Chateau Montrose 2019

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2019 Montrose is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts with bold notes of stewed black plums, boysenberry preserves, blackcurrant jelly, and kirsch, plus touches of garrigue, lavender oil, and anise. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers a lot of energy, with vibrant black fruits, firm, grainy tannins, and great tension, finishing very long and fragrant."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "The wine has a massive structure, great concentration. It now really shows the results of the massive investment of the owners, the telecom magnate Bouygues family. The powerful tannins mask the impressive black fruits and the wine's rich berry flavors. This magnificent wine will develop slowly over many years. Drink from 2027."

DECANTER: "Another triumph from Montrose. Dense, rich and powerful, there is plenty of new oak evident at the moment (60% used). A beautifully sculpted wine which has power and structure, yet huge reserves of plush, refined tannins. Violets pervade the nose together with an inky, opaque hue all pointing to a very long future. Finishes a little dry at the moment but this will resolve with several years careful cellaring. A great St-Estèphe with masses of class and concentration."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Feines Edelholz, dunkle Beerenfrucht, ein Hauch von dunklen Herzkirschen und Orangenzesten. Saftig, komplex, engmaschig, feine Süße, reife, kraftvolle Tannine, relativ präsente Säure, mineralisch und anhaftend, etwas Nougat im Abgang, salzig, ein stoffiger und zugleich finessenreicher Speisenbegleiter mit sicherem Zukunftspotenzial und kühlem Charme."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "One of a handful of wines I did not taste in barrel. However, it was worth waiting for as the wine hits all the right notes. Deep in color, the nose offers a spice-tinged array of dark red and black fruits, herbs, espresso, tobacco leaf, and black currants. The wine is full-bodied, intense, dense, long, and concentrated. There is a solid depth of flavor that resonates on the palate and in the finish, which leaves you with an earthy display of dark red pit fruits and a touch of peppery spice. Like all the great vintages of Montrose, this is built to age and evolve for decades. Drink from 2030-2060."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "As I wrote last year, the 2019 Montrose is performing very well, wafting from the glass with a dramatic, perfumed bouquet of wild berries and cassis mingled with notions of lilac, violets, pencil shavings and licorice, framed by nicely integrated new oak. Full-bodied, layered and seamless, it's deep and multidimensional, with lively acids, beautifully refined tannins and a long, resonant finish. While analytically it's almost as powerful as the 2018, the 2019 is much more suave, sensual and polished, its tannic structure and alcohol more harmoniously integrated into its sweet core of fruit."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Blueberries, cracked white and black pepper with dried flowers. Some crushed stone and slate, too. Full-bodied with tannins that grow on the palate and continue on. It’s polished and very fine with lovely length. Drink after 2027. "

JEB DUNNUCK: "The flagship 2019 Château Montrose is also brilliant, although it's not going to match the all-time greats from this estate. Gorgeous cassis, graphite, damp earth, cedar pencil, and tobacco are just some of the nuances here, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, graceful, layered mouthfeel, building tannins, and a great finish. It doesn't have the overall density or mid-palate of the 2018 or 2016, but it’s flawlessly balanced and just incredibly impressive. Showing more and more tannins with time in the glass, it will need a decade of bottle age and will evolve for 30+ years."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Lush and lovely, showing a mix of creamed loganberry, plum, boysenberry and mulberry flavors that borders on exotic, but everything stays harnessed by sleek floral and iron notes through the finish. This has ample structure for balance that's well-embedded in the fruit, making this seemingly approachable now but there's absolutely no rush. A beauty. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2040."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Deepest crimson with purple rim. Fabulous aroma of pure, ripe, fresh cassis and a light note of cedary is utterly compelling. And the palate is also a masterclass in tannic finesse. Powerful, elegant and fresh, with no sense of overripeness and freshness in the tannins as much as in the acidity."