Montrose is experiencing a golden era. Under the attentive leadership of Hervé Berland, this St Estephe, owned by the Bouygues family, regularly features amongst the Left Bank elite. We thought 2009 and 2010 were good, good enough to get 100 points from Robert Parker; however, recent vintages such as 2016 and 2018 harness the natural power and density of these soils with even greater finesse and detail. As the Grand Vin prospers, the fortune of the Dame also flourishes.
Our recent tasting of the 2016 Dame de Montrose is evidence if it were needed. This is redolent with wonderful notes of blackcurrant, redcurrants, cranberry, cedar and beautifully fragrant floral touches. Although dense and powerful, there is tremendous energy and lift to the mid-palate. It soars with a sense of grace and dexterity. As one would expect from the Montrose team, the tannins are ripe and integrated skilfully, providing structure and a dazzling finish. While still relatively youthful, the superb balance and the ethereal quality of fruit makes this a delight to drink right now.
Read More“A gorgeous second wine, the 2016 La Dame de Montrose is incredibly expressive today. Supple, radiant and inviting, La Dame has all the potential to be an overachiever in this vintage. Today, it is quite open, and, even more importantly, flat-out delicious. In some moments, La Dame is rather nuanced, while at other times it is a bit more potent. It will be interesting to see what aging in bottle brings, but one thing is certain; the 2016 La Dame is a stellar wine. Don't miss it. 93/100” – Antonio Galloni