Château Montrose, 2ème Cru Classé, St Estèphe, 2023
Montrose is arguably the best performing wine in the whole Medoc, so we had lofty expectations for this 2023. We were not to be disappointed. This Bouygues owned chateau is now under the leadership of Pierre Graffeuille, formally of Leoville Las Cases. Another step up, this is a reserved, understated Montrose with lots of latent power, tremendous detail, great tension and haunting length. Everything in its place, utterly harmonious, this demure Montrose doesn't need to shout, it delivers layers of persistent fruit calmly with a sense of restraint and elegance, reinforced by a fine architecture of lacy, stony tannins. A glorious, reverberating Montrose. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc.
critic reviews
Just as it was from barrel, the 2023 Montrose is one of the most compelling wines of the vintage. Unwinding in the glass with a brooding bouquet of cassis, violets and burning embers, it's full-bodied, with prodigious mid-palate density and dimension, its concentrated core of fruit underpinned by abundant but ultra-refined tannins and lively acids. Broad, penetrating and persistent, it's a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. This is a very serious wine, carrying plenty of structure; but while it will certainly require some patience, today's more precise extraction and élevage choices mean that it will not mandate the 20-30 years of deferred gratification that were once the norm at this address, even if I'm convinced the 2023 will be just as long-lived as the classics of the past.
A stunning wine, just totally delivers on its En Primeur promise, full of black chocolate, cocoa bean, graphite, crayon, soft and supple, yet strict and intense. Unfurls to show a grilled caramel note, so juicy, such a classic Montrose. The first vintage that this 1st wine of Montrose is coming only from the section of the vineyard located on Terrace 4, and is the historic heart of the property. Pierre Graffeuille director, Vincent Decup technical director. Organic conversion, to be certified 2025.
The 2023 Montrose was one of my favourite wines from barrel. Now in bottle since July, this fulfils its promise with an intense nose of blackberry, violet and mint, giving it a subtle Pauillac-like allure. The fruit is incredibly pure here. The palate is medium-bodied with chiselled, pliant tannins that lend this Montrose a little more fluidity than I estimated from barrel. Very harmonious, really poised and long, this remains one of the finest Left Bank 2023s.
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Montrose gallops out of the glass with intense scents of crushed blackcurrants, fresh blackberries, and raspberries along with nuances of licorice, crushed rocks, and mossy tree bark plus a hint of iron ore. The medium-bodied palate has impressive tension and tight-knit black and red berry flavors intertwined with mineral accents, framed by fine-grained tannins, finishing long and sparkly. The first wine accounted for only 35% of the estate's production this year. The blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc, with pH 3.70.