Montrose 2005

St Estephe, Second Growth

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Tasting Notes
This continues to be very tight yet I loved drinking it the other night at dinner. Loads of spices, berries, meat, cloves and chocolate on the nose. Full body with soft, silky tannins and lots of rich fruit. Still chewy. This is just starting to open up now. Drink or hold. Score: 96 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Maturity: 2015+ 15 October 2015
Raspberries, currants and spices on the nose. Full-bodied, with a very focused palate of fruit and fine tannins. Fresh finish. Long. Racy wine. Score: 92 - 94 James Suckling, Wine Spectator 01 April 2006
The 2005 Montrose has a saturated purple color. As backward as one would expect of a St.-Estèphe, it offers notes of sweet blackcurrant and black cherry fruit, earth, graphite and spice. It is medium to full-bodied, moderately tannic, and still a decade away from prime-time drinkability. This 30+ year wine is clearly outstanding, but not one of the vintage’s most prodigious efforts. (94+ Points) Score: 94 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2025-2035 30 June 2015
The 2005 Montrose is an exceptionally tannic, broodingly backward offering displaying a dense ruby/purple color along with a provocative perfume of crushed rocks, flowers, cassis, black raspberries, and blueberries. It continues to add weight and richness, good traits considering the substantial, forbiddingly high tannin levels and zesty acidity. If you are over the age of fifty, this backward, powerful wine will probably be more enjoyable to your descendants. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040+ Score: 95 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2020-2040 30 April 2008
Fashioned from a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2005 Montrose exhibits huge tannin, powerful floral, blueberry, and cassis flavors, and more weight as well as richness than last year. While surprisingly high in alcohol (13.2%) for a Montrose, that component is nicely balanced by the high tannin and decent acidity. This blockbuster will need a decade or more of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2040+. Score: 94 - 96 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2017-2040 30 April 2007
The big news in Bordeaux is the potential sale (it had not been finalized at the time of publication) of Chateau Montrose. The 2005 Montrose does not quite measure up to the 2003, but it is a beautiful effort. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc as well as a dollop of Petit Verdot, it possesses an inky/blue/purple color in addition to a sweet, provocative nose of creme de cassis, crushed rocks, graphite, and subtle wood. Medium to full-bodied, elegant yet powerful, fresh, and nuanced, the acids are higher and the pH lower in 2005 than in 2002. The 2005 should be a long-lived classic, but patience will be required despite the relatively high alcohol (13.2%), which is counterbalanced by some of the highest tannins ever measured. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035. Score: 92 - 94 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 30 April 2006
Dark and chewy and much sweeter and less rigorous than usual. Perhaps because the tannins are so exceptionally ripe. Deep and dense with very fine depth - more lift than the samples of Cos tasted, though perhaps not the sheer density and solidity. Very fine dry mouthful. Fine tannins. Quite sinewy. Very nice neat refreshing though far from obtrusive acidity. Very fine and the power is relatively well hidden. The infamous IPT (tannin index) was apparently even higher here than a Cos - though perhaps we don’t want to get into a competition in this respect. Score: 18 Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2017-2030 10 April 2006
Designated the Latour of St Estephe by Robert Parker for its tendency to produce powerful, backward wines, Montrose is one of the great names of Saint Estephe. Recently sold to a French industrialist, Montrose is a consistent top performer, achieving superstar status in previous dry, hot vintages such as 1990 and 2003. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Petit Verdot. 44hl/ha. Elevage in 65% new oak. Very focused nose with scents of black and candied fruits and tobacco. In the mouth it is incredibly velvety and smooth with swathes of black fruit richness and power underpinned by very lively acidity. Immense power and structure on the back end. Extremely elegant and sophisticated, this is a classic Montrose of fabulous structure and concentration. Score: - Albany Vintners, - 01 April 2006

Tasting Notes

This continues to be very tight yet I loved drinking it the other night at dinner. Loads of spices, berries, meat, cloves and chocolate on the nose. Full body with soft, silky tannins and lots of rich fruit. Still chewy. This is just starting to open up now. Drink or hold.

Score: 96

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Maturity: 2015+ 15 October 2015

Raspberries, currants and spices on the nose. Full-bodied, with a very focused palate of fruit and fine tannins. Fresh finish. Long. Racy wine.

Score: 92 - 94

James Suckling, Wine Spectator 01 April 2006

The 2005 Montrose has a saturated purple color. As backward as one would expect of a St.-Estèphe, it offers notes of sweet blackcurrant and black cherry fruit, earth, graphite and spice. It is medium to full-bodied, moderately tannic, and still a decade away from prime-time drinkability. This 30+ year wine is clearly outstanding, but not one of the vintage’s most prodigious efforts. (94+ Points)

Score: 94

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2025-2035 30 June 2015

The 2005 Montrose is an exceptionally tannic, broodingly backward offering displaying a dense ruby/purple color along with a provocative perfume of crushed rocks, flowers, cassis, black raspberries, and blueberries. It continues to add weight and richness, good traits considering the substantial, forbiddingly high tannin levels and zesty acidity. If you are over the age of fifty, this backward, powerful wine will probably be more enjoyable to your descendants. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040+

Score: 95

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2020-2040 30 April 2008

Fashioned from a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2005 Montrose exhibits huge tannin, powerful floral, blueberry, and cassis flavors, and more weight as well as richness than last year. While surprisingly high in alcohol (13.2%) for a Montrose, that component is nicely balanced by the high tannin and decent acidity. This blockbuster will need a decade or more of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2040+.

Score: 94 - 96

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2017-2040 30 April 2007

The big news in Bordeaux is the potential sale (it had not been finalized at the time of publication) of Chateau Montrose. The 2005 Montrose does not quite measure up to the 2003, but it is a beautiful effort. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc as well as a dollop of Petit Verdot, it possesses an inky/blue/purple color in addition to a sweet, provocative nose of creme de cassis, crushed rocks, graphite, and subtle wood. Medium to full-bodied, elegant yet powerful, fresh, and nuanced, the acids are higher and the pH lower in 2005 than in 2002. The 2005 should be a long-lived classic, but patience will be required despite the relatively high alcohol (13.2%), which is counterbalanced by some of the highest tannins ever measured. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035.

Score: 92 - 94

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 30 April 2006

Dark and chewy and much sweeter and less rigorous than usual. Perhaps because the tannins are so exceptionally ripe. Deep and dense with very fine depth - more lift than the samples of Cos tasted, though perhaps not the sheer density and solidity. Very fine dry mouthful. Fine tannins. Quite sinewy. Very nice neat refreshing though far from obtrusive acidity. Very fine and the power is relatively well hidden. The infamous IPT (tannin index) was apparently even higher here than a Cos - though perhaps we don’t want to get into a competition in this respect.

Score: 18

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2017-2030 10 April 2006

Designated the Latour of St Estephe by Robert Parker for its tendency to produce powerful, backward wines, Montrose is one of the great names of Saint Estephe. Recently sold to a French industrialist, Montrose is a consistent top performer, achieving superstar status in previous dry, hot vintages such as 1990 and 2003. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3.5% Cabernet Franc and 0.5% Petit Verdot. 44hl/ha. Elevage in 65% new oak. Very focused nose with scents of black and candied fruits and tobacco. In the mouth it is incredibly velvety and smooth with swathes of black fruit richness and power underpinned by very lively acidity. Immense power and structure on the back end. Extremely elegant and sophisticated, this is a classic Montrose of fabulous structure and concentration.

Score: -

Albany Vintners, - 01 April 2006

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