2018 Chateau Montrose - 2eme Cru St. Estephe

Decanter.com – 98 pts – JA: *Rich and deep with beautifully nuanced dark chocolate, mocha, cocoa bean and liquorice. Just full of understated power and silky tannins. This is gorgeous and among my top wines of the Left Bank. As it opens in the glass you get sweet black cherry and cassis flesh, and a sense of lilting sappiness. Great stuff from Montrose.* - 11/2020

Falstaff Magazin – 98 pts - PM: *Sehr dunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Attraktive Nuancen von Edelholz und Nougat, dunkles Waldbeerkonfit, Lakritze, ein Hauch von kandierten Orangenzesten, ein Hauch von Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. Kompakt, straffe Textur, reife Herzkirschen, angenehme Extraktsüße, tragende, noch präsente Tannine, feinwürziger Abgang, ein Hauch von Ingwer und weißem Pfeffer im Nachhall, sehr gute Länge, frisch und anhaftend, noch von einer ersten Trinkreife entfernt. (2025–2060)* - 02/2021

*Composed of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, harvested from September 17 to October 5, the 2018 Montrose has a very deep purple-black color and opens with tantalizing notes of crème de cassis, Black Forest cake, hoisin and mocha with nuances of molten licorice, fertile loam, cast iron pan and incense. Big, rich, full and powerful in the mouth, the voluptuous fruit has a rock-solid backbone of very firm, very ripe tannins to match with tons of freshness and an epically long, exotic spice finish. A magnificent monster of a Montrose!* (96-98/100

Vinum Magazin – 17/20pts: *Noch recht verschlossene Aromatik; voller, sogar wuchtiger Ansatz, grosse Dichte, Fülle und Länge, Klassetannin, grosszügiges; feuriges Finale auf Noten von Trockenfrüchten; für den kalten Winterabend.* - 09/2021

WeinWisser – 20/20pts - GL, TW: *Tiefes Purpur mit opaker Mitte. Sehr vielschichtiges Bouquet mit Wildkirsche, edler Marokkominze und Nougatpralinen. Im zweiten Ansatz Holundersaft, dunkles Edelholz und tasmanischer Bergpfeffer. Am dichten und trotzdem sublimen Gaumen mit cremiger Textur und betörender Extraktfülle, engmaschigem Tanningerüst und durchtrainiertem Körper. Im gebündelten nicht enden wollenden Finale ein Donnerhall von kleinen schwarzen Beeren, tiefschürfender Terroirwürze und kakaoartiger Adstringenz. Der Gigant hat sein Ziel erreicht und die Höchstnote zu Recht errungen – Chapeau!* – 04/2021

JancisRobinson.com – 17++/20pts – JL: *72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. 25 hl/ha (coulure, mildew, small berries). Harvested 17 Sept to 5 Oct. Deep, black colour. Big, bold and exuberant. Clearly a rich, ripe, solar year. Demonstratively powerful, the tannic force manifest under layers of opulent fruit. Slight glow of alcohol on the finish. All the signs of an extreme year. Could be too much for some. Definitely needs time in the cellar.* - 11/2022

*This is a big and muscular wine with great structure and depth of fruit. Blackberry and blueberry character. Hints of fresh leaves. Cool earth. Incredible depth, yet so polished. Concentrated.* (98-99/100)
JamesSuckling.com - 98pts - JS: *Purity and beauty on the nose with blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, crushed-stone and violet character. A full-bodied red with masses of polished tannins and intense flavors of currants and blackberries. Juicy finish. Super depth to this. Goes on for minutes. Try after 2027.* - 01.2021

Vinous.com – 97 pts – AG: *The 2018 Montrose is dazzling. Whereas so many 2018s are opulent and broad, Montrose is a wine of vertical explosive power. Ripe Cabernet aromatics soar out of the glass, making a strong first impression. Black cherry, leather, licorice, graphite and menthol develop later as the 2018 starts to open in the glass. The energy, vibrancy and drive here are palpable right out of the gate. Montrose is one of real stars of 2018. Don't miss it!* - 03/2021

*This superb wine offers intense, spicy tannins and rich black fruits that yield an impressive, ageworthy bottling. Its black plum flavor and juicy acidity are enhanced by the firm tannins, with a touch of nutmeg on the finish.* (96-98/100)

Vinous.com – 96 pts – NM: *The 2018 Montrose delivers on the promise that it showed from barrel. I gave this a three-hour decant before broaching, since Montrose is always backward, albeit far less ferociously than even just a decade ago. It offers copious blackberry and blueberry scents on the nose, plus pressed violets and a light estuarine scent that becomes accentuated with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a silky-smooth texture. Finely chiseled tannins frame multilayered black fruit infused with crushed stone, and it has retained that subtle graphite element that lends it a Pauillac-like personality, though less so than out of barrel. This is a beautifully defined Montrose with entrancing symmetry, and it should drink earlier than other recent vintages thanks to a little more pliancy.* - 03/2021

Thewinecellarinsider.com – 98 pts – JL: *Inky in color, the wine is opaque. On the nose, spice box, smoke, espresso, roasted black and red fruits, flowers, and 5 spice come through. On the palate, the wine is intense, full-bodied, rich, dense, opulent, sweet, fresh, long, and concentrated. The depth of flavor is impressive. Black and red fruits build and expand. The tannins are ripe, round, and refined. With a depth of flavor, a flamboyant character, and a nonstop finish, this is a rockstar in the making. The wine was made by blending 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, 14.5% ABV. The wine is a bit more reserved today than in previous tastings, but it is a clear candidate for a triple-digit score when it begins to reach maturity. Drink from 2028-2060.* - 07/2022