La Dame de Montrose, St Estèphe, 2014
Re-tasted in November 2025, the glorious Dame de Montrose 2019 continues to improve and impress. This is drop dead gorgeous. Opening with a fabulous bouquet of cut flowers, sweet berries and gentle cedar, these aromas segue into a sumptuous core of floral accented cassis and raspberry, with notes of iris, lilac and graphite. The tannins are caressing and gentle, tantalising the palate with hints of sweet summer berries and minerals. A really impressive second wine with better precision and more refinement than many a Grand Vin!
critic reviews
The 2014 La Dame de Montrose is more precocious than Lafon-Rochet on the nose, with hints of dried cherries and black olive compote infusing the black fruit, touches of humidor and red brick. The palate is medium-bodied with dusky black fruit, fine tannins and a little austerity towards the finish, though at least it does exude Saint-Estèphe DNA. Give it a year in bottle. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.
The 2014 La Dame de Montrose is medium to deep garnet in color. Notes of leather sofa, cigar box, and dusty soil lead to a core of black cherry preserves and Christmas cake plus a hint of lavender oil. The medium-bodied palate is lively and ready to drink, offering lightly chewy tannins and a savory finish.
Intense, smoky, plenty of black fruit, who doesn't love this 2nd wine of Château Montrose? It's a vintage that is often overlooked, particularly after the run of great years Bordeaux has had recently, but it's at a great moment to open right now, and delivers a ton of St Estèphe and Left Bank typicity, with crayon and graphite. Harvest September 22 to October 16.
The 2014 La Dame de Montrose lagged a long way behind the superlative Grand Vin at primeur, but has since made up some ground. Now in bottle, it has a nicely poised bouquet with red cherries, bilberry and crushed violets. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity, tightly wound and linear, a conservative La Dame de Montrose that I suspect will age better than I originally thought.