CHATEAU MONTROSE 2eme Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe 2022 Bottle

Description

Château Montrose, a premier 2ème Cru Classé in St-Estèphe, is celebrated for crafting some of the most age-worthy wines in the Médoc. Owned by the Bouygues family since 2006, the estate benefits from a unique microclimate near the Gironde estuary, which offers protection against frost. The 2022 vintage has received outstanding reviews, earning 100 points from both The Wine Advocate and Vinous. The Wine Advocate's William Kelley commends its deep bouquet of cassis, wild blueberries, and violets, combined with a full-bodied, dense palate and long, palate-staining finish. James Suckling scored it 99 points for its remarkable depth, featuring blackcurrants and graphite, while Decanter lauded its seductive character and pristine fruit profile, scoring it 99 points as well. With aging potential from 2030 to 2050, this wine is a stunning representation of Montrose's excellence.

*****

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. Montrose is classified as a 2ème Cru Classé.

THE WINE ADVOCATE 100 POINTS
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Drink Date: 2032 - 2065
From barrel, I wrote that 2022 Montrose was so compelling that assigning it a bracketed score seemed a mere formality, and so it has proven. Unwinding in the glass with a deep and brooding bouquet of cassis, wild blueberries, violets, pencil shavings and burning embers, it's full-bodied, deep and dense, somehow marrying all the tannic authority that has long been such a signature of Montrose with a suavity and purity that represents the quintessence of contemporary Bordeaux. The broad, palate-staining finish lasts for more than a minute. This is a profound young wine that readers aren't going to want to miss. Published: Mar 06, 2025

VINOUS 100 points
The 2022 Montrose is insanely beautiful. That much is obvious. When it might be ready to drink is another question. In recent years, Montrose has acquired notable finesse in its tannins, so that is not an issue. But the 2022 is packed with tremendous density and concentration that will need time to soften. Blackberry, graphite, licorice, lavender and chocolate stain the palate in a stunning, riveting wine of the very highest level. I can only hope to be around when the 2022 starts to drink well! Montrose is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Unforgettable. - Antonio Galloni

JAMES SUCKLING 99 Points
Great depth in the nose, taking you into its core of blackcurrants, pencil shavings, graphite, tar, inkpot and cassis. Full-bodied and very tight, this flexes its polished muscles, showing form and tension. Compacted. From organically grown grapes. 66% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot, 8% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. This needs six to seven years to come around.

DECANTER 99 points
Tasted by: Georgina Hindle (at Bordeaux, 09 Jan 2025) Part of Best St-Estèphe 2022 in bottle Drinking Window: 2030 - 2050
A deep heady nose filled with fragrant black fruit, liquorice, tobacco and violets. Sumptuous and seductive, this walks the fine line between presenting the vintage with a heady, charged palate full of sun-kissed fruit and lashings of liquorice spice with pristine cherries and blackcurrants and a vein of salty, crushed stone and iron minerality. Gorgeous acidity keeps the profile lifted and almost airy before the density of the aromatics and flavours comes into play. So well constructed, this has muscles and serious power but within a sleek frame and a delicate chalky touch on the finish.

JANCIS ROBINSON 18.5 points
Deep crimson hue. Aromatically complex, the Cabernet-cassis notes dominant but a hint of mint and smoke as well. Palate rich but lively with that sense of energy. Plentiful tannins but finely honed. Long with a stony, mineral note on the finish. Noble and refined. Long ageing. (JL)