2023 Chateau Montrose - 2eme Cru St. Estephe

Decanter.com – 98 pts – GH: *So floral and aromatic, really inviting and welcoming on the nose, more aromatic than some. Smooth and intense, clearly concentrated but supple and bouncy, there’s movement to this, it’s not strict. So precise, and finessed, you can feel the edges of the fine tannins - well executed with a mineral grip underneath. You can tell there’s power here, it has muscles but sinew also. Quite demonstrative really - it’s flexing but keeps such a clear line of focus and cool blue fruit with graphite and liquorice too. Round and penetrating with an excellent weight and balance of acidity in the mouth while keeping harmony alongside a hint of sweet and just-ripe strawberries mostly with crunchy cranberry too. A lot to like here. Great effort, classy and comfortable - multi-faceted while still being so juicy and approachable. 60% new oak, ageing in barrels only for 18 months. 3.7pH. 13.6% press wine (300 barrels of press split into seven qualities). 35% grand vin in total, mainly from the old vines which is 45% of the vineyard but 35% of the crop. 48hl/ha yield.* - 04/2024

Falstaff Magazin – 95 pts – PM: *Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zart tabakig unterlegte schwarze Waldbeerfrucht, feine Nuancen von Brombeeren und Kirschen, kandierte Orangenzesten sind unterlegt. Komplex, saftig, feine dunkle Fruchtnuancen, reife Tannine, zarte Mineralität, bereits gut entwickelt, ein eleganter Speisenbegleiter mit Reifepotenzial.* - 05/2024

Vinum Magazin – 97/100 pts: *Tiefgründig, nobel, erhaben, feine Würze, dunkle und rote Frucht; klar und rein am Gaumen, ein Kraftpaket, das über die Zunge schwebt, sensationelle Gerbstoffqualität, viel Frische, Präzision und Dynamik. Im Abgang tänzerisch leicht, fast nicht enden wollend.*

WeinWisser – 19,5+/20 pts – GL, TW: *75 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 21 % Merlot, 4 % Cabernet Franc, 13.5 Vol.-%, 48 hl/ha. Dicht verwobenes schwarzbeeriges Bouquet, tiefschürfende Terroirwürze und frischgepflückte schwarze Johannisbeeren. Im zweiten Ansatz Holundergelee, zarter Iris-Duft, Schokonoten und heller Tabak. Am komplexen Gaumen mit samtiger Textur, herrlicher Extraktfülle, engmaschigem reifem Tanninkorsett, ein perfekt geformter Modelathlet, der ungeheure Dichte, aber auch Präzision zeigt. Im konzentrierten, nicht enden wollenden Finale schwarzbeerige Konturen, Sandelholz, dunkles Graphit und königliche Adstringenz. "Return to origins of the terroir." 35 % Selektion von der kompletten Menge und auf dem Weg zur Bestnote.* – 04/2024

JancisRobinson.com – 18/20pts – JL: *75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc. 35% of the production, all from the historical parcels on terrasse 4. Cask sample. More Cabernet this year. Deep colour. Purity, freshness and density on the nose. Sensual texture. Suave tannins then plenty of drive through to a long finish. Structured but just so pure and refined. Very accomplished.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (95-97) pts – AG: *The 2023 Montrose is a dark, brooding powerhouse but with the elegance that is such a signature today. Black cherry, plum, leather, licorice, mocha, spice, tobacco and dried flowers infuse the 2023 with tons of character. The Cabernet Sauvignon is so expressive here. Readers will have to be patient, as this is a wine built for the cellar. It's not especially showy today, but all the ingredients are there. The 2023 is quite the bruiser. In other words, it’s classic Montrose. In the end, that's not terribly surprising, as the winemaking team relied exclusively on the original holdings of about 45 hectares from what the estate calls the 'grand plateau' or 'Terrace 4', essentially the historic core of the property. Harvest ran from September 5 to 28. There was some rain on the 21st, but 15mm of precipitation after a heat spike was not meaningful. The 2023 is magnificent in every way.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (96-98) pts – NM: *The 2023 Montrose is focused on the original terroir of the estate, known as Terrace 4, located in front of the river. It comprises 45 hectares, around 12 to 15 hectares less than previous vintages so as to capture the expression of Montrose classified in 1855. Picked from September 5 to 28 and matured in 60% new oak, this has a very intense and focused bouquet: pure black fruit with just a touch of strawberry, hints of violet petals developing in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins—very pure, with pitch-perfect acidity. This gains depth toward the finish but maintains a sense of linearity that ensures it is one of the vintage’s finest contributions from the Left Bank. Magnificent.* - 04/2024

Thewinecellarinsider.com – (96-98) pts – JL: *The complex perfume displays its flowers, crushed rock, black raspberry, and currants with just a swirl or two. There is freshness, with a sense of purity, lift, and elegance on the palate. The wine is long, complex, and refined. This is not a blockbuster styled vintage. Instead, it is focused, harmonious, balanced, and long, with sweetness, spice, and energy that lingers in the finish. The wine is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. 13.6% ABV, pH 3.7. Harvesting took place September 5 - September 28. Drink from 2030-2065.* - 05/2024