2018 Chateau Montrose - 2eme Cru St. Estephe

*This is wonderfully rich, with the precision of 2016 but the seductive quality of 2009. It feels architectural in the way that truly great vintages do in the Médoc, and it seems to have consumed its alcohol rather effortlessly. There´s plenty of liquorice and exuberant but well buttoned-down brushed damson and cassis pit notes that maintain the signature of Montrose. You can see the concentration in the legs and in the depth of the colour. 20% press wine was added, which is typical here, but the vintage yielded an extremely low 25hl/ha, due partly to drought, partly to mildew and partly to coulure - with drought accounting for most of that/ The Cabernets were affected more than the Merlots because of the later harvesting (which ran from 17 September to 5 October), which meant careful sorting was essential. A good 3.7pH has definitely helped it maintain its balance and sense of minerality, but for me the 2016 remains the one to beat. 2% Petit Verdot makes up the blend. Phenolic count of 81IPT.* (97/100)

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 - WL: *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 – 18/20pts – TP: *Tasted blind. Very popular with the tasters today. Dark crimson. Rich and treacly on the nose. Very sweet and exotic. All that sweet fruit and all that tannin underneath. Pretty superlative. Sui generis.* - 01/2022

*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