Château Montrose 2018

Still rather closed aromatics; full, even powerful attack, great density, breadth and length, class tannins, a generous, fiery finish on notes of dried fruits; for a cold winter evening.

Dark and winey, with a well-built core laden with cassis and dark plum purée while flashes of anise, lilac and charcoal fill in throughout. Finish has hints of chestnut and warm earth for a burly edge, but there's ample fruit for balance. Plenty grippy in the end too; cellaring required. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2036. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.

Rich and deep with beautifully nuanced dark chocolate, mocha, cocoa bean and liquorice. Just full of understated power and silky tannins. This is gorgeous and among my top wines of the Left Bank. As it opens in the glass you get sweet black cherry and cassis flesh, and a sense of lilting sappiness. Great stuff from Montrose.

Purity and beauty on the nose with blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, crushed-stone and violet character. A full-bodied red with masses of polished tannins and intense flavors of currants and blackberries. Juicy finish. Super depth to this. Goes on for minutes. Try after 2027.

The 2018 Montrose delivers on the promise it showed from barrel. I gave it a three-hour decant before opening, since Montrose is always backward, albeit far less ferociously than even just a decade ago. It offers copious blackberry and blueberry scents on the nose, plus pressed violets and a light estuarine note that becomes more pronounced with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a silky-smooth texture. Finely chiseled tannins frame multilayered black fruit infused with crushed stone, and it has retained that subtle graphite element that lends it a Pauillac-like personality, though less so than from barrel. This is a beautifully defined Montrose with entrancing symmetry, and it should drink earlier than other recent vintages thanks to a little more pliancy.

Very dark ruby garnet, opaque core with purple reflections and a narrow bright rim. Attractive noble wood and nougat aromas with dark forest berry confit, liquorice, a touch of candied orange zest and a hint of Black Forest gâteau. Compact, taut texture, ripe cherry, pleasant sweetness, supporting, youthful tannins and a fine savoury finish with a touch of ginger and white pepper. Very good length, fresh and persistent, but still young. (Drinking window: 2025-2060).

Inky, almost opaque colour. Lovely purity, depth and layers blending ripe blackberry, cassis, black cherry and dark chocolate with fine oak, mild toast, clove, pepper and cigar box. Tremendous concentration without heaviness, finely lifted by bright acidity and plentiful tannin with fine gloss and polish, gorgeous dark fruit flavours with both ripeness and freshness, really mouth-filling with a superbly long finish and remarkable potential.

Deep purple with an opaque core. Highly complex bouquet of wild cherry, fine Moroccan mint and nougat pralines. On the second approach, elderberry juice, dark precious wood and Tasmanian mountain pepper. On the palate, dense yet sublime, with a creamy texture and beguiling extract richness, a tightly knit tannin framework and a well-trained body. In the focused, never-ending finish, a thunderclap of small black berries, profound terroir spice and cocoa-like astringency. The giant has reached its goal and deservedly earned the top score – chapeau!

Kunz barrel sample 19: (72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 25 hl/ha, 14.5% vol. alcohol, 52% of the production is in the Grand Vin) Concentrated, velvety, powerful, complex, fresh bouquet, cassis cream, black berries, licorice, dark tobacco, mahogany, coffee beans, Black Currant, graphite. Highly concentrated, multi-layered, creamy, fruity, finely opulent palate with concentrated, sweet, dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, creamy, dense structure, sensational aromatics, very long, powerful, aromatic finish with many lingering flavors.

Silky, young, with clear spice notes, more so than in any other vintage in the lineup except for the 2003. Plenty of stuffing through the palate, with blueberry, cassis, hawthorn, turmeric, saffron, but also caramel and black chocolate flavors. It's beautiful, well balanced, with intent and poise, and very clearly a wine that will go the distance. Having said that, it's the only wine in the lineup where I even think about the alcohol, suggesting there is a trace of heat, and you certainly feel the sunshine of the year in a way that you rarely do in Montrose—this brings it down for me from my initial En Primeur score. Harvest September 17 to October 5.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Montrose comes bounding out with powerful notes of blackcurrant cordial, chocolate-covered cherries, blueberry compote, and red roses, followed by scents of Indian spices, graphite, and dusty soil. The medium to full-bodied palate is full-on concentrated and decadent, yet has a beautifully crafted structure of firm, fine-grained tannins and balancing freshness, finishing long and spicy.

This is undeniably a wine to forget in the cellar. This powerhouse of strength and concentration does find its balance, yet it’s still very raw. All muscle, it will be polished by time. One to watch.

Logo on the cork: AL

Inky in color, the wine is opaque. On the nose, spice box, smoke, espresso, roasted black and red fruits, flowers, and five-spice come through. On the palate, the wine is intense, full-bodied, rich, dense, opulent, sweet, fresh, long, and concentrated. The depth of flavor is impressive. Black and red fruits build and expand. The tannins are ripe, round, and refined. With its depth of flavor, flamboyant character, and a nonstop finish, this is a rockstar in the making. The wine was made by blending 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, 14.5% ABV. The wine is a bit more reserved today than in previous tastings, but it is a clear candidate for a triple-digit score when it begins to reach maturity. Drink from 2028–2060.

A full-bodied powerhouse as well as a perfect wine, the 2018 Château Montrose is a final blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc that was raised in 60% new French oak. Boasting a deep purple hue as well as awesome levels of crème de cassis and smoky blackberry fruits and notes of tobacco, lead pencil, scorched earth, and chocolate, it's deep, opulent, and incredibly concentrated on the palate, with no shortage of mid-palate depth, tannins, or length. It reminds me a little of a fresher version of the 2003, although there's more Cabernet Sauvignon in 2018 as well as less Merlot. It has that classic Montrose minerality and backward, mineral-laced style, yet I suspect this will be drinkable in just 5-6 years and should evolve into a modern-day legend from this terroir.

Concentrated, profound, complex, velvety bouquet: cassis cream, prunes, mahogany, dark tobacco, truffle, black olives, mint candy, aromatic wood. A concentrated, powerful, multi-layered, sensational palate with dark, creamy, concentrated fruit, plenty of fine tannins, an elegant, creamy, muscular structure, concentrated, diverse aromatics, and a velvety, dense, full, very long finish with many lingering flavors. A sensation. 20/20 2026 - 2060

Purple with violet hues. What intensity and depth in this bouquet. It is marked by graphite notes and I also detect a hint of soot. The fruity intensity is equally convincing, with notes of crème de cassis, blackberries and cherries, followed by licorice wood. On the palate, the wine ideally combines freshness and breadth. Its tannins are perfectly integrated, providing structure across the entire palate while aligning with the acidity. A lot of precision, energy and sapidity in this wine. This is a truly great Montrose.

96–98. Barrel Sample. This superb wine offers intense, spicy tannins and rich black fruits that yield an impressive, ageworthy bottling. Its black plum flavor and juicy acidity are enhanced by the firm tannins, with a touch of nutmeg on the finish.