Château Montrose 2021

Floral, playful, profound and complex, violet, stony notes, sweet wood, noble. Powerful, dense, yet feather-light, sensational tannins, finely interwoven with the fruit, excellent balance, red-fruited, very long. Among the best of the vintage.

The remarkable 2021 Montrose gets my nomination for the title of “wine of the vintage” in the Médoc. Wafting from the glass with a deep bouquet of cassis and dark berries mingled with subtle hints of mint, orange, pencil shavings and spices, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered, multidimensional core of fruit underpinned by beautifully ripe, refined tannins. Concluding with a long, resonant finish, it entirely transcends the limitations of the year. This young classic, reminiscent of the estate’s 1996 but far better, is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.

Sleek, with sufficient fruit to accommodate the tangy acidity of the vintage, this allows black cherry, damson plum and violet notes to stretch out nicely, with a late echo of singed alder. Poised and nicely done for the vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2037. 12,500 cases made.

Dark and milk chocolate, raspberries and red cherries on the nose, with a soft vanilla fragrance and some pink floral aspects. Great tension and direction, personality and verve, high acidity but balanced with the tangy red berry fruit – buzzy with energy and focus. Has precision and drive as well as power and concentration, but all with a lovely elegance and sense of style. Classy and classic, a brilliant wine in 2021.

This shows Montrose personality with blackberries, blackcurrants and graphite, along with some spices and cedar. Medium-bodied with very fine tannins and a juicy finish. Refined and balanced. Drink or hold.

The 2021 Montrose is not dissimilar to the sample I tasted from barrel two years earlier. It eschews the more complex and, one might say, “ambitious” aromatic profiles seen in recent years (for example, the spectacular 2020) and delivers a more streamlined version. Blackberry, crushed iris flower, graphite and light autumn leaf aromas become prettier as it opens in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and impressive depth, very silky in texture with excellent purity of fruit. The Cabernet is a little more expressive than it was out of barrel, gently building in the mouth toward a very harmonious finish. This is a delightful Montrose, not the best in recent years, but it has gained complexity during its élevage.

Blackberries, espresso, chocolate, dried flowers, black cherries and spice create the aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is even better with its salty-edged red fruits, crushed rocks, spice and espresso with dark chocolate accented profile. Medium/full-bodied, energetic, classic, and classy, this is a vintage of Montrose that will not take decades to develop. Give it 3-4 years and this will be good to go. The wine was made from blending 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2028-2055.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, subtle ochre rim. An inviting bouquet with subtle notes of liquorice, black cherry and nuances of oak. Medium complexity with red berries, a fresh structure, silky, ripe tannins and a salty minerality. Polished and approachable but should ideally be left to mature for a few more years.

The Grand Vin 2021 Château Montrose is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, with the balance Petit Verdot, raised mostly in new oak. It’s an absolute classic expression of this terroir, offering pure cassis and assorted darker currant fruits that give way to more damp earth, violet, and leafy tobacco nuances. With medium-bodied richness, perfect integration of its acidity, tannins, and oak, beautiful mid-palate depth, and a great finish, it’s going to benefit from 4–6 years of bottle age, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see this still showing beautifully at age 30. It’s a remarkable wine in this challenging vintage.

Kunz barrel sample 2022: (62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot) Concentrated, profound, complex, dark, creamy bouquet; black cassis, dark noble woods, small black berries, licorice, mint. Concentrated, multi-layered, powerful, elegant, sensational palate with concentrated, creamy dark fruit, a finely muscular, finely creamy structure, concentrated, varied aromatics, and a very long, concentrated, creamy finish with plenty of lingering retro-aromas.

(62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot) Concentrated, profound, complex, dark, creamy bouquet, black cassis, dark fine woods, small black berries, liquorice, mint. Concentrated, multi-layered, powerful, elegant, sensational palate with concentrated, creamy, dark fruit, a finely muscular, finely creamy structure, concentrated, diverse aromatics, a very long, concentrated, creamy finish with many lingering flavours. 20/20 2034 - 2070

Extremely impressive, this lives up to En Primeur expectations. Cloves, sandalwood, liquorice, fennel, cracked black pepper, and a ton of juicy cassis and blueberry fruit. Delicious, with well-defined tannic architecture and plenty of potential to deliver for 15 to 20 years. 55% new oak. Pierre Grafeuille director.

A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2021 Montrose is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs some patient swirling to reveal notes of iron ore, mossy tree bark, and chalk dust, leading to a core of fresh blackcurrants, kirsch, and lilacs, plus a hint of pencil shavings. The light to medium-bodied palate is tightly coiled, offering shimmery layers of minerals, black and red berries, and fragrant earth-inspired flavors, supported by a fine-grained texture, finishing with great freshness and length. Impactful!

With its customary pedigree and depth, Montrose adds a hint of brightness and great finesse to its tannins. Powerful, certainly, yet wonderfully civilized. A Montrose that will open up a little sooner.

During the en primeur tastings, the oak was prominent on the nose and that is still the case. However, the fruit is so delicious, so juicy, that it takes the lead over the other aromas. On the palate, the wine is precise, racy, and strikingly beautiful. Saline and brimming with energy, it develops into a delectable, mouthwatering finish.

Dark, deep purple color. Highly aromatic, refined nose with pure, ripe fruit that is subtle and noble. Precise on the attack, very aromatic and complex mid-palate; the wine gains on the finish—very fresh, very flavorful, more floral than usual yet still deep. Long persistence with refined tannins and a more perfumed profile than is customary at this age. Blend: 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Alcohol: 13.1% - pH: 3.7. Yield: 38 hl/ha. IPT: 77. Production: 39% first wine. Harvest from September 27 to October 6.

Leather and black-spice aromas are a prelude to the richness and power of this wine. It is concentrated and full of ripe black-plum flavors, and acidity. Drink this massive wine from 2028.