Chateau Montlandrie 2014

Ripe and forward, with a bold core of anise and cassis flavors carried by a well-embedded graphite spine. Shows toasted spice and anise hints on the finish but retains a racy feel. Drink now through 2024. 3,467 cases made.

Impressively aromatic floral and cassis notes on the attack, with a little touch of austerity from the Cabernet Sauvignon, which is still very present. The tannins are firm but fine, providing a base for the acidity to gently lift the fruit through the palate. 2014 was the first year that included the production of young vines, planted in 2011 across half of the vineyard. 70% was aged in oak, half of which was new.

I love the aromas of blackberries and chocolate with flowers. Full-bodied, with soft, velvety tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Gorgeous red. Drink or hold.

The 2014 Montlandrie is gorgeous. Dark, sensual and inviting, it offers up a compelling mélange of dark red cherry, sage, tobacco, menthol and licorice. Pliant and expressive, this is a terrific choice for drinking now and over the next few years.

95% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon produced a wine with a deep color coupled with floral, boysenberry and cocoa sensations. Lush, fat and sweet, this is only the second vintage for Denis Durantou in Côtes de Castillon, yet it’s easy to get what he’s aiming for, with its plush, rich textures and ripe, sweet fruits. 90-91

Dark garnet, fairly deep in the center, with a ruby rim. Dark-berry bouquet that feels slightly dry, with deep spice. The fruit components only show on the second approach. On the palate, dense with very good backbone. Wonderfully made! Part of the holdings of Denis Durantou (Eglise-Clinet).

Dark garnet, fairly saturated in the center, ruby rim. Dark-berried bouquet, slightly dry in impression, with deep spice. The fruit components only show on the second approach. On the palate, dense with very good backbone. Brilliantly made! Belongs to Denis Durantou (Eglise-Clinet).

(75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon) Peppery, medium-bodied bouquet, blackcurrant, chocolate, tobacco. Silky palate with a fine bitter touch, delicate fruit, spicy aromatics, plenty of tannin, long, bitter finish. Still has room to improve. 16/20 2020 - 2028

A blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2014 Montlandrie has a deep garnet color, with a touch of brick. It bursts from the glass with notes of chocolate mint and black cherry preserves, followed by nuances of blackberry preserves, rose oil, and wild sage, plus a hint of licorice. The medium to full-bodied palate has a firm frame of ripe, rounded tannins and well-knit freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing long with a minty kick.

This cru from Denis Durantou is made up of 75% Merlot, 20% Franc and 5% Cabernet-Sauvignon on clay and limestone soils. Very dense, fleshy and intense, it is a wine with firm tannins, delivering persistent notes of dark fruits.

A fresh, fairly tense wine with depth, quite tannic, which in a year or two will yield a lovely fruit-driven wine, balanced with freshness and a beautiful length. 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon on clay and limestone. 38,000 bottles. 50% new oak.

Medium garnet-red with purplish highlights. Subtle bouquet that reveals itself slowly. Pleasant harmony between the fruit and delicate smoky filigree notes. I detect aromas of cherries, blackberries, and violets. The palate is elegant, slightly gourmand and refreshing. The wine is balanced, with granular tannins that stand up well to a lively structure. This carries the fruit through to a finish marked by elegant astringency. Persistent aftertaste. A promising wine. Wait.

Dark, intense and beautiful red color. Very aromatic nose, delicate and fruity. Caressing on the attack, particularly flavorful as it develops and even complex in its aromas, the wine stretches into a long finish, with a hint of oak today.

This vineyard is at one of the highest Castillon points. Big in tannins and also fruit, this is a dense wine. It has a dry core as well as rich blackberry fruits. Concentrated and full, the wine will be seriously worth drinking from 2019.

The 2014 Montlandrie, the Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux from Denis Durantou, is a blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon (yes, different to the percentages stated during primeur—happy to correct it now!). It offers attractive red cherry, wild strawberry and pastille-like scents on the pure bouquet, though maybe I discern a little more complexity on Denis' two Lalande-de-Pomerols, La Chenade and Les Cruzelles. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. This feels a little compact at the moment (possibly because of the low pressure system on the day that I tasted?), although there is still commendable depth of fruit and a gentle grip on the persistent finish. I would just give this a couple more years in bottle.