Château Montrose

5/28/2018 Vinifera VINIFERA (JACQUES PERRIN) : 96 / 100 Superbe volume en bouche pour ce Montrose magistral qui s’impose par sa finesse, sa juste définition du terroir et sa profondeur sapide. On a un grain de tanins remarquable qui constitue une assise parfaitement ajustée à partir de laquelle le vin prend forme et finit frais et étincelant, salin. 5/15/2018 Vinous VINOUS (ANTONIO GALLONI) : 92-95 / 100 The 2017 Montrose is wonderfully polished and nuanced. Silky tannins and mid-weight structure confer finesse to a Montrose that possesses superb harmony from start to finish. All the elements fall into place effortlessly. In 2017, the Grand Vin (35% of the production) is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Because of the late season rains, Montrose has more Cabernet Sauvignon than is typically the case. The winemaking team opted for a large number of smaller-lot vinifications (82 instead of 50-ish, to be exact), in order to optimize picks according to ripeness. Although alcohol alone can never tell the whole story of a wine, at 13.5% alcohol, Montrose has a very attractive freshness to it. The Grand Vin represents about 37% of the chateau's production. The 2017 is all class. 5/11/2018 The Wine Cellar Insider THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER (JEFF LEVE) : 97-99 / 100 Deep and shiny in color, tobacco leaf, cedar wood, pencil shavings and dark fruits appear with no effort at all. Full bodied, lively, vibrant and juicy fruits, this wine is long and intrepid with a strong tannic backbone. The tannins are perfectly polished and there is an established purity of fruit and a structure to age for decades. Like all the top vintages of Montrose, you will need to allow it time in the cellar, at least 10 to15 years, which in the world of Montrose is almost forward. The wine was made from blending 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Montrose, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, reaching 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.65. The Grand Vin was made from 37% of the harvest, which took place September 12 to September 29. 5/1/2018 Vinous VINOUS (NEAL MARTIN) : 94-96 / 100 The 2017 Montrose represents 37% of the total production this year and it was cropped at around 45hl/ha. It has a little more volume and intensity compared to the Cos d’Estournel that was tasted immediately prior to my visit. Blackberry, raspberry, cedar and pressed flowers bloom in the glass, though there is a noticeable change with aeration after 20 minutes – hints of juniper and bay leaf, rendering a more nuanced and complex array of aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied with edgy tannin and it feels a little chalky in the mouth, yet also tensile and certainly extremely focused. There is already a palpable sense of energy in situ, well structured and vivid, though not as complex or as nuanced as the 2016 Montrose on the finish since the growing season forbade that. I appreciate the pastille-like purity on the aftertaste and the potent tang of cracked black pepper and graphite that hang around for 45 seconds after the wine has departed. It is a fine, very classic Montrose and I suspect more approachable than those of yesteryear. Tasted twice at the château. 4/27/2018 Wine Advocate WINE ADVOCATE (LISA PERROTTI-BROWN) : 96-99 / 100 The 2017 Montrose is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep purple-black in color, the nose is a little closed at first, but with coaxing, it opens to reveal remarkable earth and exotic spice notes of crushed rocks, black truffles, star anise, cassia and fenugreek over a core of crème de cassis, blackberry preserves, violets and blueberry pie with touches of cigar box, charcuterie and black soil. Medium-bodied with a rock-solid frame and an exquisitely ripe, very fine-grained texture, it has wonderful freshness with electric energy and a very long, minerally finish. Possessing great poise and intensity, this is one of the greatest Montrose's I have tasted! 4/25/2018 Decanter.com DECANTER.COM (JANE ANSON) : 96 / 100 This has more Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend this year, the highest level since 2006, because the Merlot didn't quite make it through the September rains unscathed. The wine is correspondingly powerful with a robust accompanying acidity that promises a long life. The fruit character is savoury, succulent and extremely persistent, with fleshy blackberry alongside touches of redcurrant and a pulsating freshness that keeps on coming. Harvested 12-29 September with twelve days spent actually picking, compared to sixteen days over the last few years, with more hands on deck. They have never been affected by frost, as far as they can remember, and 2017 was no exception. The wind is always such a benefit here. A normal yield of 45hl/ha, 37% of which was for the grand vin. 60% new oak. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040 4/25/2018 Wein Wisser WEIN WISSER (RENÉ GABRIEL) : 19 / 20 4/17/2018 Quarin JEAN-MARC QUARIN (JEAN-MARC QUARIN) : 17,5 / 20 4/17/2018 Wine Enthusiast WINE ENTHUSIAST (ROGER VOSS) : 94-96 / 100 This wine is powered by its tannins, creating a concentrated texture, dry at the core and solid. It is a serious, complex wine that is likely to develop slowly. Weighty and dense, it is impressive and intensely rich at the end. 4/6/2018 Jamessuckling.com JAMESSUCKLING.COM (JAMES SUCKLING) : 96-97 / 100 This is pure and tight with gorgeous cabernet sauvignon character of blackcurrants, blueberries and crushed stones. Full-bodied, yet compacted and polished. It shows a long and beautiful tannin texture at the end. Just rolls off the palate. 4/4/2018 Wine Spectator WINE SPECTATOR (JAMES MOLESWORTH) : 91-94 / 100 This has nice breadth, with cherry and cassis notes moving through atop light tobacco and warm earth flavors. Very bright savory and iron elements add lift and cut through the finish. Tight, but everything is in place.—J.M.