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2005 Château Montrose St. Estèphe Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note

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2005
Château Montrose  (St. Estèphe)
96
Powerful, concentrated, deep, long, intense, youthful, and tannic, there is a strong backbone here that will allow this to age gracefully for 2-3 decades with ease. But it is not ready to go at this point. So, either give it 2 hours of air, or wait 5-10 more years.

Powerful, concentrated, deep, long, intense, youthful, and tannic, there is a strong backbone here that will allow this to age gracefully for 2-3 decades with ease. But it is not ready to go at this point. So, either give it 2 hours of air, or wait 5-10 more years.

7,964 Views   Tasted
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The old saying, "Slow but steady wins the race" is clearly applicable here as this gem keeps getting better and better with age. Full-bodied, concentrated, tannic, and young, yet it has slipped into adolescence as you find cedar, cigar wrapper, tobacco leaf, herbs, black currants, and a melange of cherries, cassis, and lead pencil on the nose and palate. Powerful, but not overwhelming, classic, regal, and deep, with length and complexity in the finish. Offer it 2 hours of air if you are popping a bottle now, or wait another 5 years and this will really start to shine.

The old saying, "Slow but steady wins the race" is clearly applicable here as this gem keeps getting better and better with age. Full-bodied, concentrated, tannic, and young, yet it has slipped into adolescence as you find cedar, cigar wrapper, tobacco leaf, herbs, black currants, and a melange of cherries, cassis, and lead pencil on the nose and palate. Powerful, but not overwhelming, classic, regal, and deep, with length and complexity in the finish. Offer it 2 hours of air if you are popping a bottle now, or wait another 5 years and this will really start to shine.

8,055 Views   Tasted
This just keeps getting better with age. Still a bit tightly wound, so more cellaring is needed until you enjoy the all that ripe, juicy, fresh, sweet, dark, red fruits and spice. The wine is full, deep and intense. It's tannic, but the tannins are ripe, the fruits are sweet, and there is length and purity. The finish shows some dusty texture on the tannins. Give it until 2025 and it should be rockin'!

This just keeps getting better with age. Still a bit tightly wound, so more cellaring is needed until you enjoy the all that ripe, juicy, fresh, sweet, dark, red fruits and spice. The wine is full, deep and intense. It's tannic, but the tannins are ripe, the fruits are sweet, and there is length and purity. The finish shows some dusty texture on the tannins. Give it until 2025 and it should be rockin'!

11,159 Views   Tasted
It's been a few years since this last crossed my path. 3 hours of decanting added a lot of flesh and softness, to this still youthful treat. The wine is fresh, clean, powerful and tannic. There is length and intensity, with a dusty, tannic finish. I'd wait until the wine hits 20, if you are seeking a more mature experience.

It's been a few years since this last crossed my path. 3 hours of decanting added a lot of flesh and softness, to this still youthful treat. The wine is fresh, clean, powerful and tannic. There is length and intensity, with a dusty, tannic finish. I'd wait until the wine hits 20, if you are seeking a more mature experience.

9,141 Views   Tasted
With air, and effort, smoke, tobacco, wet earth, cassis, blackberry, spice box, thyme and a hint of truffle make their wine from the glass. Full bodied, concentrated, powerful, tanninc, balanced and refined, in a masculine way, the wine requires another decade to soften and become civilized. That being said, I'm sure your patience will be rewarded.

With air, and effort, smoke, tobacco, wet earth, cassis, blackberry, spice box, thyme and a hint of truffle make their wine from the glass. Full bodied, concentrated, powerful, tanninc, balanced and refined, in a masculine way, the wine requires another decade to soften and become civilized. That being said, I'm sure your patience will be rewarded.

11,255 Views   Tasted
A big, juicy, mineral driven, blackberry filled, tobacco, smoke, cigar box, Asian spice, Cuban cigar and cassis filled perfume lets you know you’re not in OZ anymore. This is concentrated, full bodied, powerful, rich, intense and very tannic. Yet, the tannins are so ripe, there is so much rich fruit, the wine can be enjoyed today if you like a primary drinking experience. It’s lush, mouth filling, regal and refined.

A big, juicy, mineral driven, blackberry filled, tobacco, smoke, cigar box, Asian spice, Cuban cigar and cassis filled perfume lets you know you’re not in OZ anymore. This is concentrated, full bodied, powerful, rich, intense and very tannic. Yet, the tannins are so ripe, there is so much rich fruit, the wine can be enjoyed today if you like a primary drinking experience. It’s lush, mouth filling, regal and refined.

11,027 Views   Tasted
If you like truffle with your cigars, you came to right place. From a blend of 65% Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3.5% Cabernet Franc and just a dab of Petit Verdot at 05%, the wine is deep, long and concentrated with the needed structure and ample tannins to age. There is a lot of depth of raw material, but this requires serious time in the cellar to come around and be fun to taste.

If you like truffle with your cigars, you came to right place. From a blend of 65% Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3.5% Cabernet Franc and just a dab of Petit Verdot at 05%, the wine is deep, long and concentrated with the needed structure and ample tannins to age. There is a lot of depth of raw material, but this requires serious time in the cellar to come around and be fun to taste.

12,749 Views   Tasted
The most enjoyable wine tasting experiences are usually due to a discovery. It could be a vintage not previously tasted, or a wine could show better and I am forced to rethink my view on that wine. 2005 Montrose tasted last night has me singing me a different tune. Previously, I found the wine impressive, but tannic and masculine. It lacked elegance. That's not my opinion today. Licorice, earth, truffle, cassis and spice aromas required little effort to bring them out. Full bodied and intensely concentrated, this still tannic wine sported a muscular personality, but it was refined and elegant, in a masculine way. The long, powerful, ripe, round, dense finish remained on our palate for over 40 seconds, This will require decades to mature, but due to the ripeness and finesse of the tannins, fans that cannot wait for full maturity will enjoy an outstanding Bordeaux wine. I prefer 2003 Montrose, but make no mistake, 2005 Montrose is an outstanding Bordeaux wine.

The most enjoyable wine tasting experiences are usually due to a discovery. It could be a vintage not previously tasted, or a wine could show better and I am forced to rethink my view on that wine. 2005 Montrose tasted last night has me singing me a different tune. Previously, I found the wine impressive, but tannic and masculine. It lacked elegance. That's not my opinion today. Licorice, earth, truffle, cassis and spice aromas required little effort to bring them out. Full bodied and intensely concentrated, this still tannic wine sported a muscular personality, but it was refined and elegant, in a masculine way. The long, powerful, ripe, round, dense finish remained on our palate for over 40 seconds, This will require decades to mature, but due to the ripeness and finesse of the tannins, fans that cannot wait for full maturity will enjoy an outstanding Bordeaux wine. I prefer 2003 Montrose, but make no mistake, 2005 Montrose is an outstanding Bordeaux wine.

20,730 Views   Tasted
Caramel, spice, black currants, black cherry and tobacco notes make up the nose. Tannic, full bodied and concentrated, as well as tight. Not very expressive in the mouth. This wine is sleeping and needs at least another decade before it beings to open. This is not in the class of the great vintages for Montrose like 89, 90 or 03

Caramel, spice, black currants, black cherry and tobacco notes make up the nose. Tannic, full bodied and concentrated, as well as tight. Not very expressive in the mouth. This wine is sleeping and needs at least another decade before it beings to open. This is not in the class of the great vintages for Montrose like 89, 90 or 03

21,640 Views   Tasted

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.

www.chateau-montrose.com