2016 Château Montrose St. Estèphe Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note

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2016
99
A clear candidate for legendary status from Montrose, this wine has it all going on. Even though it is still an adolescent, it is impossible not to be enthralled by its multiple layers of perfectly ripe, fresh, sweet, black, and red fruits that paint your palate. Length, purity, persistence, and energy galore, this needs time, but it is going to be well worth the wait! Drink from 2030-2065.

A clear candidate for legendary status from Montrose, this wine has it all going on. Even though it is still an adolescent, it is impossible not to be enthralled by its multiple layers of perfectly ripe, fresh, sweet, black, and red fruits that paint your palate. Length, purity, persistence, and energy galore, this needs time, but it is going to be well worth the wait! Drink from 2030-2065.

14,625 Views   Tasted
Starting to tighten up, so decanting is needed if you are going to taste this in its youth a well as a lot coaxing. With effort the wine is full-bodied, concentrated, deep, fresh and long. The wine marries power with elegance, energy and complexity with a juicy, clean quality to the dark, perfectly ripe, red and black fruits. There is a tobacco leaf and Asian spice quality to the fruits in the finish that is a nice addition to the complexities in the wine. This is not a wine for youthful enjoyment, so if you have the patience to wait for 15 years, you are going to have one of the best vintages of Montrose ever produced in your cellar. The Grand Vin was produced from just 36% of the crop, blending 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc.

Starting to tighten up, so decanting is needed if you are going to taste this in its youth a well as a lot coaxing. With effort the wine is full-bodied, concentrated, deep, fresh and long. The wine marries power with elegance, energy and complexity with a juicy, clean quality to the dark, perfectly ripe, red and black fruits. There is a tobacco leaf and Asian spice quality to the fruits in the finish that is a nice addition to the complexities in the wine. This is not a wine for youthful enjoyment, so if you have the patience to wait for 15 years, you are going to have one of the best vintages of Montrose ever produced in your cellar. The Grand Vin was produced from just 36% of the crop, blending 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc.

16,508 Views   Tasted
Caliginous in color, the fruits are just as dark creating a matched set. Incredibly dense, the endless layers of mouth-filling, palate-staining, fresh fruit provides the backdrop for the wall of refined, firm but soft tannins. The seemingly endless finish offers a purity of fruit that lasts at least 60 seconds. This will take 2 decades to start becoming civilized and if well stored should easily last for 5-6 decades or longer!

Caliginous in color, the fruits are just as dark creating a matched set. Incredibly dense, the endless layers of mouth-filling, palate-staining, fresh fruit provides the backdrop for the wall of refined, firm but soft tannins. The seemingly endless finish offers a purity of fruit that lasts at least 60 seconds. This will take 2 decades to start becoming civilized and if well stored should easily last for 5-6 decades or longer!

17,583 Views   Tasted
Inky black in color with incredible levels of density, the first thing you notice when the wine hits your palate is the salty, mineral-driven tannins. The purity of the fruit, concentration, richness and velour textures bring you to pleasure with spice, dark chocolate, licorice, blackberry and plum notes. The endnote resonates for at least 60 seconds! Completely satisfying in every way. In the old days you'd need a cigarette after tasting this wine! The best wine since the historic duo of 2009 and 2010, this is right at that level, or even better! Time alone, will be the final arbiter. The Grand Vin was produced from just 36% of the crop, blending 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc. This wine reached 13.3% ABV with a pH of 3.55. The harvest took place September 23 to October 14.

Inky black in color with incredible levels of density, the first thing you notice when the wine hits your palate is the salty, mineral-driven tannins. The purity of the fruit, concentration, richness and velour textures bring you to pleasure with spice, dark chocolate, licorice, blackberry and plum notes. The endnote resonates for at least 60 seconds! Completely satisfying in every way. In the old days you'd need a cigarette after tasting this wine! The best wine since the historic duo of 2009 and 2010, this is right at that level, or even better! Time alone, will be the final arbiter. The Grand Vin was produced from just 36% of the crop, blending 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc. This wine reached 13.3% ABV with a pH of 3.55. The harvest took place September 23 to October 14.

28,413 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