94pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 1995 Montrose is beginning to drink brilliantly, and the most recent bottle I pulled from my cellar is the finest I've encountered to date. Wafting from the glass with a classic bouquet of red and black currant fruit, rich loamy soil, cigar box and black truffles, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with terrific concentration, ripe tannins and lively acids. Seamless and complete, readers cellaring this wine should consider opening a few bottles.

93pts Decanter

Here we start to see the slightly austere side of Montrose, and how this helps it to age so gracefully. Exceptionally young at 22 years old, still tightly-structured and richly-scented. Cassis, truffles, cedar, burnished oak, and tobacco are set by lovely placement of tannins that are still fairly bullish and young. Classical and effortless. 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot.

91pts International Wine Cellar

Excellent red-ruby color. Plum, currant, animal fur, smoked game, roasted nuts and graphite on the nose, plus a note of toffee. Lush and smooth in the mouth, with notes of minerals, leather and game. Still rather tightly wrapped following the mise, but very nicely balanced from the outset. Firm acidity gives the wine superb delineation and grip. Tannins are dusty and firm-and more obvious today than in the '97, despite the fact that the later year featured higher polyphenol levels.

Winemaker Notes

Dense, slightly evolved, brown hue. The nose displays aromas of leather, underground, truffle and violet. Complex on the palate, with notes of leather and mocha. This wine is elegant, slightly evolved, with a neat and straight attack. Light mid-palate. Beautiful finish on tight tannins.
Blend: 63% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot

Winery Description

Established as a Second Growth in the 1855 classification, Chateau Montrose enjoys an exceptional geographical situation in Saint-Estèphe, facing the Gironde estuary. Its 95-hectare (235-acre) vineyard thus benefits from the moderating influence of the vast water mass nearby during very hot summers and harsh winters. The vineyard is in a single sweep, a rare and priceless advantage in the region. The soil, consisting of deep gravel over clay, favours natural drainage and ensures that the vines benefit from a slow and regular water supply from the water reserves in the subsoil.
An extensive renovation program with very strict environmental objectives has been carried out at the estate since it was acquired by Martin and Olivier Bouygues in 2006, reflecting the new owners’ determination to perpetuate the quality of the wine and make Chateau Montrose a model of skilled winemaking and sustainable development.

Under the direction of Hervé Berland since 2012, the estate has 68 employees in the vineyard and winery, all of whom share the same philosophy: respect for the terroir and a constant quest for excellence. That philosophy is manifested in meticulous vineyard practices, very precise parcel selection and use of only the best grapes to make the premium wine, Chateau Montrose.

The other qualities are used to make the second wine, La Dame de Montrose, and the third wine, Le Saint-Estèphe de Montrose.