Château Montrose, 2ème Cru Classé, St Estèphe, 2005

The 2005 Montrose has a wonderful bouquet that has opened up since I last tasted it just prior to the pandemic. Its gorgeous pure blackberry, boysenberry, menthol and pencil lead bouquet is clearly less rustic than some of its peers. The palate is medium-bodied, quite powerful and intense with a slightly medicinal entry, a minty style (a feature I have not seen with respect to numerous bottles in the past) and ample grip on the finish. It's no shy retiring flower by a long stretch—if you seek a more bombastic Montrose then this is where to come. Tasted at the château.

DRINKING WINDOW 2025 - 2050

date of review 06/2025

This was the last vintage for the Charmolue family - Jean-Bernard Delmas oversaw the elevage of this wine. Deep garnet in color with a touch of brick at the rim, the 2005 Montrose is composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. After a little shaking, the nose erupts with a fantastic perfume of blackcurrant pastilles, kirsch, raisin cake, and forest floor, leading to hints of aniseed, cracked black pepper, and unsmoked cigars. The medium-bodied palate has a rock-solid backbone of firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing very long and minerally.

DRINKING WINDOW 2027 - 2052

date of review 09/2023

The last year for Montrose under the Charmolüe family, before the Bouygues bought in 2006. Inky plum in colour, moreish from the very first sip. So juicy, such well controlled extraction, balanced but intense and concentrated, with layers of still-vibrant cassis, bilberry, eucalyptus and cocoa bean. You can now clearly see where this is heading, but it will continue to build over the next few years, and then stay on the plateau for decades. Proof that whatever the Bouygues paid for it the following year, they were getting one of the greatest estates in the Médoc. 60% new oak.

DRINKING WINDOW 2022 - 2050

date of review 09/2022