Based on my TNs of recent vintages, I think there have been some subtle changes at Montrose, but on the whole I am still a fan- and there have been some stunners. I have not had the 2018, and in 2016 I have just tried the Dame de Montrose which points to 2016 being one heck of a great wine. But in case of interest, following are my notes for 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020.
Despite a few question marks, I am overall very impressed. For my AFWE palate, 2014 and 2020 are absolutely spectacular- the latter clearly a legendary vintage in the making. The 2015 is also very strong but just not as overtly showy as its siblings. 2019 is for me what some 1989 Pomerols were back I when first got into wine- massive and jawdropping, but with a few lingering question marks about long term evolution (optimistic from me- but only after the wine had aired a few hours). And then 2017 seems a potential warning- as was a recent encounter with 2017 La Conseillante- that these perceived subtle changes may yield wines from lesser years that are not as balanced and charming as they could be with a less heavy hand. Time will tell.
2014 Chateau Montrose (tasted April 2018)
Inky purple color, rich cassis and pungent game and earth on the nose- classic Montrose in full cry, on the palate attractive and surprisingly approachable, blueberries, dark cassis, crushed berries, metallic notes, a slightly slippery feel to it as I often get here as well as with Lafleur and Trotanoy in youth (by slippery I mean it is like the wine is slipping over the tongue and not showing its full depth which is still in hiding, you can sense the depth but there is a sort of invisible barrier), outstanding finish, over the course of an hour it slowly blossomed and showed more immediate depth on the palate- but this is one to lock away for a long time. On a personal note- while I do not think the general changes in Bordeaux of the past 20 years are all bad, the fact remains that something I came to love in the vintages of the 80s and early 90s has been lost. 2004 was the last vintage where I tasted a wide range of Bordeaux before throwing in the towel for a time. Since I started tasting higher end Bordeaux again in small measure (starting with the 2012 Chateau Margaux), the 2014 Montrose is the first wine I have encountered with something of that old school rough and tumble that I miss so much from days past- and ironically appearing in an unusually forward vintage for the wine. But whether you like things the old way or the new, this is a superb claret that should handsomely reward some cellar time.
*( *** )+, 2030-2055
2015 Chateau Montrose (tasted December 2019)
moderately deep red/purple color, lovely nose of cassis and crushed blackberries with hints of raspberry, on the darker side of the fruit spectrum, on the palate a bit light when first opened and slippery across the palate, cassis, berries, chalk streaks, great tension, fine long finish, about 5 hours after opening the wine is showing greater depth and fullness but also substantial tannins, a more generous flowing sensation of fruit across the palate, sandwiched in between two massive and very self-evident vintages I can see how the 2015 is easily overlooked- but I think it an unfortunate mistake to do so, while this will likely be leaner than the 2014 and 2016 in time- everything is here for this to be a ripe and more charming Montrose, as well as one that will be more harmonious with food than the bigger vintages.
(****), 2030-2055
2017 Chateau Montrose (tasted July 2024)
good bright young red purple color, on opening a spicy nose with cassis and raspberries, primary and undeveloped on the midweight palate but with some warmth throughout despite this only registering at 13.5%, 2 hours later- a more aggressive and meaty nose with plums now joining in, on the palate a contrast of lovely midweight punchy and slightly racy raspberry-dominated fruit set against a fairly strong dose of oak and still with some warmth in the middle, good chalky finish where some cherry notes pop out, while Montrose often takes a good long time to mature I think this vintage is going to be a bit less friendly along the way courtesy of the current dominance of the structure and oak, both punchy and peppery at present- it should come out well in time but the fun of early enjoyment that is common in more classic renderings of lighter vintages is not going to be had here and so that leaves me personally preferring to focus my attention on the exceptional 2014 here and there while waiting for the 2019 and 2020 to come around, in the bigger vintages Montrose is still a serious contender for the attentions of we AFWE types- but post 2015 I am now a bit more wary of the lighter years just as I have become with La Conseillante post 2012.
(***)+?, 2032++ if this puts on weight then I will have seriously under-estimated this vintageâs potential as the core character of the fruit is really quite wonderful
2019 Chateau Montrose (tasted May 2024)
opened and sampled 8 hours before serving
very dark purple red color, dense and aggressive nose of blackberries, cassis, plums and spicy oak, on the palate a gloriously chewy and painfully tannic young Montrose, at first opening there was a little heat on the finish but after 8 hours the sheer force of the mid-palate carries it well, crushed black raspberries, steel, cassis and plum of exceptional depth with a ferocity I have not seen in any other 2019 and gradually becoming deliciously ripe toward the end of the palate very much in line with the vintage, I have to look back to the 1993 Lafleur to find another occasion where a major Bordeaux was that much more intense than its peers from a given vintage, clove with time and a hint of rose petal on the incredibly long finish of chalky and spicy dark fruits with aromatics that expand and grow in scale for over 20 seconds, like a young 1986 the forwardness of the fruit makes this surprisingly approachable given its significant tannins and forbidding structure, as with the 2014 this shows a lot of the youthful vigor and brute force of great vintage Bordeaux of old, I suspect it will start to become approachable after only 15 years- but will have an incredibly long and noteworthy life.
(*****), 2034++
2020 Chateau Montrose (tasted September 2024)
in first 30 minutes- lovely rich very deep purple/red color but not âinkyâ, a bruiser of a nose with cassis, roasted plum, steely minerals and oak spice, on the palate a massive moody giant in the old school style, full bodied fruit that slips across the tongue- you can sense its great presence but not truly taste or feel it, black plums, cassis, saddle leather, wild cherries wrapped in dried tea leaves, cloves, this all leads quickly into a finish of enormous length where crushed red raspberries and chalk notes come into focus, 8 hours after opening - nose less giving now but has lost none of its potency, a dark mass of spicy cassis and plum, on the palate the fruit remains somewhat reserved but is showing more impact on the palate, incredible depth of dark primary fruit with gripping tannins, top note of crushed raspberries, a ripe and joyous note as well, long and aggressive finish that is showing less detail but as with the nose remains exceptionally muscular, clove note, a marvelous fragrance lingers even 30 seconds after the wine has been swallowed, glorious- where the 2019 shows a bit of a heavy hand, the character and sheer mass of the 2020 vintage covers any traces of that which may have existed leaving me feeling like I am tasting a top young 1980s Bordeaux- and thank goodness for it, comparing to other recent vintages this is a bigger and bolder 2014 very much in the style of a past many of us yearn for, a long wait ahead- but surely well worth it.
(*****), 2040++