La Dame de Montrose, St Estèphe, 2022
Yet another second wine with grand vin pretentions. Very handsome and complete for a second label, this opens with aromas of earth, smoke, tobacco, flowers and fine hedgerow fruits. Ripe, bold and fluid, this is surprisingly complex and nuanced, with a lacy, wispy quality to the fruit; it fans out with sweet fruited tannins and finishes with a refreshing salinity and long noble flavours. 71% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc.
critic reviews
The blend is 71% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, at the upper end of the usual range of percentages for the Merlot, and the élevage was in one-third new oak for twelve months, the remainder one-third each second- and third-fill. It accounts for 35% of production. Aromatically this exudes class, combining mineral and dried fruits with the scents of rose and peony, touched with darker elements of soot. A charming, voluptuous and welcoming style on the palate, very supple and polished, very 2022 in style, with sweet dark fruits, black cherry and currant, damson with a touch of olive, and a pure and defined finish. Only here does the backbone of ripe and finely grained tannins show. As usual this is a very classy second wine. The alcohol on the label is 14.5%, with 14.6% in the wine.
First year of Pierre Graffeuille as director, and first year to focus on the historic parcels of terrace 4, this is enveloping, seductive, gourmet edges, touches of burnt caramel, spiced and concentrated, as is often the case in this vintage. 45% of production in this.
The 2022 La Dame de Montrose has a very delineated bouquet that's more mineral-driven than previous vintages, featuring bright blackberry and boysenberry fruit tones. The palate is well balanced, fleshy and quite approachable, with smooth tannins and a lingering graphite-infused finish. It is one of the best second wines from Montrose in recent years.
A second wine that would embarrass numerous classified growths, the 2022 La Dame de Montrose unfurls in the glass with aromas of blackberries, violets, rose petals, charcoal and loamy soil, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy palate of striking concentration, energy and dimension. Seamless and complete, it's a blend of 71% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.