CHATEAU MONTROSE 2eme Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe 1990 Bottle

Description

Château Montrose 1990 is a stunning, mature Bordeaux that beautifully exemplifies the elegance of Saint-Estèphe. This vintage presents a deep ruby colour and a complex nose with aromas of blackcurrant, plum, leather, and tobacco. The palate showcases velvety tannins and rich layers of dark fruit, complemented by nuanced hints of cedar and earthy undertones. It is impeccably balanced and elegant, with a long, refined finish that harmonises power and finesse. The Wine Advocate awarded it a remarkable 100 points for its regal character, while Vinous rated it 97 points for its intensity and finely chiselled tannins. Jancis Robinson awarded it 18 points, appreciating its rich, gamey profile. This vintage is a quintessential example of Bordeaux excellence, making it a treasured choice for collectors.

*****

Château Montrose is one of the leading wine properties of St.Estéphe, and produces some of the longest-lived wines in the Médoc. Montrose had been owned by Jean-Louis Charmolue from 1962 until 2006, when it was sold to Martin and Olivier Bouygues, owner of the eponymously named construction firm Bouygues, is located in the east of the appellation, just north of the hamlet of Marbuzet, on a gravel knoll only 800 metres from the Gironde estuary. The proximity of the estuary ensures a microclimate that protects against frost, and the vines, which lie on deep clay-gravel soils, benefit from a south-easterly aspect.

Montrose's wine is typically a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc and is matured in oak barriques (30% new) for 18 months.

Montrose wines are traditionally deeply coloured, austere and powerful when young, yet possess superb ageing potential, and when mature are quintessential St.Estèphe clarets.

THE WINE ADVOCATE 100 points
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Drink Date: 2016 - 2050
Tasted at the Montrose vertical in London, the 1990 Montrose is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc (almost identical to the 1989 Montrose) and picked between 14 September and 3 October. It has a formidable reputation and for years it overshadowed the 1989. That said, it is well known that there are incidences of brettanomyces that compromise some bottles and the one bottle in London showed just a tincture of this. It still merited a score of 97/100, though it only served to highlight the ethereal delineation of the 1989. Then literally a couple of days later. I was served blind a magnum of the 1990 Montrose in Cape Town, which had been purchased on release and stored in perfect conditions. Now, here was the real deal, unfettered by any infection, a regal Saint Estèphe. It shows approximately the same evolution as the 1989 in bottle, but unsurprisingly showed less bricking in magnum format. The bouquet is cut from a different cloth to the 1989 and attests to that warm vintage: hickory, clove, undergrowth and wild fennel, later garrigue-like scents and terracotta, the latter two more pronounced on the bottle format compared to the youthful magnum. The palate is full-bodied and powerful, yet the balance is perfect, a ballerina-like poise with the structure of the Forth Bridge. It is a multi-layered Montrose that offers enormous length, fresh and vibrant with the magnum demonstrating tangible mineralite and tension as it fans out on the crescendo of a finish—a fanfare for Saint Estèphe in all its glory. Improving all the time in the glass, this example of 1990 Montrose is a privilege to behold. One can speculate whether larger formats are a "safer bet" in terms of experiencing this behemoth without any brettanomyces. Perhaps. However, if you do come across the 1990 Montrose like this, you are in the presence of a king. Tasted January 2017.

VINOUS 97 points
Drinking Window 2025 - 2052
From: Battle Royale! Bordeaux 1961, 1982, 1990 & 1995 (Dec 2025)
The 1990 Montrose is notoriously unpredictable, veering from monumental to misfire between bottles. This is definitely the former. It has an intense nose and yes, unmistakably there is some Brettanomyces, though it politely remains in the background and allows those lovely black fruit, loam and iris flower scents to blossom in the glass. Wonderful focus. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiselled tannins, exquisite balance and a precise, lingering finish. This used to be quite a monster but time is taming the beast. Unequivocally, one of the best bottles that I have encountered... who knows how the next will show? Tasted single blind at the 1990 Bordeaux dinner at Medlar. - By Neal Martin on June 2025

JANCIS ROBINSON 18 points
Served blind initially. Sweet and spicy. Very Cabernet on the nose and then gamey sweet. It's very upfront with richness and even cinnamon. Tastes of dark purple fruits. Sweet and flattering but I don't think it will improve. (JR)