The wines of Château Montrose, St Estèphe
Impressive recent performances from this Bordeaux second growth

SCEA du Chateau Montrose
33180 Saint Estephe
, Bordeaux
Tel: 05 56 59 30 12
Website: www.chateau-montrose.com

Montrose’s vineyard is a single 95 hectare block on well drained gravelly land in St Estèphe, in the north of the Medoc. 21.5 hectares of this were added only as recently as 2010 with a block purchased from neighbour to the north Thierry Gardinier of Phélan-Ségur.  

 After more than a century's ownership by the Charmoule family, Montrose sold in 2006 to current owners, brothers Martin and Olivier Bouygues.

This tasting was a chance to taste a small vertical of the grand vin. I really liked the 2008, which isn’t a particularly highly rated vintage. The 1996 is also drinking brilliantly at the moment.

THE WINES  

Château Montrose 2ere Cru Classé St Estèphe 2008 Bordeaux
Beautiful ripe aromatics: sweet, broad, focused cherry and blackberry fruit. Pure and bright. The palate is fresh, open, mineral and quite elegant, showing lovely ripe fruit, backed up by firm but fine structure. A beautifully elegant Montrose. 95/100

Château Montrose 2ere Cru Classé St Estèphe 2005 Bordeaux
Sweet, pure black cherry, blackberry and plum nose with some firm, spicy, tarry notes. The palate is ripe but has a grippy, gravelly structure. Firm but quite elegant with ripe expressive fruit. Still taut and a bit closed. 93/100

Château Montrose 2ere Cru Classé St Estèphe 2001 Bordeaux
Elegant nose showing some spicy, subtly earthy evolution. Fine, gravelly, expressive and a bit mineral. The palate is elegant and quite fresh with grippy structure under the sleek, cherryish fruit. Complex and mineral with some earthy notes. 93/100

Château Montrose 2ere Cru Classé St Estèphe 1996 Bordeaux
Warmly spicy, slightly earthy and elegant on the nose with some evolved, savoury notes. Beautifully framed. The palate is nicely poised with soft structure, some spice, some undergrowth and sweet cherry fruit. There’s a bit of sweet, chalky, gravelly structure. Drinking perfectly now. 95/100  

Wines tasted 01/12

See also:

Tasting notes of Bordeaux wines

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