2008 Château Montrose St. Estèphe Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note
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2008
Château Montrose (St. Estèphe)
Big, powerful, young, tannic, fresh and bright, the nose, with its tobacco, leaf, cedar, menthol, and spice accents along with the bright, red fruits is in full force. Young as should be expected, this is a very good example of a modern, classicly styled, Left Bank Bordeaux. It is always going to be on the crisp vibrant side, but give it time, and it should be good. But you need to be patient, as this will take at least 12-15 more years before it is ready for prime time. 7,203 Views Tasted Feb 25, 2019Smoke, tobacco, forest floor, cigar and black currant aromatics are there. And so is a full bodied, structured, dense wine that is still holding on to its tannins. Give it time for layers of pepper, bright, cassis to soften and for the wine to develop more complexities. This is classic and powerful in style, so some tasters are going to dig this more than others. 6,715 Views Tasted Sep 17, 2018Using 65% Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot to produce the blend, this is all about the cassis, fresh herbs, dark berries and bright, powerful, tannic sensations that demand at least 10 years or more to be fun to drink. 13,626 Views Tasted May 17, 2014The 2008 Montrose is deeply colored. Oak, black and red fruit made complex by tobacco notes are easy to find on the nose. The wine is concentrated. On the palate, sensations of ripe, dark black fruits fill your mouth. The tannins are polished with good sensations of freshness in the finish. This a refined wine for the vintage. 93-95 Pts 14,550 Views Tasted Aug 31, 2009 |
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.