1996 Château Montrose St. Estèphe Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note
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1996
Château Montrose (St. Estèphe)
Old school, classic in style, the wine is crisp, energetic and stubbornly tannic. The fruit is short, bright, and leaning to the strict, austere, cranberry and light red fruit side of the style range. The wine is a bit more interesting on the developed, cedar and tobacco edged nose, than on the palate. If this is your taste, you will probably like it more than I did. 5,313 Views Tasted Feb 25, 2019Crushed stone, tobacco, cassis, spice, cigar box, earth and barnyard aromas are found with only a little swirling. The nose is the best part of this Bordeaux wine. Full bodied, powerful, tannic and with an austere leaning, this vintage of Montrose is more of an old school style of St. Estephe. The wine was produced from a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. 11,308 Views Tasted Jul 23, 2011 |
When to Drink Chateau Montrose, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau Montrose is a wine that demands time in the cellar. Due to the large amount of tannins, concentration, and structure, the wine is always better with at least 10-20 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage.
Chateau Montrose offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 15-50 or more years after the vintage. Young vintages should be decanted for at least 2-4 hours. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment
Chateau Montrose Style and Character of the Wine
Chateau Montrose at its best is powerful, refined, masculine, elegant, and complex. The fruit has a richness that fills your mouth and coats your palate. But the wines are also firm and tannic.
The wine of Chateau Montrose can age and evolve for decades. In fact, purchasers should know, that in the best vintages, the wine requires decades to develop. Chateau Montrose is seldom a wine that is fun to taste in its youth. It's a very long, lived wine.
The 1921 Montrose tasted recently was still in top form! If you've ever wondered why Chateau Montrose is prized by Bordeaux lovers all over the world, 1989 Chateau Montrose is the wine to buy.
That being said, for a Montrose to age, the 2009 Chateau Montrose is off the charts, deserving its 100 Pt score and a place in your cellar, if you can afford it! Chateau Montrose has been one of the top producers in Bordeaux for decades. However, under the direction of Herve Berland, it looks like the best is yet to come.
Serving Chateau Montrose with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips
Chateau Montrose is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Chateau Montrose is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Montrose is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta as well as cheese.