2017 Chateau Montrose - 2eme Cru St. Estephe

Decanter.com – 97 pts – GH, VA, AH: *Montrose has solar panels and uses geothermal energy to manage temperatures in the barrel halls and vats. The 2017 is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon (with 20% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot), aged in oak for 18 months. Georgie Hindle: Fleshy, juicy, bright, softly sweet. Mouthcoating, velvet-like flavour and texture. Nice menthol edging of the fruit. Feels very controlled and purposeful. Vincenzo Arnese: Nice mix of prune, figs and blackberry, with vibrant notes of cloves and nutmeg. Palate is concentrated and rich. Good finish with integrated tannins. Andy Howard MW: Restrained at first, this broadens and evolves with aeration. Intense palate with graphite notes, a touch of leafiness and fine tannins point towards a very long life ahead.* - 02/2022

Falstaff Magazin - 93pts - PM: *Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung, zarter Nougat, feine Gewürznuancen, ein Hauch von Kardamom und Gewürznelken, zart nach reifen Pflaumen. Saftig, rund und elegant, frische Kirschen und Weichseln, lebendige Säurestruktur, ein finessenreicher und animierender Stil, salzige Mineralität, bereits entwickelt und bald antrinkbar.* -05/2018

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 96-99pts - LPB: *The 2017 Montrose is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep purple-black in color, the nose is a little closed at first, but with coaxing, it opens to reveal remarkable earth and exotic spice notes of crushed rocks, black truffles, star anise, cassia and fenugreek over a core of crème de cassis, blackberry preserves, violets and blueberry pie with touches of cigar box, charcuterie and black soil. Medium-bodied with a rock-solid frame and an exquisitely ripe, very fine-grained texture, it has wonderful freshness with electric energy and a very long, minerally finish. Possessing great poise and intensity, this is one of the greatest Montrose's I have tasted!* -04/2018

Vinum Magazin – 18/20pts: *Von noch zurückhaltender, sehr kompakter, rassiger Art, stilvoll, dicht und lang; knackiges Tannin und perfekt eingebundenes Holz. Hervorragend, muss reifen.* - 09/2020

WeinWisser – 19/20pts - GL, TW: *Sattes Purpur mit rubinroten Reflexen. Ein royales Bouquet mit reifen Pflaumen, schwarzen Johannisbeeren und dunklem Malz. Im zweiten Ansatz exotische Edelhölzer, Olivenpaste und Brazil-Tabak. Am mächtigen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, dann packt das Tanningerüst zu, feinmehlige Extraktsüsse und tiefe Terroirwürze. Im konzentrierten, langanhaltenden Finale schwarzbeerige Konturen gepaart mit Wacholder und eleganter Adstringenz. Hier hat das Team um Direktor Hervé Berland eine grossartige Leistung abgeliefert und sich zu Recht den 1. Platz in der Appellation verteidigt! Tipp: Don’t touch!* – 04/2020

JancisRobinson.com – 17+/20pts – JL: *76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Harvested 12 to 29 Sept. No frost damage. Now equipped with 90 small-capacity vats. Deep colour with a slightly lighter rim. Elegant and perfumed with red and dark fruit notes and a cool graphite edge. Fresh and lithe on the palate with a touch of sweetness and very fine tannins. Good length. Not the intensity of the great years but fine and poised.* - 11/2022

JamesSuckling.com - 96-97pts - JS: *This is pure and tight with gorgeous cabernet sauvignon character of blackcurrants, blueberries and crushed stones. Full-bodied, yet compacted and polished. It shows a long and beautiful tannin texture at the end. Just rolls off the palate.* -04/2018
JamesSuckling.com - 97pts - JS: *Extremely aromatic with currant, wild-herb and fresh-violet aromas. This is regal cabernet sauvignon at its finest. The palate has unwaveringly long and defined tannins that carry such fresh, piercingly pure, redcurrant and cassis flavors. A twin to the superb 2015? A blend of 76% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.* - 12.2020

Vinous.com – 95+ pts – AG: *The 2017 Montrose is a very pretty, polished wine that speaks much more to finesse than power. Expressive floral and spices notes add an attractive inner sweetness to a Montrose that in 2017 leans more into the red fruit spectrum. Gracious yet deep, with terrific overall balance, the 2017 Montrose is a total winner. What impresses most about the 2017 is its freshness and sophistication. I won't be surprised if Montrose turns out to be even better than this note suggests further down the road. Graphite, licorice, menthol and sage lead to a finish with real grip and freshness. The 2017 is such a classy and promising wine.* - 03/2020

Vinous.com – 95 pts – NM: *The 2017 Montrose was so impressive from barrel and now, bottled since July, it continues to put in a strong case for being one of the best Left Bank wines. It has a very pure and intoxicating bouquet with intense blackberry, light cassis, juniper and violet aromas, almost Margaux-like in terms of personality. Although there is a patina of new oak after bottling, it is in sync with the fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with gentle grip on the entry. Tightly wound at the moment but supremely well focused, this is a classic Montrose, "cool" and reserved, demonstrating impressive tension and precision towards the finish. It will require less time in bottle than the 2016 for example, so broach this superb Saint-Estèphe after five or six years and then it will give 25 to 30 years of drinking pleasure, and knowing Montrose, probably longer. Tasted twice with consistent notes.* - 01/2020

Thewinecellarinsider.com – 98 pts – JL: *Deep and shiny in color, tobacco leaf, cedar wood, pencil shavings and dark fruits appear with no effort at all. Full bodied, lively, vibrant and juicy fruits, this wine is long and intrepid with a strong tannic backbone. The tannins are perfectly polished and there is an established purity of fruit and a structure to age for decades. Like all the top vintages of Montrose, you will need to allow it time in the cellar, at least 10 to15 years, which in the world of Montrose is almost forward. The wine was made from blending 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, reaching 13.5% ABV with a pH of 3.65. The Grand Vin was made from 37% of the harvest, which took place September 12 to September 29.* - 04/2018