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Chateau Montrose Tasting
Bentley Bar & Restaurant, Sydney
Tasted February 27, 2024 by chatters with 53 views
Introduction
A surprisingly well budgeted Montrose wine dinner hosted by United Cellars saw me dive into my account for the opportunity to try a few vintages of this wine and another wine I've followed for a little while (and that Montrose have owned since 2006) Tronquoy Lalande (or Tronquoy as they are calling it from the 2022 vintage)
Flight 1 - On arrival (1 note)
<sigh>
White - Sparkling
N.V. Pannier Champagne Brut Sélection
Bread yeast, citrus, soft mousse, touch of residual sugar offsets sour lemon on the palate. Meh.
Flight 2 - Tronquoy Lalande (2 notes)
Coral Trout, yellow tomato, pickled kelp, nectarine
White
2019 Château Tronquoy-Lalande Blanc
A little gooseberry over green apple and sweaty armpit, a smidge of apple skin lends a savoury quality, slight waxy notes and a pinch of sweet spice. Medium plus intensity acidity, tangy, textured burr, creamy lees, touch of green apple, structured, non-intrusive alcohol warmth on the finish, medium plus length. okay but terrible QPR at 145AUD
Red
2019 Château Tronquoy
blackcurrant, plums, controlled oak, cream, sweet spice, an odd, slightly gamey almost nutty note here as well as a touch of menthol herbaceousness & rocky minerality. In the mouth it's juicy with the merlot more to the fore offering plums, that gamey nutty note is here as well, woody textured burr, blackcurrant shows on the finish with a little tarry liquorice. Hmm. Gary says it reminds him of the Te Mata Awatea but my recollections of that wine was it being more overtly green capsicum.
Flight 3 - La Dame & Montrose from two vintages (4 notes)
Bangalow pork neck, celtuce, macadamia
Red
2019 La Dame de Montrose
Plums, sweet spice, polished oak, a little red berry and blackcurrant underpin, touch of tomato leaf, cream, blackcurrant gains ascendancy on the nose with time. Juicy, fleshy, slightly jubey plum fruits, integrated woody tannin offer a textured burr. Simple(ish) but nice.
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Red
2019 Château Montrose
Medium plus intensity aromas of blackcurrant, a little forest floor, polished oak is controlled, cedar, slight cigar box, plums in support, cream. Juicy, medium plus intensity acidity, polished fruit and oak is balanced, tannins integrated, super persistent. Very good.
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Red
2014 La Dame de Montrose
Polished oak, plums, sweet spice, very slight tomato leaf, a little forest floor, earth; clay. Medium plus intensity acidity, slightly sour plums lends tartness, dried out mid palate - an impression reinforced by the woody & clumsy tannins, it's a bit out of whack for me. Nah.
Red
2014 Château Montrose
Dirty glass was replaced. Touch of baked earth(?), blackcurrant, slight mint, sweet spice, after the La Dame this was surprisingly rich and generous; plenty of cedar and oak; caramel. Medium plus intensity acidity, chewy woody tannins over blackcurrant, touch of liquorice, a little plain chocolate, feels like it is still meshing, coming together. Okay.
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Flight 4 - Mystery wine (1 note)
This wasn't much of a mystery as united had stated mystery wine: la dame de montrose 2017 $99 on their pricelist...
Red
2017 La Dame de Montrose
Brooding and dense, red and black hued fruits backed by touches of red currant, slight herbaceous notes, a little pencil shavings. Juicy tends to medium plus intensity acidity, a little red liquorice, plenty of drying woody tannins which prove tight, chewy, a touch of sourness on the finish for me. With time the nose picks up a more candied note though the palate remains all elbows. Like the 2014 it feels a little out of whack.
Flight 5 - Montrose back vintages (3 notes)
Rangers valley wagyu rump cap, purple carrot mole, Davidson plum
yeah, lots to like here...
Red
2011 Château Montrose
blackcurrant, earth, leather, sweet spice, a little sweet fruit core, slightly meaty underpin, touch of forest floor, polished oak is integrated, lovely nose. Wetly juicy, fleshy, generous, that sweet fruit core is here as well, tannins are tooled textured slightly drying but in support, long, very good indeed. Another lovely 2011.
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Red
2005 Château Montrose
Polished, rich and generous nose shows good quality oak, sweet spice, bacon fat, blackcurrant, plums a little violet, smells younger than the 2011, touch of clay. Juicy and generous here on the palate as well, a little savoury, almost salted liquorice notes joins the black hued fruits, tannins are woody, talc textured and super persistent, a little sous bois joins on the finish with the liquorice slightly more pronounced. Pretty clever
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Comments (12)
Red
1995 Château Montrose
Leather, earth, sous bois, black and red fruit shows currants, berries, sweet spice with time, very slight farmyard, a little mushroom and leather. Juicy tends to medium pls intensity acidity, fleshy silky, tannins persist super long, wild blackcurrant, earth, sous bois, all travel very long with those tannins. Nice.
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Closing
What a lot of fun, I think Montrose might be sliding into the 'wines I really should see if I can get more of in my cellar' bracket...though that will be hampered by it's near prohibitive cost in Australia