Chateaux Montrose | Classification of the best vintages

Welcome to our guide to the best vintages of Château Montrose. Here you'll find useful tips, a presentation of the estate in St Estèphe, and the classification.

 

Château Montrose - 2nd Grand Cru Classé - Saint-Estèphe

In the heart of Saint-Estèphe we find the superb Château Montrose, Second Grand Cru Classé in the official 1855 classification. The vineyard enjoys an incredible geographical location, with 95 hectares of vines facing a long stretch of water. Optimal for hot summers, but also for frozen springs. The estate is renowned for the quality of its terroirs, with soils composed of deep gravel on a clay subsoil. All in all, this results in 100% natural drainage, which provides the vines with a slow, regular water supply thanks to the water reserve built up in the subsoil.

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The Château Montrose team

In 2006, the Bouygues family bought the estate. Martin and Olivier Bouygues then launched a program to renovate the Château and the terroir, with a rigorous environmental focus. First and foremost, the owners wished to preserve the natural riches of the estate. Montroseto perpetuate the quality and splendor of this St-Estèphe Grand Cru. The aim is to achieve a high standard of wine, and to create a model in terms of winemaking techniques and sustainable development.

In 2012, the estate was managed by Hervé Berlandformer Managing Director of Baron Philippe de Rothschild. Château Montrose employs over 68 people, from the vineyard to the winery. Every day, they share their passion and practice their craft with dedication. Here, the work philosophy is in everyone's heart and hands: respect for the terroir and the pursuit of excellence.

To ensure that this priority is respected, the teams meticulously cultivate the soil, harvest the grapes in precise parcels and blend the best grapes from the harvest to obtain a great wine, the Château Montrose.

 

Château Montrose wines

The château produces tannic, structured wines with the elegance and finesse of a grand cru classé. As it ages, the wine develops a complex, delicate bouquet. It is characterized by exceptional ageing potential.

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Best vintages of Château Montrose

Château Montrose 1989 - 100/100 Robert Parker

Neal Martin tasting in January 2017:

"For many years, I have vehemently maintained that the 1989 Montrose is a benchmark wine for the estate. After tasting it several times over the last few months, I've never found a single opportunity to change that view. Tasted vertically in London, it continues to shine, having never lost its lustre in recent years. This blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc was picked between September 11 and 28. Lucidly colored, the aromas don't hold back vibrant blackberry, blueberry and black truffle, notes of undergrowth, with a sensational precision that few can match in this vintage (indeed, its precision gives it a touch of modernity "is now more common across Bordeaux). The palate is brilliantly balanced by filigree tannins. There's a wonderful backbone here, extremely fresh and elastic, crystalline even with exceptional detail, a mineral-rich finish that lingers on the palate. Hard to fault, this is perhaps the greatest 1989 Montrose I've tasted, and certainly not wishing to take anything away from the 1990 Montrose I tasted alongside it, the 1989 is now the one I'd choose. Is it the greatest Saint Estèphe of the 1980s? I'd put it among the top five Bordeauxs of the 1980s."

 

Château Montrose 1990 - 100/100 Robert Parker

Neal Martin tasting in January 2017:

"The 1990 Montrose is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc (almost identical to the 1989 Montrose) and picked between September 14 and October 3. It has a formidable reputation and for years eclipsed the 1989. That said, it is well known that there are incidences of brettanomyces that compromise some bottles and the one bottle in London showed just a tincture of this. It still deserved a score of 97/100, although it only served to underline the ethereal delineation of 1989. Then literally a few days later. I was served blind a magnum of 1990 Montrose in Cape Town, which had been bought on release and stored in perfect conditions. Now here's the real deal, free of infection, a royal Saint-Estèphe. It shows roughly the same evolution as the 1989 in the bottle, but unsurprisingly showed less brick in the magnum format. The bouquet is cut from a different cloth to the 1989 and bears witness to this warm vintage: hickory, clove, undergrowth and wild fennel, later scents of garrigue and baked earth, the last two more pronounced on the bottle format compared to the juvenile magnum. The palate is full-bodied and powerful, but the balance is perfect, a ballerina-like balance with the structure of Forth Bridge. This is a multi-layered Montrose that offers huge, fresh, vibrant length with the magnum showing tangible minerality and tension that blossoms on the crescendo of a finish - a fanfare for Saint Estèphe in all its glory. Improving all the time in the glass, this example of 1990 Montrose is a privilege to behold. One might speculate that the larger formats are a "safer" bet in terms of experiencing this brettanomyces-free behemoth. Perhaps. However, if you encounter the 1990 Montrose like this, you're in the presence of a king."

 

Château Montrose 2010 - 99/100 Robert Parker

Neal Martin tasting in June 2016:

"Tasted in London, the 2010 Montrose was the youngest vintage in 115 years, but it's undeniably one of the best. It's a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot picked between September 27 and October 15. Deep, almost opaque in color, it has a very tight, striking nose of blackberry, blueberry, crushed violet and graphite, all with a fairly bright delineation. The palate is medium-bodied and fleshy, full of fruit, grippy like many 2010s with a structured, masculine and tannic finish that will keep you away for another 10-15 years. However, it's still possible to admire the purity and delineation of this Montrose over the long term, a wine that comes with an obligatory cellar. Patience will be richly rewarded. How long can you wait? Ideal from 2030, it will be able to develop until 2080."

Château Montrose 2016 - 97-99/100 Robert Parker

Neal Martin tasting April 28, 2017:

"The 2016 Montrose is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc (no Petit Verdot this year) picked between September 23 and October 14 in 60% new barrels. It has a very sophisticated bouquet of blackberry, briary, a touch of blue fruit and violets. Sometimes this Saint Estèphe can be a little choppy en primeur, but it's certainly more expressive, retaining a very fine delineation and precision, unfolding with each swirl of the glass and revealing a hidden graphite/marine influence. The palate is very fresh on entry. The first facet of this wine that strikes you is the freshness that lasts from start to finish. This is a lively, animated life that begins in an almost understated fashion but has been built into the palate for what is almost a sensual finish, not a descriptor often applied to Montrose. This is a 2016 of disarming, mesmerizing beauty, extremely long and with an aftertaste that lasts two or three minutes. Drink it from 2026, but it could develop until 2060."

 

Château Montrose 2009 - 98/100 Robert Parker

Neal Martin tasting in September 2016:

"Tasted at the château, Montrose 2009 is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot picked between September 17 and October 5. It has a very powerful, opulent bouquet that is irresistible, with pastilles of blackcurrant, cedar, violet and a hint of vanilla bean. The palate is full-bodied, powerful and grippy, with layers of dark fruit interwoven with tar and white pepper. This is a dense, heady Montrose like no other vintage with a spicy, reflective finish that lingers long in the mouth. Almost hits you sideways! It's immense. Drink from 2020 through 2060."

 

Domaine du Château Montrose wines available for purchase 

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