialed up a notch! Very closed at this point. Would be best if given another year or two. Decant.
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What I said before - needs time but the structure is there. The wife likes wines with a big tannic finish so I figured give it another try. This is going to be very good with time - the fruit is there.
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Advanced Technical Tasting Course. Lesson # 3 (Wine Route Tel Aviv): Dark, almost impenetrable ruby color. In the nose a lot of ripe fruit with hints of smoke. Full-bodied, a lot of fruit in the palate too, Harmony between palate and nose. Predominant tannins, medium acidity.
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Advanced Tasting Course - session #3 (Wine Road Tel-Aviv): dark red with pink edges; strong animal leather aroma, still closed, a bit green, then the chorizo aroma joins; high acidity, full-bodied, tannic & bitter, later chocolate & cacao appear; medium after-taste; will improve significantly with time.
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Drink side by side with Masseto 2003 and Le Plus 2000. This is more than I expected. Very well-made and will be the classic Montrose like 1989. Too young but can enjoy easily after opened 4 hours. Well-balance and rich with the very good finish and lovely long aftertaste. More easy than 2005 but same level of happiness.
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Ruby with some lighteneing already showing at the edge, the nose offers earth, mint, cassis, coffee and blackberry aromas. The wine is developing quickly for Montrose. This is an elegant style for Montrose, lacking the depth and power found in the best years.
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Popped and poured, which is the wrong way to treat this wine at the moment. Luxurious bouquet with a lot of cassis, some paprika and well dosed oak. On the palate very full bodied and juicy cassis. The tannin is very firm and a bit green. This wine needs preferably another 6 – 8+ years to reach maturity. 92+
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2006 Bordeaux Masterclass: Alcohol :: 12.5% By far the deepest nose so far, with powerful, deep earthy and minty tones with very rich sweet dark fruits and soil. Still rather tight but very promising. Med-full bodied, palate staining intensity , tannic but the powdery tannin is very fine. Though this is quite soft in texture, the mid palate is super rich and concentrated with lots of power, layer of dark fruits, new oak giving a good grip and all nicely balance by the good refreshing acidity and firm structure. Very classy, good depth and freshness, long juicy, focus finish. A very good showing. Buy - Maybe.
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A very good wine, but not necessarily in a good phase for tasting or drinking at this point. The nose brings classic Bordeaux aromas of coffee and tobacco, together with cassis fruit that is quite dark. On the palate, this is not showing much, the tannin is tough to get past at this point. Sweetness in the fruit and tannin is apparent, though, and I believe this wine has a strong future; there are elements here that can certainly help this wine blossom into something special. 91-92 point quality shows in flashes if you can get behind the tannins, up to 93-94(+?) for the future; needs a ton of time.
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Tasted against Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 and Sassicaia 2006. Double decanted. The Montrose was ligther on its feet, but more persistent and long. Very easy to detect the Bordeaux from this group. Montrose has a dark violet colour, a nose of tell-tale cassis and lead pencil with very deep and sweet undertones of tobacco and coffee. On the palate it is intense but elegant, with fresh acidity and mature tannins (none of the harsh St.Estephe tannins). Lovely wine.
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Saturday Night Bordeaux Tasting (Pelham, NY): Dark violet. Nose is quite muted at the moment with slight hints of red & black fruits and roast coffee. Medium acidity on a medium plus body with huge, tight tannins. Finish is medium plus in length. Not showing much now. Let it sleep.
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A lot of upside potential here. Inky purple with a solid nose. Dark fruits - currants and blackberries. Gripping tannins and lots of dark cherries. Finish Lingers. Clearly needs 10 years plus. Definitely hold these if you have them. Could end up being a really good Montrose.
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Bordeaux meets Burgundy (King Eddy Toronto): I prefer this to the '05. Both are some of the driest wines I have ever tasted. The '06 was a little more concentrated and had more fruit to counter the tannin. Infantile.
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Bouquet with pleasant barnyard and a lot of cassis. Very concentrated and completely locked. The fruit, the oak and everything is hidden. The tannin however is round and soft. When it opens up in 8+ years from now this will definitely be a beauty. 93+
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I don't get that much opportunity to taste high end Bordeaux, but this may be one of the most elegant, smooth, and silky young wines I've tasted in a while. It also has the most dominant nose of new French oak of any French wine I have tasted. The color is very dark. The silky fruit is amazingly concentrated, more cherry than strawberry. A big dose of blackberry. Full bodied. Impeccable balance and tannins. A nice mineral character on the somewhat oakey finish. Tastes very good now, but would love to this in a few years.
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Dark, evenly coloured. Medium intense on the nose, rather primary, classic. Blackcurrants, leather, pencil shavings. Well-structured, strong, a bit restrained, elegant, ripe tannins. Acidity is just under perfection for me, but really good metallic minerality. Black berries, toast, black pepper, coffee flavours. Very long, classy, masculine.
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Bottle was leaking on delivery. Opened the cork and the wine inside was still good. The flavor encompassed cherry and raspberry nuances. The fruit was subtle and the wine not as tanic as I'm used to from Montrose. Overall I think this was well done.
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Evidently opened far too early. Therefore a bit difficult to judge. Floral nose mixed with blackberries, oak, crushed stone and cool cassis. Palate is structured, notes of oak, slightly earthy with semi-sweet and well integrated tannins. Medium bodied, reticent and far from sexy, the wine offers a rather one-dimensional mouthful at the moment. Not much change on day two. How many layers are hidden under the buttoned up coat that, however, displays classy structure and nose? Needs time in the cellar before I can make that judgement. 91+
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3/25/2024 - liber wrote: 89 Points
At Quo Vadis, 3 bottles decanted - mat dense ruby, little development; more plum than cassis, pronounced earthy minerality, bit monolithic and dull, not pure, more funk; fullish, slightly granular, not particularly long or persistent, dry tannic structure over dominant relative to fruit though improved slightly in glass, little complexity, drinkable with some pleasure but at an awkward stage of its development, time should help but the balance seems wrong for long term, perhaps some upside, 10 but probably not 20 years. At best VG+ (16.5)......as a fan of Montrose in the noughties this was a disappointment, so glad I didn't buy it!
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3/2/2024 - jocelyng wrote: 90 Points
A quatuor of Bordeaux for this supper. Lafite Rothschild 1996, Gruaud-larose 2009, Montrose 2006 and Smith-Haut-Lafite 2011.
My favorite was the Lafite but I was disappointed. I rated it 94 (93-94). Impressive youthfulness for such an old wine. Cassis, tobacco and lead pencil with some green pepper. Complex and long but without the concentration and wow effect I expected from a Premier Grand cru. The three other guests rated it 92.
My second close favorite was the Gruaud-Larose: I rated it 93. The others had 92 or 93 ratings. It had more fruit but it still was less rich than I had hoped for.
The Smith-Haut Lafite was also excellent, tasting younger and having classic Bordeaux character: I rated it 92, The others, 91 to 93.
The Montrose barely made the 90 mark for me: very austere, dry wood on the mouth mixed with black fruits. We were three rating it 90 with the fourth of us gaving it 94.
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2/17/2024 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Decanting advisable to let this beauty of a wine sing.
This classic in so many way beauty performs again and so beautiful to cross paths with it again. In a very good place in its drinking window for sure and even with that I. Mind this has so much more to deliver over then next couple of decades that always begs the question why do we bother with En Primeurs when the wine world is full of these magnificent gems. Beautiful wine and ever so elegant. 93-94 once again
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2/11/2024 - petterkalle wrote: 90 Points
Still quite mute but opens up in the glass. Not the best vintage.
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2/3/2024 - Brucie69 Likes this wine: 93 Points
3 hours in a decanter.
In a really good place now.
A spellbinding nose of sandalwood, cigar box & leather, married with red fruits, Asian spices and red pepper flakes.
A vibrant palate with the beautifully bright and focused acidity providing real lift and interest. The earthy elements of tobacco, sandalwood and cinnamon are first up. Then the acidity heralds the fruit, at first redcurrant and cranberry then the sweeter fruits of cherry and wild strawberry with a dusting of Chinese five spice powder. The robust tannins kick in after 10 or so seconds, providing a sturdy frame and drying the palate, but not to the detriment of the medium finish.
While not the best year, I love the vibrancy without any heaviness, and it’s really singing at the moment. It also still has the fruit, acidity and structure for another 5-10 years at least.
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1/27/2024 - Decanting Queen Likes this wine: 94 Points
CdB BoG; 1/25/2024-1/27/2024 (Denver): Blind. Lunch. Guessed Pauillac. Had called the Pontet Canet as St Estephe so I guess that’s where I went wrong.
Lost my notes but recall this was really good. Big rich still fruity and structured, a bit of spice and chocolate.
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12/2/2023 - EyeDoc wrote: 92 Points
Great nose - lacks some fruit and the tannins are not sweet but resolved. Nonetheless, this wine is in a good place and delicious. Drink or Hold.
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11/19/2023 - mclanew wrote: 89 Points
Slow ox one hour. A relatively underpowered Montrose. Medium to full bodied with some pleasant classic Bordeaux notes but underwhelming focus and length.
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8/26/2023 - FChagnon Likes this wine: 92 Points
Magnifique!
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6/26/2023 - hotweldfire Likes this wine: 90 Points
Blackcurrants, loads of cassis. Still quite a bit of tannin after an hour of decanting. Very good length, not great complexity.
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3/6/2023 - Norn Iron wrote: 90 Points
Mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I appreciated the lower level of alcohol and thus lack of porty sweetness that I have noted in this vintage. On the other hand I do not consider that the tannins have fully resolved or become balanced in the wine. There was an edgy rawness that was not immediately attractive and further aeration did not see a significant improvement. Definitely needed food
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2/25/2023 - Papies wrote:
Having had this one month ago and rated 94 this wine was a bit of a let down and was nowhere close to the experience we had then. Even decanting did not wake up the wine so pointless to rate or provide a TN as definitely this bottle has nothing to do with the real wine.
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2/2/2023 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Quaffable.
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1/27/2023 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
It’s been a long time since we had this ( Papies 90 in 2016) and what a wine it has become. Interesting to see the 2006a of this pedigree deliver ( 2007s too) and especially this lovely wine delivered with minimal decanting an excellent experience. Still on the primary side mostly but with little glimpses of evolution, beautifully open and classic nose , well rounded and elegant palate. This is an excellent top end claret and shows once again the magic of Montrose. 93-95 Papies split.
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11/6/2022 - vide Likes this wine: 93 Points
On day 2: there is touch of maderisation, but the palate has deepened out. What great depth of dark flavour! What vertical integrity! Time to buy more, but perhaps not from this vintage.
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11/5/2022 - swade wrote: 93 Points
I've tried 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2006. I've got more and 2012, 2017 and 2019 down the road. In 2014 I bought Cos over this and I'll live with it. 2001 was the best of these but none of them bad and this was comparable to 2004. Burgundy shoe polish color showing some age on the edge, maybe 2004 is a little deeper at this point. I aired this out for four hours. There is typicity/"terroir" with this place. Earthy aromas. Polished tannins and entry. Opens with black currants, lead pencil, green tobacco, all trimmed in a cedar frame. Nice, clean finish. Quite savory. Pinpoint balance of the elements of structure, fruit and acidity. Medium body, yet full in the mouth. This moves around a bit and is interesting to follow over the night. These seem to be 20 year wines, but there's no harm in treating oneself at sixteen - you're seeing the show. I'm fairly sold that this comes from a special place. I haven't had a bad one. The best is yet to come too. 93
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11/5/2022 - vide Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pavel (see below) has it absolutely right. There is a deep nose of spice and dark fruit on the nose (typically Montrose), but the palate is simply not there. It starts well with a certain depth but ends rather disappointedly with a thinning on the back palate.
This is day 1. I will get back tomorrow, when I often find that these bigger wines perform at their best.
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7/3/2022 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 92 Points
Slow ox’ed for a few hours and the poured bit decanter and drank slowly. Wonderful deep and layered nose of dark fruit and some wood spices, the palate seems tight initially and then a bit too lean to hold up with the beautiful nose. Fairy short finish. Nose 94, palate 89. Interesting to see how Neal Martin consistently has rated this in the higher 80s, and Parker, known for his preference for big wines saw this repeatedly in the lower to mid 90s. 92 overall for me, and given the lean body not sure about the upside here
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6/21/2022 - Kevnzworld wrote: 94 Points
2 hour decant Seabourn
Dark berries and some barnyard. Overall a good showing for a marginal year but not as good as the 2003 or 2000
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6/5/2022 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 89 Points
Sunday Lunch with Christiaan & Gerber & Spouses (Home): mid garnet, the bouquet is tilled soil, liquorice, black fruits and tar. A medium-bodied entry with some power and grip, good depth of flavour wth earthy elements and a smattering of fruit. It took its time to evolve in the glass and the length is long but lacks the concentration of a second growth and felt lacking on the fruit side too despite its age. It felt static and lacked confidence and delta-ed out toward the end feeling underwhelming for such a prestigious estate.
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5/19/2022 - mwellington Likes this wine: 94 Points
Young, but really delightful with 6 hours decant. Well structured. Integrated fruit. Spice box. A touch of graphite. This is great now but will get a lot better.
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5/18/2022 - blank blank wrote:
Lovely, traditional left bank bordeaux in early maturity. Red fruit, tobacco, leather, a touch of chocolate, some cedar; medium bodied. Almost has a Rutherford dust smell - reminds me of the Mondavi reserves from the mid 2000s. Folks are complaining about the tannin but this is well within my tolerance - what did they make of the 1975s!? Very classy and drinkable; great QPR.
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5/7/2022 - Hojun-na-Wine Likes this wine:
Dark ruby with bricking throughout.
Medium+ intense nose of menthol, soft cheese, leather glove, black currant, soy sauce.
On the palate: elegant red and black currant, wet earth, hint of dried leather.
Medium alcohol, medium+ body, medium+ acidity. Medium grained tannins still pronounced. Good balance of weight and acidity. Elegant throughout and has the structure to evolve further.
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5/3/2022 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
A touch of barnyard and herbs and spices in the bouquet. On the palate cherries and red berries, firm acidity, tannin and bitterness. Drying and sticky tannin in the finish. Beautiful wine, but I still think (and hope) this wine will show more finesse in 4 – 5+ years from now.
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3/26/2022 - Tavastgatan wrote: 91 Points
Yeah, no real improvment since 2017. Still a good drink but not great.
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12/5/2021 - evold89 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely nose showing mostly blue and some red fruit. Cassis, blueberries, tobacco and a touch of cherry dominated (?) mix of red fruit. Liquorice root and a touch of herbs back provides some lovely freshness to the nose.
On the palate this is very classic, but with more approachable than expected. Ripe and smooth, but slightly linear fruit. Surprisingly more approachable than 4 years ago when it was quite stern and tannic. Quite smooth, but with a touch grainy tannins at the slightly drying St. Estephe finish. Medium bodied.
Clearly better bottle than my last, that drinks well now, but some upside in further cellaring. Today 92 points, but may add another point or two with cellaring. Lets see where this goes! Scored 93
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10/15/2021 - Mag357 Likes this wine:
Dark with a brick edge. Very fine scents of blueberries, raspberries and wet gravel-very blue fruits in profile with very subtle oak perfectly integrated. Mouthful wine with outstanding ripeness of exuberant blue fruits, sweet and concentrated, with a good amount of sap in the mid palate, and loads of tannins that are fine but a tad dry-flavors lingering for 30 seconds in the end. This is a domesticated Montrose, a different Montrose than the old tannic beasts of the past. A very good value, and approachable now. Although the underlying material is there so that it could age for another 15 years, I prefer to drink it on its opulence of fruit as it counterbalances well the tannins.
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9/7/2021 - Yassine23 Likes this wine:
Very nice though way too young. Needs an extra 10 or 15 years of cellar ageing. Very primary at this stage.
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8/12/2021 - Honeyburst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted from magnum. Great and well made Wine, that needs more time to fully blossom. This is in late primary phase and hence a little linear. I have little doubt that there is a good 2-3 points hiding in there. Will keep the rest for at least 5 more years. I hope.
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5/27/2021 - mchern02 wrote: 92 Points
3 hours in the decanter
Classic nose of wet leather, tobacco, black and blue fruit. Moderately tannic, high acid with a medium minus body, tastes of faint red fruit, toasted cocoa and slightly drying; finish is fine but tight. Pretty nose but body and palate leave a bit to be desired. Maybe with more time this improves.
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3/17/2021 - Bosbevok Likes this wine: 96 Points
Ridiculously youthful still, as good Bordeaux at this age should be. But still excellent integration of fruit, tanins, acidity and alcohol. Beautiful dark stone fruit flesh. Rich and hedonistic. Some boiled sweets on the nose. Wonderful full bodied Cabernet dominant. Lots of currents and fruit cake, matched the ossonuco perfectly.
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1/28/2021 - wineforth Likes this wine: 92 Points
3rd bottle from a half case bought soon after release. A very traditional St. Estephe for long ageing and with moderate alcohol at 12.5pc. Blackcurrant pastil nose at first, then dark plums and oak. Slightly green with loads of tannin and excellent persistence. There is a lot of soft fruit in the background. Was my favourite at a wine society tasting in 2010 when I gave 96 points. Has been in an awkward phase for a long time. With any luck it will follow along the lines of 75 Haut Brion (although not quite of the same class), tannic and austere at 15 years old, lean with fabulously complex nose at 23 yrs on. It needs to shed the green tannins. Next bottle 2024.
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1/23/2021 - Spargel wrote: 88 Points
Not much fruit left, earthy. Overall below expectations.
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12/25/2020 - Brent25 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Clear medium/deep garnet; clear medium plus nose of juicy cassis, graphite, tobacco, cracked fall leaves and barnyard; dry; high acidity; high tannins; medium plus alcohol; medium plus body; pronounced flavour intensity; palate is tarter with very little fruit and addition of 99% cocoa; long finish; drink now or in the next couple years if you like fruit; has the structure to age another decade; really beautiful
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12/25/2020 - kidsmurf2000 wrote: 91 Points
A bit weedy, good nose
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12/19/2020 - WineGuyFL wrote: 91 Points
A 91, at best. Disappointing. This wine has still not evolved to what it should be. One-dimensional with not a lot of fruit or depth. I hope it comes around. I made a note to not try it again until 2022. I sense that others are having a similar experience because the auction price for this wine has not performed along with other Bordeaux wines I own with similar vintages and price ranges.
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9/18/2020 - bordeauxmartini wrote: 89 Points
This requires patience. Needs at least two hours decanting if you want to drink now. Full bodied, blackberry and cassis. Revisit in 5 years.
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9/12/2020 - StormyWeather wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and started to open somewhat after 3. Berry, leather, and decent length. Medium+ bodied. Patience still very much required. 5 years before opening the next bottle.
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9/12/2020 - Miceri Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium red; requires air - give it some hours at least, tight to begin with, opening up after some hours with nice fruit; taste same experience, quite tight and flat to begin with, opening up after hours; guess lots of potential - but wait 10 years; tasted with La Dame same year, La Dame is ready now, this one not
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9/3/2020 - Stefan75 Likes this wine: 91 Points
From Mag, double decanted for 5h, only French that night among 4 Austrians of a similar age, was clearly identified during blind tasting, built for the longterm as most Montrose, probably needs another 5-10 years to develop, enjoyable but even with 5h of air not really open
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6/6/2020 - hhcave wrote: 92 Points
Medium ruby. Cassis, blackberry, black cherry, mushroom, leathery, meaty nose, dense, some vanilla. High acidity, furry mouth-coating tannins still intact - a bit drying, medium(+) bodied, medium alcohol. Long finish. A bit of a hollow core? Should benefit from further ageing as tannins soften
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5/18/2020 - Al-Vino Likes this wine:
Did not rate since this was a pop and pour and didn’t get the air it needed to come together. Drank balance on day two and it still had a good tannic grip. So I suspect this needed an hour or two in a decanter prior to drinking...or more time on its side.
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5/2/2020 - Vino_Veritas Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another wedding wine opened in celebration of doing the family lock-down boogie for the last 2+ months. Pristine condition, still young, decanted for 1 hour. Notes of earth, rocks, currant, tobacco and licorice. Tannins still grippy, hopefully will soften with further age. Nicely crafted wine, medium-bodied for a Montrose, but built for further aging.
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4/18/2020 - tkcbone wrote: 95 Points
Excellent right after opening, improved with some time
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12/8/2019 - ZMAng wrote: 90 Points
Sampler. Mushroom, earth, dark fruit, m tannins. Long finish. 89-90.
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8/31/2019 - wineforth Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big blackcurrant and mushroom sous bois nose as the bottle was opened and decanted. Dark colour and lots of soft fruit. Some green tannic bitterness on the long finish. Drinking well now and could improve as those tannins age.
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8/18/2019 - jsebiri wrote:
From a Mag. A bit simple, some secondary after about 2 hours open. Threw into a few decanters at that point, the wine tastes sweet, more one dimensional at this point. I think this will taste better in 2 hours, will report back. later this was marginally better.
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8/12/2019 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank back-to-back with the 06 Cos d’Estournel and while the Cos was a very nice and fairly easy drinking Bordeaux, I liked the Montrose a bit more. The Cos was soft and round with dark fruits and some wood spices. Integrated tannins. Seemed fully ready to drink. The Montrose had more depth but also seemed a more serious wine, perhaps not entirely ready with still some medium (-) tannins sticking out but overall a more profound Bordeaux in my eyes. 93+
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6/14/2019 - pren wrote: 91 Points
尝。气味类似前面的la tou r，但是口中不太giving。
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5/27/2019 - sorp222 wrote: 92 Points
Promise and vigour. Maybe needs a few more years to soften the tannins, lots of power and quite long.
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5/4/2019 - johnnyo wrote: 93 Points
Classic Bordeaux. Velvety soft with back palate structure. Rich black fruit with many secondary flavors of herbs and spice.
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3/29/2019 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 93 Points
Full body, still quite alot of tannins but soft, with just some air it opens up well. Black fruits, tobacco leather smoke licorice dried flowers nutty earthy
Good precision and length. Drink or hold.
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3/16/2019 - tunaguy Likes this wine:
very tight still. finally started to loosen up a little after 4 hours. needs more time in the cellar.
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2/28/2019 - Purple Tooth wrote: 93 Points
A baby for a Montrose, but the good news is that its potty trained. Young, firm, crunchy, red fruit dominated, and medium bodied for a Bordeaux best describe this wine. The nose throws off scents of damp earth and mulch while the palate brings bright, firm red fruit and cedar to the party. I would say that this wine is lean and will most likely hold this profile for the near term, and will only be more interesting to my liking when it starts developing its secondary persona...So to me, this is a HOLD for about 5 more years or longer. Charming
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2/25/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Big, powerful, dense and tannic, this is a step back into the more, strict, severe styling with a strong, strict, tannic edge. The fruit is ripe, there is concentration, but the tannins are severe, and the fruit, is on the bright, fresh side of the style range. Time could bring this around, but I am not sure it will change the style of the vintage. Lovers of old-school Cabernet Sauvignon Bordeaux blends could enjoy this more than I did.
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2/21/2019 - Elkcims Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Absent of fruit, green and dull. Drank over two nights and it didn’t really develop into anything more than swig of some over-priced alcohol. Finished this second day after enjoying a bold Napa red wine.
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2/4/2019 - don.ba wrote:
Wonderful Bouquet, taste; nothing to rave about, ordinary!
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12/31/2018 - Blauweiss Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark fruits, oak, but also Classic bordeaux-nose. On the palate full bodied, with mostly cassis and plum, with fine oak, some early notes of mature bdx, but I find it a bit hard yet, this needs a few more years to reach it´s prime.
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12/28/2018 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 93 Points
At Reflections. After about 2 hours of air in decanter.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of dark red cherries, blackberries, ribena blackcurrant, fresh leather, sweet spices, asphalt. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium- alcohol (12.5%), fine puckery high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of blackberries, sweet dark red cherries, ribena blackcurrant, sweet spices. Long finish.
Very good quality. Packed with concentrated ripe fruit, yet commendably maintaining only 12.5% alcohol. On the primary side of things now. Holds good promise for the future. Keep for another 5 years.
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12/18/2018 - Berge65 wrote:
Had at Kevin’s holiday blind tasting
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11/16/2018 - copp Likes this wine: 96 Points
leise, aber extrem aromenreich, sanft und balanciert
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10/26/2018 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A very Bordeaux typical and totally approachable effort, the 2006
Ch Montrose reveals classical subdued fruit, red currant, stony minerals, led pencil and last but not least in a secondary layer Cigar box wood. This is very typical and exactly what to expect - perhaps even a bit boring. The palate adds aa fresh and rather vocal acidity, but balance and integration are definitely the keywords here. Tannins are not very present. The wine drinks very well tonight, but it will cellar well for many years to come. (score is 92+)
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10/7/2018 - Alvarovazquez Likes this wine: 92 Points
This has a hard task after magnificent 2005. However it can be a good substitute while holding the 2005 for another 3-5 years.
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10/5/2018 - Limin7@gmail.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
Black fruits, medium tannins and acids, leather and balanced. Opened up in an hour.
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8/11/2018 - Ydaucourt wrote: 90 Points
Ouvert 7 heures avant. Massif, pas généreux. Attenenenendre
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7/23/2018 - wineappreciation wrote: 91 Points
Blueberry, blackberry, hints of gravel; smooth with some elegance, structured; tannic, not much fruit, closed and young; good, but surely best to wait
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7/18/2018 - KimberlyDo wrote: 92 Points
Bright, dark red. The nose had earth, leather and hints of dark fruits. On the palate the wine was even, medium in length with pleasurable earthiness and some fruit (I was expecting more?).
I have had the luck of tasting many vintages of Montrose over the years. My normal trajectory with this wine is not to touch 750 ml bottles for 14 years after vintage. I suspect this might actually be better in a few years. The Wine Advocate has many interesting notes re tasting/accessing of this wine. Parker scored the wine at 94+ in 2009; Martin an 87(?) in 2017. I wonder if the famous Bordeaux funky period is moving out in start time and longer in length; making the wines drinkable immediately, then the funk (lasting longer) and finally returning to great mature Bordeaux after 12 to 14 years in the bottle. Besides Montrose I have seen this kind of evolution profile in the Chateau L'Evangile 1982 and 1990 and other Bordeaux classified growth wines.
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3/24/2018 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 3+ hours. This wine seems to have a lot behind it, but still will not completely open up. Will not touch it again for a couple of more years.
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1/21/2018 - Boupboup Likes this wine: 92 Points
excellent petit goût de fût de chêne
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1/3/2018 - Avicenne wrote: 89 Points
Fiole récupérée en Abitibi, env 140$
Épaulé 2 heures, il aurait surement pris plus. Avec tourtière de Jérome Ferrer maison.
Robe disque discrètement pourprée.
Bouquet très intéressant sur les mures, fleurs séchées. Plus tard dans le verre, les feuilles séchées et le tabac était plus reconaissables.
Pas très jasant en bouche toutefois, pas mal plus court que mes attentes, vaguement minéral.
Un vin de nez plus que de bouche.
***
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12/31/2017 - Tavastgatan wrote: 91 Points
Yes, this is classic claret. Like they were made before. Light, dark and fine. Still some tannis of course, but approachable already.
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12/7/2017 - Andrewbdc wrote:
Bordeaux Left Bank: The Famous Four (The Wine Society, Stevenage): 72% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot.
Medium garnet.
Clean nose, medium (+) intensity aromas, cassis, bramble, hint of green herbs, vanilla, cedar, leather. Developing.
Dry palate, high acidity, medium alcohol (12.5%), medium (+) body, medium (+) firm tannins, medium (+) intensity flavours, medium finish, a bit drying,
A big wine. Personally I think this needs more time to soft and integrate the various elements.
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9/29/2017 - JChan wrote: 92 Points
Good on nose. Blackcurrant, vanilla on the palate. Round and juicy, tannin still there. Long in finish.
Very alike Montrose 2004 but a bit too young to open at the moment. This producer is very stable.
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9/2/2017 - Miceri Likes this wine: 95 Points
Medium red; dark berries and licorice; lean expression, nice deep fruit, lots of tannins ; really likeable, lots of taste and fruit, nice balance, depth and also nicely structured and stringent; tannins might improve with either more air/decanting or age; really good
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6/23/2017 - Stadshagen Conoisseur Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opens up after 4 hours decanting: smell of cedar, plum and cherries. Tannins are integrated and the wine is soft in a medium aftertaste. Red berries, white peppar, cherries and a certain heat from the alcohol.
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6/15/2017 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Surprisingly round and drinkable, integrated. Primary floral nose, pleasing mid weight, well balanced.
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6/15/2017 - Pearls_b4Swine wrote: 95 Points
Decided to try this while young. Great surprise. Outstanding.
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5/27/2017 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Paul's birthday (@ PdV): In the bouquet creamy dark forest/berry fruits, licorice, caramel and autumn forest. The same on the palate, good acidity, firm acidity and bitterness. Still very youthful. A wine in its puberty stage. Around 2024+ probably much more refined.
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11/23/2016 - Papies wrote: 90 Points
2006 Left Bank Red Bordeaux, with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): Probably one of the tightest and charmless Montrose we have come across, ever. Dark in color, light touch of mocha, dark fruits. Not very herbal to be honest. Tight but not harsh, very tannic and this wine needs time. Not very giving at this time. 90 at best for now and this needs a good 10 yrs in bottle.
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10/20/2016 - walkerjfw wrote:
Wine Spectator, NY Wine Experience Grand Tasting...more wines than time...shorter notes (NY City): Interested to try this, an unloved vintage for this wine.
Medium ruby red color. Full bodied wine, still very tannic at this stage. Nose of blackberry, dark cherry. Palate of red and dark fruits, earth, spices. Medium mouthfeel and finish. Needs time for the tannins to resolve, tough to rate
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8/20/2016 - Stadshagen Conoisseur Likes this wine: 92 Points
After 1 hour decanting: smell of earth, cedar, wood, cave. Tannins seem to soften over time, taste of black berries, tar, cherries. Bitterness in the aftetaste, medium finish. Much better than 3 years ago, but still some way to go. Revisit in 2-3 years.
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8/2/2016 - bengti wrote: 93 Points
A typically powerful intense wine in a challenging and atypical year. The finish was certainly shorter than 2005, 09, 10, etc etc. It was softer but had a core of fruit intensity that still gave away its heritage. Nice but not sure if it will improve. Qualification also that this was stored around 18C and not in commercial refrigeration.
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7/9/2016 - eddie100 wrote: 95 Points
Decanter testing in 2016
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6/12/2016 - burgundylover wrote: 89 Points
Tough to get by the tannins on this. Jury is out for me. Will let the next five sit for a few years before revisiting. Seems like lots of potential but even after five hours the close was tough.
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5/25/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Full bodied, powerful, concentrated, and tannic. This needs at least another 10 years to come together as the firm, muscular tannins are out in full force today. The dark red fruits and earthy, spicy, ripe berries are crisp and fresh, but it's really hard to move past the strict wall of tannins today. This is the first vintage under new owners, the Bouygues family.
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4/21/2016 - Jberger5681 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This could stand to age more. Not as tight as I thought though
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2/29/2016 - jskuek Likes this wine: 93 Points
After 1 hour decant, 60 mins in glass:
Nose:
2006 Montrose: Acid
2007 Montrose: Gravel, minerals, floral bouquet, prune, perfume.
2008 Montrose: Grassy
2009 La Dame: Strong barnyard, graphite, pencil shave
2010 La Dame: Cassi, black fruit, flower, perfume, earthy, creamy vanilla.
Body:
All have dark choc, coffee, toast vanilla, minerals, gravel. Keep on changing through out the 3 hours testing ... all are very nice & interesting
2006 Montrose: need more time, keep changing 93pts
2007 Montrose: Med body, nice, complex 92pts
2008 Montrose: Med+ body, elegant, med+ complexity 94pts
2009 La Dame: Med+ body, med+ complexity 93pts
2010 La Dame: Med+ to full body, med+ complexity 95pts
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2/20/2016 - wineforth Likes this wine: 91 Points
Clearly a wine that has split the jury, and it was the same here. Farmy nose at first, then dark plums and oak. Slightly green with loads of tannin and excellent persistence. There is a lot of soft fruit in the background. Was my favourite at a wine society tasting 5 years ago. Now going through an awkward phase. With any luck it will follow along the lines of 75 Haut Brion (although not quite of the same class), tannic and austere at 15 years old, lean with fabulously complex nose at 23 yrs on. I look forward to the journey.
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1/15/2016 - robertdtwo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Two-hour Vinturi decant. Still tannic and a bit musty with tobacco and earthy notes most prominent. I've been waiting for years for bottle age to justify this purchase, but it's just not happening. HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT and since this was my first foray into this vineyard, I think I'm bailing...no thanks! When the threshold is a hundred bucks, expectations are high. Goodbye!
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11/15/2015 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 91 Points
(Decanter FWE). Tasted alongside 2009 and 2012. More restrained nose but starting to open up. Rather earthy and tannic still. Good fruit to balance though. Give it a couple of more years in the cellar. 91-92p
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11/14/2015 - Phenol73 wrote: 90 Points
(Decanter Fine Wine Encounter 2015) :: I struggled with this. It is Montrose and meant to be impressive. It wasn't. Still tight, unyielding, with little real character and felt like a very generic left bank bottle. Meh. Maybe I was having on off day...
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11/8/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
Tasted next to the 2009 and 2012. More red and blue fruit notes, grippy, very balanced and settled without the concentration and depth of the 2009. Nice length. Firm and too young still, but quite promising. 92-93+
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11/7/2015 - johnnyo wrote: 93 Points
Perhaps a little too young to drink but what great potential
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10/31/2015 - englishman's claret wrote: 93 Points
Young but plenty of breed here. Black and blue fruits, farmyard, gravel. Good balance and a lithe, long finish. Very good and very Montrose.
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10/31/2015 - RockinCabs wrote: 93 Points
Nose of sweet blackberry, black cherry, asphalt and stone. Distinctly layered on the palate with deep black fruit notes, pencil and a hot stone element that drives the wine. Small pour at an in store tasting. My #1 in the lineup
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10/28/2015 - Bhydvm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for 2 hours....nice on the nose with dark fruit, vanilla, and a trace of cinnamon (?)...still young and tannic on the palate...can definitely see the potential as the wine was somewhat complex and did have a long finish with a silky mouth feel....got one more of these...will wait a few years on that one...could probably get to 93-94 with time.
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10/4/2015 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pulled the cork on a bottle I previously accessed via Coravin in April 2015. Back then I scored it 91 Pts and thought it needed more aging to provide enjoyment. I must add that for the last 6 months I have stored this bottle in my kitchen as my Eurocave was too full, also the cork was a bit soaked on top after the Coravin access but I managed to pull it out clean - however potentially there may have been some chance of enhanced oxygen contact. I took a sip immediately after pulling the cork and thought the wine tasted a lot more evolved - suave and round - then when tasted half a year ago. I gave it a 2-3 hour decant and consumed. On the nose this was very shy and did not give much, but on the palate it did deliver - not as tannic as previously, very nice red fruit, creme de cassis, the oak was very subtle and barely noticeably. Overall pleasantly suprised (hence I am upping my score by 2 points this time). If you have stored this perfectly chances are this may still be a bit tannic and needs more time but I feel more certain about a positive development now and it is a great wine which will provide a lot of pleasure over the next 20 years. BTW I think a slight notch below the Cos d'Estournel 2006 which I had a couple of months back which totally bewitched me and of which I immediately had to order a case. But the Montrose is a good 25-30% cheaper making it an equally excellent buy I think in today's market. I may be buying a case myself after this last bottle... I actually enjoyed this a lot more then the 2005 Montrose I had the previous week (which I concluded was nowhere near ready yet.)
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9/20/2015 - farinas Likes this wine: 94 Points
It's really hard for me to score this any lower than 94. This is a superb wine with some minor imperfections but nevertheless head and shoulder above the rest. It has an intoxicating bouquet that you can sense from the next table over. It's effusive with red currants, creme de cassis, vanilla, and new oak. The palate is a bit tight at the moment but contains lots of black and red fruits with considerable complexity. The finish is long as the wine sticks around in your mouth with purity of fruit for more than a minute. In my book, this bouquet and lengthy finish is what sets the great wines apart from the rest. Yes the palate needs time to resolve or perhaps never will, but it does not detract much from the incredible experience. 94-96.
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9/19/2015 - achim_berg@icloud.com Likes this wine:
Far too young. Quite a lot of tannin.
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8/30/2015 - Chasse_spleen wrote: 92 Points
Complex but elegant nose, slightly subdued (still a young wine), cherries, sandalwood. Great fruit, structured and prominent tannins, pleasing acidity. Almost Chianti-like taste, but lot of deeper notes as well, asphalt and dark berries. This is in for the long run, but accessible already today.
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7/31/2015 - larsmello Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened and poured. Excellent on the nose but too young and tanic on the palate. Should have long decanted or, better, waited a few years.
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5/3/2015 - LWI wrote: 92 Points
31 Vintages of Château Montrose: 1928-2010; 5/2/2015-5/3/2015: Hollow mid palate, soft fruit, a bit green-angular. Still has some qualities leaning towards elegance.
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4/22/2015 - hkm520240 wrote: 92 Points
Youthful dark garnet red with vibrant crimson hue.
Big expressive nose along with rich cassis, vanilla oak, fresh tobacco and hints of minty notes. Nice complex nose at this young age.
Decanted for 2 hours and it's still tight on the palate, good youthful palate,showing blackcurrant and tobacco, but not as complex as '94. Firm chewy tannins and long finish.
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4/20/2015 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 91 Points
Well made, classic St Estephe. For me the fruit is lacking a bit to be a truly great wine and the wine is certainly comes across as quite bit rustic / tannic at this point. I am sure this will round out a bit with time - I think it is a good 3-5 years away from its perfect drinking window. 91 for now with potential for an additional point or two as it gains some more bottle age.
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4/12/2015 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 93 Points
Color: dark red
Nose: very refined & finessed
Palate: impeccable balance, medium bodied, good length, I like this classy wine
Rating: 93
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3/29/2015 - yofog wrote:
Big nose of minerally dark fruits, smoky and tannic, firm but not without a suppleness, should make great drinking in another 5-10.
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2/11/2015 - robertdtwo wrote: 91 Points
Two-hour Vinturi decant. Still tannic and a bit musty with tobacco and earthy notes most prominent. I waited two years since last try, but this doesn't really seem to be mellowing a bit. Wait some more! I expect more at this price point...
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12/26/2014 - Winestein wrote: 91 Points
Dark red. Forest fruit, leather and oak. Long finish. Full tannins. Drink now or in a few years to come.
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12/8/2014 - kidsmurf2000 wrote: 92 Points
Classic Bordeaux, but needs a good 2-3 hours to open up. I'm not sure it'll evolve into a classic, nor worth the price paid. But its a good enough drinker.
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10/11/2014 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Regular dinner group (@ EM): Beautiful bouquet with a lot of cassis and other dark berry fruit, cedar, graphite and beautiful oak. Same on the palate. A lot of good acidity and tannin. A classical wine. A confirmation of previous bottle; wait at least until 2018 – 2020.
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8/30/2014 - gew71walsh wrote: 92 Points
Still strong tannins, with long finish. Complex and balanced, with currants and berries on nose and palate. Paired well with strip steak dinner.
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5/17/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Powerful, tannic and with some austerity in its profile, this classic Medoc displays fresh, crisp cassis, tobacco, earth and spice. Masculine in style, the dusty textured finish is long, but this wine is not for early drinking. Give it another 10-15 years.
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4/6/2014 - erwing wrote: 93 Points
Intensivt, lätt kryddighet i doften, mörka bär, patroner, lakritstoner. Grymt gott och definitivt drickbart trots ung ålder. Tappar koncentration i smak och doft efter ca 1h... är det årgången som är lite klen?
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2/8/2014 - affordableCollector wrote: 92 Points
dark cherry red, in color. dark fruit, plum, blackberry, earth, hint of brett, mocha, olive, licorice, cedar, on the nose. high acid, medium tannins, on the finish.
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2/8/2014 - aagrawal wrote: 92 Points
K&L Bordeaux Tasting (K&L, San Francisco): Youthful, good fruit, blackberry, underlying minerality, slightly chalky; very young, plump tannins, fresh fruit. Very good, very young. 92+
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11/24/2013 - G_H wrote: 93 Points
Brutally young, loads of tannin, tons of potential! But really not a wine to drink now...
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11/20/2013 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
Very dark. Lots of red and black fruit on the nose, cherries, herbs, dark chocolate. On the palate the wine's sweet fruit, great structure and balance isn't be fully covered by very firm, drying tannins which are leading to a long finish. I would recommend to leave this wine alone for at least 5 years. Great future and potential.
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11/16/2013 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful and classical bouquet with dark fruits, cedar, tobacco and also some mint and eucalyptus. On the palate beautiful dark forest fruits and beautiful acidity and powerful tannin. A beauty, but still in its infant stage. Wait until 2018 - 2020 at least. 92+
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11/8/2013 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still young and tight. Believe it will evolve and will not try again before 2015. Earthy.
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9/2/2013 - wineotim Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium brick color, medium bodied with forest and earth aromas, restrained and austere fruit, firm tannins, clean, dry, silky mineral finish. Terroir driven wine.
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7/6/2013 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and poured from split. This is a dark ruby wine, with very good concentration and only some minor sediment at the end. The nose carries forest, red fruits, rain on asphalt, and a slightly vegetal note. In the mouth, this is structured and enjoyable, although on the lighter side of fruit. The finish (unsurprisingly) still has some tannin and tightness. Overall, this is young but highly encouraging; I would happily go back again. 93 points with upside potential.
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6/21/2013 - jjtim Likes this wine: 96 Points
Outstanding balance, rich structure, gorgeous fruit
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5/26/2013 - kingcanute99 wrote: 91 Points
Extremely closed, young tasting right now. About 4 hours of air and it came out with dark fruits and classic Bordeaux tones like graphite. More than anything, though, young, and closed. Wait, wait, wait.
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5/15/2013 - Cinsault86 wrote: 91 Points
rett fra flasken den første dagen, lite fruktdreven nese med mer mørke toner som kaffe og aske. Rustikk. I munnen medium til kraftige tanniner, høy syre og en stram vin. Mineralsk og rustikk. Savner litt fruktsødme. Neste dag og med seks timer dekantering har denne, som 2006, blitt mye mer elegant. På nesen er den mineralsk og gir noe aske. Syrlige røde og mørke bær i munnen, med bra konsentrasjon. Relativt grove tanniner. Fra 89 til 91p.
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5/7/2013 - Jay A wrote: 90 Points
I think this is a bit closed. It has some dark fruit, earth, leather and dusty tannins. It is pretty polished, but the tannins do stick out at the end a little bit. I think it will open up and the tannins will incorporate to make it a nicer wine in the future, but I don't see a much higher ceiling. To be honest, I would have liked to seen better from this 2nd growth.
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3/9/2013 - whitmanlholt wrote: flawed
Corked! :-(
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2/6/2013 - dr g Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine needs more time
At this stage nice and fine but to many tannins
The body is Full. The wine has Coarse texture. The wine finishes Long.
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1/22/2013 - robertdtwo wrote: 90 Points
Seven months since last try...dark fruit still reticent, but blueberry note is a nice addition from last time. Earthy mineral with just a touch of mustiness still prominent; suggest giving this a bit more bottle rest before trying again, since I expected a bit more for a $100-ish bordeaux.
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12/16/2012 - janka wrote: 89 Points
Not a great Bordeaux, had it for two days but it never open up. Save my other botle for some years.
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11/12/2012 - gsquireh wrote: 93 Points
Needs time to breathe, open bottle or decant, and swirl away and this wine delivers a silky sweet blackberry pie with fruit and crust. Full-bodied, with dark chocolate, cassis, and cinnamon, an elegant beauty with a rounded finish with delicious finesse.
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10/7/2012 - AMM3RD wrote: 89 Points
Bordeaux lost the Tour d' France, bested by Burg, CdP and Hermitage. Muted nose of dark fruits. Soft ripe fruit balanced by some tobacco and well integrated tannins. Nothing wrong, just not exciting...AM
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9/30/2012 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
The bouquet is still a bit locked, but there is cassis, coffee and chocolate. On the palate lush, a bit dusty, good cassis, firm acidity and tannin. In this stage the wine is a little disappointing and I scored it only 91, but there is plenty of future. I guess the wine needs more time to show its merits. Probably 2018 is a good moment to try it again.
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9/22/2012 - jkoenen wrote: 92 Points
Cos-Montrose Battle (Restaurant Bottles, Sas van Gent): Coffee, cocoa, beef blood, cinnamon and cloves. Dark fruit, powerful, savory, outdoorsy, chalky tannines, hint of greenness? Well balanced and classical. 18/20
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8/3/2012 - gsquireh wrote: 93 Points
Full-bodied, deep purple, rich, a full mouth of dense delicious blackberry, chocolate, and spice.
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7/4/2012 - Obritany wrote: 95 Points
Second grand cry
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6/28/2012 - whits wrote: 92 Points
a shy nose initially opens up to aromas of crushed blackberries, mountain springs and roses, the palate shows earth and mineral in a very elegant and balanced way, very dry, almost a dusty quality on the finish, old-school, while still very young, I feel the 2006 vintage already really speaks of St. Estephe and shows those qualities well, the mineral quality is very vivid and pleasing
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5/14/2012 - robertdtwo wrote: 90 Points
Even after a 2+ hour Vinturi decant, still reticent all the way around...some dark fruit, earthy mineral, but lackluster finish. I expected a bit more here; will wait & see if bottle age improves the situation.
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12/11/2011 - jtcseventysix wrote: 88 Points
Medium to dark red with a nose of game, vanilla and anise; very tight at the start with pepper and leather but limited fruit; very closed down; opened a bit with air but needs cellaring.
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11/25/2011 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 90 Points
Chateau Montrose vertical (Tower Club): Alcohol :: 12.5%
The aroma profile here is a little bit tighter and darker. Intense aromas of savoury meatiness and mint intermixed with blackberry, tobacco and ink. This has better intensity and concentration than the 2004 with bright acidity and firm but very fine tannin backbone. Overall this is more complete wine that the 2004 with decent depth and scale. This too has very good acid grip and lushness on the long finish with mineral, touch of spiciness, bitter sweet cocoa and dark chocolate. Yet another beautiful wine that is drinking well, though not as well as the 04 now but the material here is more complete and will eventually surpass the 2004 in years to come. 90-92+
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11/16/2011 - JulianSkeels wrote: 93 Points
Extremely young and tanic. However, good aromatics and underlying blackberry, blueberry and new saddle leather (together with great price in market) suggests maybe worth stocking up on this - together with 2000 Montrose could come strong in time... And does seems to have the stuffing to last
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11/15/2011 - dannyk8232 wrote: 92 Points
Opened to appease a friend who loves Montrose. Too young, but opened up after a couple of hours and was really a great wine. Really nice combination of fruit and acidity. Nice earthiness and structure. Those who wait will certainly be rewarded. An excellent value at $50.
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7/31/2011 - Poggio Al vento wrote: 94 Points
A nice nose with barriers and spices i good harmony but needed a lot of air and is still too young! The tannins was powerful and the wine was able to keep up with this even though it god better with time opened! The finish was long and harmonic and very nice!
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6/21/2011 - EMichels wrote: 90 Points
Ripe, rich nose; A little thin; Solid fruit; A little ripe; Still good
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4/10/2011 - dxpian wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple in color, viscous. Completely shut down at first, only starts to open up with lots of air, releasing black currant, blackberry, black cherry and blue berry aromas with a little bit of jam, vanilla extract, coffee, tobacco, leather, pencil shavings and a nutty overtone. Medium to full body. Blackberry, cherry and plum on the attack, but the fruit is very much muted. Very firm structure with velvety tannin and fresh acidity. Long finish and goes on for 45 seconds with complex nuances, but all comes at very low heat, power and concentration: needs to be dialed up a notch! Very closed at this point. Would be best if given another year or two. Decant.
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4/9/2011 - EyeDoc wrote: 91 Points
What I said before - needs time but the structure is there. The wife likes wines with a big tannic finish so I figured give it another try. This is going to be very good with time - the fruit is there.
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3/7/2011 - madia wrote: 89 Points
Advanced Technical Tasting Course. Lesson # 3 (Wine Route Tel Aviv): Dark, almost impenetrable ruby color. In the nose a lot of ripe fruit with hints of smoke. Full-bodied, a lot of fruit in the palate too, Harmony between palate and nose. Predominant tannins, medium acidity.
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3/7/2011 - Yagil Likes this wine: 90 Points
Advanced Tasting Course - session #3 (Wine Road Tel-Aviv): dark red with pink edges;
strong animal leather aroma, still closed, a bit green, then the chorizo aroma joins;
high acidity, full-bodied, tannic & bitter, later chocolate & cacao appear;
medium after-taste; will improve significantly with time.
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2/12/2011 - noppakit s. wrote: 94 Points
Drink side by side with Masseto 2003 and Le Plus 2000.
This is more than I expected. Very well-made and will be the classic Montrose like 1989. Too young but can enjoy easily after opened 4 hours. Well-balance and rich with the very good finish and lovely long aftertaste. More easy than 2005 but same level of happiness.
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1/25/2011 - yuan wrote: 95 Points
decanter for about 50mins, structure evolves, silk tannis, long finish, spicy, blackburry, dark chocolate. nice and good value !
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1/20/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Ruby with some lighteneing already showing at the edge, the nose offers earth, mint, cassis, coffee and blackberry aromas. The wine is developing quickly for Montrose. This is an elegant style for Montrose, lacking the depth and power found in the best years.
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12/10/2010 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured, which is the wrong way to treat this wine at the moment. Luxurious bouquet with a lot of cassis, some paprika and well dosed oak. On the palate very full bodied and juicy cassis. The tannin is very firm and a bit green. This wine needs preferably another 6 – 8+ years to reach maturity. 92+
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12/10/2010 - Sleepy Dave wrote:
2006 Bordeaux Masterclass: Alcohol :: 12.5%
By far the deepest nose so far, with powerful, deep earthy and minty tones with very rich sweet dark fruits and soil. Still rather tight but very promising. Med-full bodied, palate staining intensity , tannic but the powdery tannin is very fine. Though this is quite soft in texture, the mid palate is super rich and concentrated with lots of power, layer of dark fruits, new oak giving a good grip and all nicely balance by the good refreshing acidity and firm structure. Very classy, good depth and freshness, long juicy, focus finish. A very good showing. Buy - Maybe.
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10/23/2010 - amateurwino wrote:
A very good wine, but not necessarily in a good phase for tasting or drinking at this point. The nose brings classic Bordeaux aromas of coffee and tobacco, together with cassis fruit that is quite dark. On the palate, this is not showing much, the tannin is tough to get past at this point. Sweetness in the fruit and tannin is apparent, though, and I believe this wine has a strong future; there are elements here that can certainly help this wine blossom into something special. 91-92 point quality shows in flashes if you can get behind the tannins, up to 93-94(+?) for the future; needs a ton of time.
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10/6/2010 - UROMD wrote: 89 Points
nothing special even after 3 days
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9/23/2010 - UTPK wrote:
Tasted against Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 and Sassicaia 2006. Double decanted. The Montrose was ligther on its feet, but more persistent and long. Very easy to detect the Bordeaux from this group. Montrose has a dark violet colour, a nose of tell-tale cassis and lead pencil with very deep and sweet undertones of tobacco and coffee. On the palate it is intense but elegant, with fresh acidity and mature tannins (none of the harsh St.Estephe tannins). Lovely wine.
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6/19/2010 - JorgeH wrote: 88 Points
Saturday Night Bordeaux Tasting (Pelham, NY): Dark violet. Nose is quite muted at the moment with slight hints of red & black fruits and roast coffee. Medium acidity on a medium plus body with huge, tight tannins. Finish is medium plus in length. Not showing much now. Let it sleep.
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3/20/2010 - EyeDoc wrote: 90 Points
A lot of upside potential here. Inky purple with a solid nose. Dark fruits - currants and blackberries. Gripping tannins and lots of dark cherries. Finish Lingers. Clearly needs 10 years plus. Definitely hold these if you have them. Could end up being a really good Montrose.
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3/18/2010 - lumpyelbow wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux meets Burgundy (King Eddy Toronto): I prefer this to the '05. Both are some of the driest wines I have ever tasted. The '06 was a little more concentrated and had more fruit to counter the tannin. Infantile.
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12/27/2009 - Philippe_C wrote: 88 Points
Nose of cassis, black cherries, mushrooms, cedar... quite light in the month, tannic, lacking fruit, drying finish
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12/4/2009 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Bouquet with pleasant barnyard and a lot of cassis. Very concentrated and completely locked. The fruit, the oak and everything is hidden. The tannin however is round and soft. When it opens up in 8+ years from now this will definitely be a beauty. 93+
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11/26/2009 - Mike Kopanski wrote: 94 Points
I don't get that much opportunity to taste high end Bordeaux, but this may be one of the most elegant, smooth, and silky young wines I've tasted in a while. It also has the most dominant nose of new French oak of any French wine I have tasted. The color is very dark. The silky fruit is amazingly concentrated, more cherry than strawberry. A big dose of blackberry. Full bodied. Impeccable balance and tannins. A nice mineral character on the somewhat oakey finish. Tastes very good now, but would love to this in a few years.
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10/12/2009 - igaf wrote:
Dark, evenly coloured. Medium intense on the nose, rather primary, classic. Blackcurrants, leather, pencil shavings. Well-structured, strong, a bit restrained, elegant, ripe tannins. Acidity is just under perfection for me, but really good metallic minerality. Black berries, toast, black pepper, coffee flavours. Very long, classy, masculine.
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4/23/2009 - tefus wrote: 92 Points
Bottle was leaking on delivery. Opened the cork and the wine inside was still good. The flavor encompassed cherry and raspberry nuances. The fruit was subtle and the wine not as tanic as I'm used to from Montrose. Overall I think this was well done.
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12/19/2008 - psi wrote: 91 Points
Evidently opened far too early. Therefore a bit difficult to judge. Floral nose mixed with blackberries, oak, crushed stone and cool cassis. Palate is structured, notes of oak, slightly earthy with semi-sweet and well integrated tannins. Medium bodied, reticent and far from sexy, the wine offers a rather one-dimensional mouthful at the moment. Not much change on day two. How many layers are hidden under the buttoned up coat that, however, displays classy structure and nose? Needs time in the cellar before I can make that judgement. 91+
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