Château Montrose 2018

Purplish purple. So much intensity and depth in this bouquet. It is marked by graphite notes and I also notice a touch of soot. The fruity intensity is also convincing with notes of crème de cassis, blackberries and cherries, followed by licorice wood. On the palate the wine ideally combines freshness and fullness. Its tannins are perfectly integrated and ensure the support of the entire palate, while harmonizing with the acid structure. Lots of precision, vigor and sapidity in this wine. This is a very large Montrose. 2026-2055.

Dark, intense, purple and beautiful color. Intense, fine, fruity, pure, ripe, smooth and creamy nose. Meticulous on the palate, soft and at the same time dense in development, very, very aromatic, full, fatty and yet melting, the wine evolves juicy, powerful, towards a complex finish. It's delicious and a tad more manly than 2016.

Purity and beauty on the nose with blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, crushed-stone and violet character. A full-bodied red with masses of polished tannins and intense flavors of currants and blackberries. Juicy finish. Great depth to this. Go on for minutes. Try after 2027.

The 2018 Montrose is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Very deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a good amount of air to unlock the vibrant scents of crushed blackberries, preserved plums and cassis with suggestions of star anise, cedar chest, underbrush, Indian spices and iron ore, plus an emerging waft of purples. The full-bodied palate features the most exquisitely ripe tannins, offering a rock-solid backbone with tones of freshness lifting the taut, muscular fruit, finishing long and mineral laced. Going back to this wine over a period of hours and then days further reveals a Montrose of great opulence, richness and depth. Incidentally, the IPT level this year is 82, which indicates a very high level of tannins, and yet they are so, so ripe. The alcohol is around 14.5%. But sit back, close your eyes and forget the numbers—this is pure hedonism in its youth with a fantastic 40+ years of cellaring ahead of it, during the course of which do not be at all surprised if you are blown away by a three -digital experience. Drink date 2024 - 2064. Lisa Perrotti-Brown