Chateau Montrose 2016

WEINWISSER: "68 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 25 % Merlot und 7 % Cabernet Franc, die Lese war vom 23. September bis 14. Oktober: Sehr dunkles Purpur mit violettem Rand. Konzentriertes, blaubeeriges Bouquet mit Kokos- und duftigen Veilchenaromen, dahinter Walderdbeeren, dunkle Edelhölzer und Lakritze. Am kräftigen Gaumen strahlt er mit grosser Eleganz, das dunkle Brombeermark sowie der frische Schlehensaft verleihen ihm grosse Präsenz, Frische und Verve; das sehr lange Finale wird von Wildkirsche, schwarzem Bergpfeffer und Cassis-Pastillen begleitet. Ein sehr präziser und eleganter Montrose – ein perfekter Ausdruck des Jahrgangs! Die unangefochtene Nr. 1 im Médoc und für mich der Wein des Jahrgangs!"

JEB DUNNUCK: "Unquestionably one of the top 2-3 wines of the vintage, the 2016 Château Montrose is a monument in the making. Checking in as a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc raised in 60% new French oak (the balance was in once-used barrels) and representing a tiny 36% of the production, this deep purple-colored 2016 possesses powerful, incredibly classic Saint-Estephe notes of creme de cassis, graphite, damp earth, lead pencil shavings, and burning embers. With a powerful, full-bodied style on the palate, a huge mid-palate, lots of underlying structure and tannic grip, and perfect balance, this magical wine will need upwards of a decade or cellaring and keep for 40-50 years."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Montrose is deep garnet-purple in color. It comes tearing out of the glass with rambunctious scents of creme de cassis, juicy blackberries, and blueberry pie, leading to hints of menthol, dark chocolate, licorice, and tree bark with a touch of crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is chock full of bright black fruits with loads of spicy sparks and a firm, wonderfully velvety texture, finishing long and energetic."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Montrose is a little youthfully shy to begin, but with coaxing, it unfurls to reveal the most beguiling scents of wilted roses, oolong tea, crushed rocks, wild sage, star anise and candied violets over a wonderfully pristine, well-defined core of crushed blackcurrants, black raspberries and kirsch plus wafts of pencil lead and wood smoke. The taut, muscular, medium to full-bodied palate straddles jaw-dropping intensity and finesse superbly, featuring a solid backbone of ripe tannins and giving a firm frame right through the incredibly long, exquisitely nuanced finish."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Starting to tighten up, so decanting is needed if you are going to taste this in its youth a well as a lot coaxing. With effort the wine is full-bodied, concentrated, deep, fresh and long. The wine marries power with elegance, energy and complexity with a juicy, clean quality to the dark, perfectly ripe, red and black fruits. There is a tobacco leaf and Asian spice quality to the fruits in the finish that is a nice addition to the complexities in the wine. This is not a wine for youthful enjoyment, so if you have the patience to wait for 15 years, you are going to have one of the best vintages of Montrose ever produced in your cellar. The Grand Vin was produced from just 36% of the crop, blending 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc."

JAMES SUCKLING: "The floral and fresh aromas to this are mesmerizing. Roses and lilacs galore. The pure cab aromas coming from the glass – blackcurrants and blackberries – are so memorable. Full-bodied, deep and profound. The ultra-fine tannins on the palate are so polished and fine-grained. The finish goes on for minutes with subtle yet superb fruit. It’s all about precision and form here. A modern classic for Montrose. Better after 2026."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, dezente Randaufhellung, zart floral unterlegte dunkle Frucht nach Brombeeren und schwarzen Kirschen, tabakige Nuancen, zarte Gewürzanklänge, facettenreiches Bukett. Saftig, attraktive Extraktsüße, elegant, gut integrierte Tannine, reife Kirschen im Abgang, sehr gute Länge, frisch strukturiert, mineralisch, Kirschen und Cassis im Rückgeschmack, großes Zukunftspotenzial."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "While this wine's tannins are powerful. they are buried in a surprisingly soft texture of rich black fruits. With both structure and ripe blackberry flavors, the wine is already balanced. A juicy aftertaste lifts the tannins, pushing the wine into greatness."

DECANTER: "A stunning dark-fruited wine, one of the best from the vintage. Just about everything you’d want in a great Montrose: a perfumed nose of violets and blackcurrants, pure fruit with a salty mineral savour, concentration and a velvety texture, but also lift, freshness and finesse. It’s just 37% of the crop."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Very pure, with lilac, violet, cassis, bitter cherry and damson plum notes streaming through in lockstep right from the start. A fine chalky underpinning gives the finish a sleek and racy edge. A beautifully precise wine, with a lot in reserve, that could benefit from a little added weight in the cellar. Best from 2025 through 2040. — JM"

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Very dark blackish crimson. Great, fresh, minerally savour on the nose. Lots of intensity initially. Sweet start – quite a surprise in a way – and then lots of structure. Doesn't quite hang together yet but there is masses of potential. Sweet, fresh ink. Good raciness. Quite muscular but not at all heavy. An edge of acidity is evident without the strong stoniness of St-Estèphe. Just a little bit stringy on the end. Lots of life and freshness (clays help). Pretty glamorous."