The estate
Owned by the brothers Martin and Olivier Bouygues since 2006, Château Montrose is an iconic reference among fine Saint-Estèphe wines. This 1855 Second Cru Classé watches over one of the most beautiful terroirs of the Médoc appellation. Today, as in the past, Château Montrose stands out due to the quality of its wines, its style and its distinctiveness, making this property a key estate with a woldwide reputation.
The vineyard
Situated in an exceptional location, considered as one of the finest terroirs in the Bordeaux region, the Château Montrose vineyard covers 95 hectares of vines. This vast single-block vineyard is a rarity on a terroir considered as an "elite core". Situated not far from the Gironde estuary, Château Montrose’s vineyard is planted on gravel terraces mixed with sand on the surface, while the subsoil is clayey.
The blend
Cabernet Sauvignon (68%)
Merlot (29%)
Petit Verdot (3%).
The tasting
Colour
Clear and brilliant, this wine is a beautiful ruby colour.
Nose
Fresh and minty, the nose combines fruity (raspberry) and toasted fragrances with subtle notes of caramel.
Palate
A lively and precise attack is followed by a structured and balanced palate. The palate is seductive due to this wine’s firm expression, its liquorice notes and its silky and elegant tannins.
The 2013 Montrose has an understated, lilting bouquet with blackberry and briary scents and dried rose petals, gaining more intensity as it opens over 2-3 minutes in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin. It shows good weight in the mouth, quite linear and masculine (typical for Montrose) but there is respectable detail and mineralité coming through on the satisfying finish. Not a top tier Montrose, but then again, why would it be in this difficult vintage. It will still give pleasure over the next 12-15 years.