Montrose 2019

St Estephe, Second Growth

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Tasting Notes
The 2019 Montrose has a razor-sharp bouquet, a mélange of red and black fruit, touches of pencil box and cedar. Understated at first, it unfurls temptingly with each swirl of the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins, fine acidity, blood orange infusing the black fruit with pencil lead towards the finish that fans out with style. There is a sense of grandeur to this wine that is compelling. Montrose? Stunning. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Score: 98 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2028-2060 01 February 2023
The 2019 Montrose was bottled in July 2021, and though I did not taste it en primeur, I did sample it just prior to bottling and then after, in September 2021. It was picked from September 19 to October 8, with a similar percentage of Merlot to the 2009 (30% compared to around 25% due to the ripeness). At 14.4% alcohol, it has lower alcohol than the 2018 (14.8%). The Merlot guides the nose, which is a little more flamboyant than usual for Montrose, and very pure, offering small black cherries, black currant, wild mint and just a hint of camphor. The palate is medium-bodied, spicy and vibrant, with a silky-smooth texture and a touch of peppercorn on the entry. There is wonderful tension throughout this Montrose, and gentle grip on the finish. Will this vintage be more approachable than the 2018? Score: 97 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2027 - 2060 01 February 2022
The flagship 2019 Château Montrose is also brilliant, although it's not going to match the all-time greats from this estate. Gorgeous cassis, graphite, damp earth, cedar pencil, and tobacco are just some of the nuances here, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, graceful, layered mouthfeel, building tannins, and a great finish. It doesn't have the overall density or mid-palate of the 2018 or 2016, but it’s flawlessly balanced and just incredibly impressive. Showing more and more tannins with time in the glass, it will need a decade of bottle age and will evolve for 30+ years. Score: 97 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2032-2052 11 April 2022
The 2019 Montrose has turned out very well in bottle, wafting from the glass with a dramatic, perfumed bouquet of wild berries and cassis mingled with notions of lilac, violets, pencil shavings and warm spices, framed by nicely integrated new oak. Full-bodied, layered and seamless, it's deep and multidimensional, with lively acids, beautifully refined tannins and a long, resonant finish. Checking in at 14.4% alcohol (rather higher than, for example, the brilliant 2009's 13.7% or the 2016's 13.3%), this is an undeniably powerful, ripe Montrose, but for now everything appears to be kept in check. Score: 97 William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2029 - 2065 07 April 2022
The 2019 Montrose is very clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Rich, inky and towering in concentration, the 2019 possesses off the charts intensity and tons of structure to back it up. Succulent black cherry, plum, tobacco, gravel and licorice infuse the 2019 with striking depth. The 2019 is not quite as opulent as some recent vintages, and that's a good thing. Readers will find a regal wine that marries elegance with power. Unforgettable. Tasted two times. Score: 100 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2034 - 2069 01 February 2022
Blueberries, cracked white and black pepper with dried flowers. Some crushed stone and slate, too. Full-bodied with tannins that grow on the palate and continue on. It’s polished and very fine with lovely length. Drink after 2027. Score: 97 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Maturity: 2027+ 19 January 2022
Gorgeous rich colour here, a lovely wine full of pleasure. Chocolate, mocha, cappuccino, lots of toasted oak, great quality, with concentrated black fruits along with slate, crushed stone, smoked earth - measured, confident, delicious. I have tasted this a few times this year, and it has consistently been punching at the very top of its game. A no-brainer to recommend. 12% press wine, 47hl/ha yield, 60% new oak. Score: 99 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2028-2055 12 January 2022
Tons of personality right off the first nose, giving the same tingle of expectation that you get with the 2016. Black chocolate, damson, plump blueberry, mint leaf, pure Cabernet expression. This is dripping with juice, and is sleek and fresh, a brilliant Montrose with exceptional fruit quality, where you feel the wall of tannins but they are brushed velvet rather than tight and forbidding. A strong recommendation, that you could just about enjoy now with a long carafe, but that will close up tight in a few years, and then need patience for another decade. Harvest September 19 to October 8. Score: 98 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2030-2060 22 September 2021
Oh this is good, it steals up on you with real depth of flavour, stately and concentrated in a way that reminds me of a 1996 or a 2016. Extremely measured, very clear that this is going to age effortlessly, it is extremely discreet and yet packed with persistent flavours. A masterclass in the flavours and aromatics that you expect in a great Médoc wine - slate, crushed stones, savoury blackcurrant, liquorice, hints of smoke and cold ash. After five minutes in the glass the sweeter berry fruit comes out, and the whole thing is sappy and mouthwatering, and makes you smile. 12% press wine, 3.77oH. A yield of 47hl/ha. 60% new oak. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Score: 98 Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2029-2050 10 June 2020
64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Barrel sample. Deep purple-black hue. Slightly shy and reserved but clearly has plenty of depth. Elegant, dark-fruit fragrance as the wine opens. Clean and direct on attack with a marked note of salinity. Plenty of power but really refined tannins assisted by a bright, juicy quality to the fruit. Incredible length on the finish. Score: 18 James Lawther MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2030-2050 20 June 2020

Tasting Notes

The 2019 Montrose has a razor-sharp bouquet, a mélange of red and black fruit, touches of pencil box and cedar. Understated at first, it unfurls temptingly with each swirl of the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins, fine acidity, blood orange infusing the black fruit with pencil lead towards the finish that fans out with style. There is a sense of grandeur to this wine that is compelling. Montrose? Stunning. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.

Score: 98

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2028-2060 01 February 2023

The 2019 Montrose was bottled in July 2021, and though I did not taste it en primeur, I did sample it just prior to bottling and then after, in September 2021. It was picked from September 19 to October 8, with a similar percentage of Merlot to the 2009 (30% compared to around 25% due to the ripeness). At 14.4% alcohol, it has lower alcohol than the 2018 (14.8%). The Merlot guides the nose, which is a little more flamboyant than usual for Montrose, and very pure, offering small black cherries, black currant, wild mint and just a hint of camphor. The palate is medium-bodied, spicy and vibrant, with a silky-smooth texture and a touch of peppercorn on the entry. There is wonderful tension throughout this Montrose, and gentle grip on the finish. Will this vintage be more approachable than the 2018?

Score: 97

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2027 - 2060 01 February 2022

The flagship 2019 Château Montrose is also brilliant, although it's not going to match the all-time greats from this estate. Gorgeous cassis, graphite, damp earth, cedar pencil, and tobacco are just some of the nuances here, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, graceful, layered mouthfeel, building tannins, and a great finish. It doesn't have the overall density or mid-palate of the 2018 or 2016, but it’s flawlessly balanced and just incredibly impressive. Showing more and more tannins with time in the glass, it will need a decade of bottle age and will evolve for 30+ years.

Score: 97

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2032-2052 11 April 2022

The 2019 Montrose has turned out very well in bottle, wafting from the glass with a dramatic, perfumed bouquet of wild berries and cassis mingled with notions of lilac, violets, pencil shavings and warm spices, framed by nicely integrated new oak. Full-bodied, layered and seamless, it's deep and multidimensional, with lively acids, beautifully refined tannins and a long, resonant finish. Checking in at 14.4% alcohol (rather higher than, for example, the brilliant 2009's 13.7% or the 2016's 13.3%), this is an undeniably powerful, ripe Montrose, but for now everything appears to be kept in check.

Score: 97

William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2029 - 2065 07 April 2022

The 2019 Montrose is very clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Rich, inky and towering in concentration, the 2019 possesses off the charts intensity and tons of structure to back it up. Succulent black cherry, plum, tobacco, gravel and licorice infuse the 2019 with striking depth. The 2019 is not quite as opulent as some recent vintages, and that's a good thing. Readers will find a regal wine that marries elegance with power. Unforgettable. Tasted two times.

Score: 100

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2034 - 2069 01 February 2022

Blueberries, cracked white and black pepper with dried flowers. Some crushed stone and slate, too. Full-bodied with tannins that grow on the palate and continue on. It’s polished and very fine with lovely length. Drink after 2027.

Score: 97

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Maturity: 2027+ 19 January 2022

Gorgeous rich colour here, a lovely wine full of pleasure. Chocolate, mocha, cappuccino, lots of toasted oak, great quality, with concentrated black fruits along with slate, crushed stone, smoked earth - measured, confident, delicious. I have tasted this a few times this year, and it has consistently been punching at the very top of its game. A no-brainer to recommend. 12% press wine, 47hl/ha yield, 60% new oak.

Score: 99

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2028-2055 12 January 2022

Tons of personality right off the first nose, giving the same tingle of expectation that you get with the 2016. Black chocolate, damson, plump blueberry, mint leaf, pure Cabernet expression. This is dripping with juice, and is sleek and fresh, a brilliant Montrose with exceptional fruit quality, where you feel the wall of tannins but they are brushed velvet rather than tight and forbidding. A strong recommendation, that you could just about enjoy now with a long carafe, but that will close up tight in a few years, and then need patience for another decade. Harvest September 19 to October 8.

Score: 98

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2030-2060 22 September 2021

Oh this is good, it steals up on you with real depth of flavour, stately and concentrated in a way that reminds me of a 1996 or a 2016. Extremely measured, very clear that this is going to age effortlessly, it is extremely discreet and yet packed with persistent flavours. A masterclass in the flavours and aromatics that you expect in a great Médoc wine - slate, crushed stones, savoury blackcurrant, liquorice, hints of smoke and cold ash. After five minutes in the glass the sweeter berry fruit comes out, and the whole thing is sappy and mouthwatering, and makes you smile. 12% press wine, 3.77oH. A yield of 47hl/ha. 60% new oak. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

Score: 98

Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2029-2050 10 June 2020

64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Barrel sample. Deep purple-black hue. Slightly shy and reserved but clearly has plenty of depth. Elegant, dark-fruit fragrance as the wine opens. Clean and direct on attack with a marked note of salinity. Plenty of power but really refined tannins assisted by a bright, juicy quality to the fruit. Incredible length on the finish.

Score: 18

James Lawther MW, JancisRobinson.com Maturity: 2030-2050 20 June 2020

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