Château Montrose, 2ème Cru Classé, St Estèphe, 2021

A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2021 Montrose is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs some patient swirling to reveal notes of iron ore, mossy tree bark, and chalk dust, leading to a core of fresh blackcurrants, kirsch, and lilacs, plus a hint of pencil shavings. The light to medium-bodied palate is tightly coiled, offering shimmery layers of minerals, black and red berries, and fragrant earth-inspired flavors, supported by a fine-grained texture, finishing with great freshness and length. Impactful!

DRINKING WINDOW 2026 - 2046

date of review 04/2024

Extremely impressive, this lives up to En Primeur expectations. Cloves, sandalwood, liqourice, fennel, cracked black pepper, and a ton of juicy cassis and blueberry fruit. Delicious, with well-defined tannic architecture and plenty of potential to deliver for 15 to 20 years. 55% new oak. Pierre Grafeuille director, working alongside his predecessor Herbé Berland for most of this vintage.

DRINKING WINDOW 2028 - 2041

date of review 04/2024

The 2021 Montrose is not dissimilar to the sample I tasted from barrel two years earlier. It eschews the more complex and, one might say, "ambitious" aromatic profiles seen in recent years (for example, the spectacular 2020) and delivers a more streamlined version. Blackberry, crushed iris flower, graphite and light autumn leaf aromas become prettier as it opens in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and impressive depth, very silky in texture with excellent purity of fruit. The Cabernet is a little more expressive than it was out of barrel, gently building in the mouth toward a very harmonious finish. This is a delightful Montrose, not the best in recent years, but it has gained complexity during its élevage.

DRINKING WINDOW 2026 - 2050

date of review 02/2024