Château Montrose

"Wine is made in the vines and not in the winery."
- Jean Bernard Delmas, Winemaker

Château Monrose, formerly part of the Calon estate, is a second growth Bordeaux in the Saint-Estephe appellation. At around 150 acres and production averaging 15,000 cases per annum, Montrose is considerably large for the region. The Chateau is most famous for taking third place among French and Californian wines in the 1976 Judgment of Paris. The 1990 vintage is to Montrose what the song “Come on Eileene” is to Dexy’s Midnight Runners. Not to say a one hit wonder- but rather their biggest hit to those familiar with the estate. You just can’t get it out of your head!

The wines are known for over-performing in lesser vintages, and are stylistically deeply tannic. Its location is ideal, situated close to “The River” (Girode Estuary), which for many reasons is helpful including the way it makes the temperature milder. The stones create pebbles that retain heat from the day and warm the vines at night, which cause well-rounded maturity of the fruit. The wines are racy and boast tobacco, currant, oak and cocoa. Other vintages to look out for include 1900, 1928, 1929, 1945, 1947, 1949, 1959 and 1961.

www.chateau-montrose.com

For many years I have vehemently argued that the 1989 Montrose is a benchmark wine for the estate. Having tasted it several times over the last couple of months, I have never found a single occasion to alter that view. Tasted at the vertical in London, it continues to shine, having never lost any of its luster in recent years. It is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc that was picked from 11 to 28 September. Lucid in color, the aromatics do not hold back with vibrant blackberry, blueberry and black truffle, hints of sous-bois, all with sensational precision that few can match in this vintage (indeed, its precision lends it a veneer of modernity since "precision" is now more commonplace across Bordeaux). The palate is brilliantly balanced with filigree tannin. There is wonderful backbone here, extremely fresh and tensile, crystalline even with an exceptional detail, mineral-rich finish that lingers in the mouth. Difficult to fault, this might well be the greatest 1989 Montrose that I have tasted, and certainly wishing to take nothing away from the 1990 Montrose that I tasted alongside, the 1989 is now the one I would pick. Is this the greatest Saint Estèphe of the 1980s? I would put it within the top five Bordeaux of the 1980s. Could this be inching its way to perfection??? Tasted June 2016.

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Montrose 1989 1.5L

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