TN: 1975 Château Montrose (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe)

[Brian G r a f s t r o m]

I don't usually post TN's here if the wine was corked, but I'm making an exception here because TCA seems to be a recurrent problem for this bottling.

1975 Château Montrose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (12/15/2020)
-- decanted immediately before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over one hour --

NOSE: mineral; slightly musty (TCA); little bit of smoky black licorice

BODY: light bodied; pretty good color for a 45 yo wine; mid-high shoulder fill; cork was soaked, and wanted to push in (last 1/2" cork broke off, but was successfully extracted)

TASTE: gentle purple fruits; some fine tannin; gentle Montrose smokiness; little something musty --- TCA or bottle funk; on its downslope; ... ultimately sold on this being slightly TCA-infected, which, apparently, has been a problem for others with this bottling, as well. NR (flawed)

[Kelly Flynn]

UGH! I have two I've been waiting to open. Thanks (sort of).

[Craig G]

UGH! I have two I've been waiting to open. Thanks (sort of).

Hey, if Brian opened one of the corked bottles, you have a better chance, right?

My brother bought a bottle of this wine in the early 90’s with the intent of trying it when it was 60 years old. I need to check if he’s still on that plan.

[Brian G r a f s t r o m]

UGH! I have two I've been waiting to open. Thanks (sort of).

Hey, if Brian opened one of the corked bottles, you have a better chance, right?

My brother bought a bottle of this wine in the early 90’s with the intent of trying it when it was 60 years old. I need to check if he’s still on that plan.

I would strongly recommend against trying to make this a 60 yo. wine, assuming my bottle was even remotely representative. Other CT notes sounded somewhat similar to mine, including the TCA.

Kelly,
Hopefully both of your bottles are sound!

[William Kelley]

I've had a few bottles that were sound and very good, reconditioned bottles that were quite nice but nothing more, and rather musty bottles. More brett plus weedy fruit than TCA. One left, which I guess I'll probably open soon.

[Gary Rust]

I had the 1970 Montrose earlier this year with a group of wine friends and most people liked the '70 more the 1990 Montrose we drank alongside it. It sure seemed that the 1970 could go another ten years.

[Kelly Flynn]

Thanks, guys. The fills on my 75s are almost too good to be true. (Maybe a separate string: "Did Rudy ever waste his time on something as pedestrian as 70s Montrose?")

I have had one bottle of the most killer 1970 Montrose, and also a completely DOA 1970. As they say, only good bottles...

[Brian G r a f s t r o m]

you guys are killin' me ... my bottle of the '75 was my "consolation prize" when I swung and missed with my request for a bottle of the '70 in the same offering. .... oh well!

[Peter C.]

I don't usually post TN's here if the wine was corked, but I'm making an exception here because TCA seems to be a recurrent problem for this bottling.

1975 Château Montrose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (12/15/2020)
-- decanted immediately before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over one hour --

NOSE: mineral; slightly musty (TCA); little bit of smoky black licorice

BODY: light bodied; pretty good color for a 45 yo wine; mid-high shoulder fill; cork was soaked, and wanted to push in (last 1/2" cork broke off, but was successfully extracted)

TASTE: gentle purple fruits; some fine tannin; gentle Montrose smokiness; little something musty --- TCA or bottle funk; on its downslope; ... ultimately sold on this being slightly TCA-infected, which, apparently, has been a problem for others with this bottling, as well. NR (flawed)

Just another data point, that's a birth year wine for me so I bought a case at auction about 10 years ago. I've yet to have a flawed or corked bottle and while 75 Montrose isn't stunning at this point, I've found each bottle to be charming with enough fruit to make it interesting.

[Brian G r a f s t r o m]

And that's all I was expecting, Peter (I'll admit to hoping for more). Here's hoping the rest of your case shows well for you!

[Steen T Olsen]

Thank you for the warning, Brian