2015 Château Montrose St. Estèphe Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note
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2015
Château Montrose (St. Estèphe)
This is another gem that is much better from bottle than barrel. There is a smoky, spicy character to the waves of fruit on your palate. Full bodied, concentrated, long, fresh and clean, with a finish that stick with for at least 40 seconds. Comparing with the 2014, 2016 and 2017 over the years is going to make for a lot of fun tastings! 5,927 Views Tasted May 21, 2018A year in barrel has added a lot of complexity, richness, and polish to the wine. There is depth of flavor and concentration now, along with more aromatic complexities. A bt more time of aging could make this even better! This should hit the top of my initial range with ease. 5,727 Views Tasted Jul 12, 2017Showing a good depth of color, the tobacco, cassis, boysenberry and spice-filled aromatics are hard to avoid. Full-bodied and concentrated, there is a lot of power and tannin to contend with this year. It's going to take time for this wine to become civilized. The finish packs a large bushel of ripe, sweet fruit and flavor along with tannins in every mouthful. Representing 36% of the production, the blend consists of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. This wine reached 13.4% ABV with a pH of 3.6 and the harvest took place between September 15 and October 8. Montrose which is on top of its game these days can fool you. It can be a bit hard to get a read on some vintages in their youth, making it is quite possible this wine could end up much better when it is in bottle. It would not be the first time that happened. I can tell you that from personal experience. 94 - 96 Pts 12,779 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2016 |
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.