Chateau Montrose 2010

This is considered to be among the greatest vintages ever made in Montrose, right up with the 1929, 1945, 1947, 1959, 1961, 1989, 1990 and 2009. Harvest was October 15 to 17. The wine has really come on since I last tasted it, and it needs at least another 10 years of cellaring. The blend was 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The wine is opaque black/blue, with an incredible nose of blueberry and blackberry liqueur, with hints of incense, licorice, and acacia flowers. Tannins are incredibly sweet and very present. The wine is full-bodied, even massive, with great purity, depth and a finish that goes on close to a minute. This is a 50- to 75-year-old wine that will repay handsomely those with good aging genes. (Note: The Chateau Montrose website gives an aging potential of 2020-2100.)

Fabulous inky rich depths to the colour here, and right off the nose you feel it enticing you in. Spice is evident, as are the ripples of muscles and walls. This is in the Lynch Bages school of not being ready yet, the tannins are still fully standing to attention. Fruit is dark, tight, hiding its fleshier side for now, and it is extremely clear that this is a vintage with ambition and no intention of going anywhere for many decades. A great wine, needs to be opened for five to six hours if drinking soon, but my suggestion would be to put it away for another three or four years at least.

A perfumed and pure Montrose, with lots of currants, berries and spices that evolve to chocolate and light coffee. Full body, with super racy tannins and bright and clean finish. Very fine and structured. A balance and freshness to it all as well as beautiful form and tension. Try in 2018.

The 2010 Montrose is insanely beautiful. A vivid, eternal wine, the 2010 dazzles right out of the gate with its explosive energy. Soaring floral and mineral notes are immediately captivating on the bouquet. All that carries through to the palate, where the wine is dense and expansive. Readers lucky enough to own it should be thrilled. This really benefits from aeration. What a wine!

Young, but not quite primary, there is such a wealth of ripe, sweet, black and red fruit that it is hard not to be seduced by the endless layers of flavor, fruit and tannins on the palate. This is one of those wines where, once it gets going, it seemingly never wants to stop—and that’s a good thing, because you want as much of those perfectly ripe, poised, vibrant black and red fruits as you can get, as they coat your palate and linger. Give it a few more years and it will only get better. Drink from 2025-2060.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, subtle edge brightening, sweet, already ripe dark fruit, a hint of plum, clear herbal savouriness, delicate pepper, nuances of cocoa. Taut, shows good complexity, ripe cherry fruit, well-integrated tannins, fresh structure, heart cherry on the finish, savoury aftertaste. Still needs its time, already has a great length, will continue to grow as it matures in the bottle, great future ageing potential.

Very dark colour, almost opaque; quite discreet nose, good purity, inky dark fruit, mineral, plum and blackcurrant; the palate is elegantly restrained, but powerful; excellent oak in the background, gently roasted coffee, juicy dark berries, dark chocolate and amazing quality of tannin, well balanced albeit still too young; tremendous length and quality; super stuff !

While I have a slight preference for the 2009, the 2010 Château Montrose is an undeniably great wine that has everything you could want from this terroir, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it merit even a higher rating in another decade. Blackberries, currants, licorice, spicy herbs, and lead pencil are just some of the nuances here, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a concentrated, layered, powerful mouthfeel, present tannins, and a great, great finish. It benefits from a decant and will probably have another 75 years of life, but I'd say we’re clearly in the early stages of its prime drinking window.

53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. 64% Grand Vin. 45 hl/ha. Dense purple with a violet sheen at the core, a fine ruby rim on the edge. A reserved bouquet: floral Cabernet notes, black peppercorns, Havana tobacco. Compact on the palate, red plum skins, a hint of dried fruit, dark woods, tannins still somewhat powdery—always endowed with very promising potential. Not a great communicator and therefore perhaps underestimated. It will only truly be able to prove its very high score for the first time in 20 years. (19/20). 15: The bouquet was restrained and probably showed only about a third of what one can expect in terms of aromatic expression once mature. Hints of truffle, licorice, dark precious woods. What stood out in particular: its absolutely straight, linear profile. On the palate, a tannin monster that nevertheless shows a certain early charm—because the immense tannins are ripe. The wine itself, however, is still far from mature. Anyone born in the 1957 vintage (Gabriel) or earlier should turn to other, older Montrose vintages. The chance of experiencing this incredibly ageworthy Saint-Estèphe Deuxième at the height of its drinking window seems rather small. And even if one did, perhaps flattened taste buds might no longer cooperate. For now it still sits at 19/20. The 20/20 will likely come within reach in 20 years… (19/20). 18: MONTROSE 2010 – AN INTERIM ASSESSMENT A barrel tasting is a hypothesis. The drinking window then (hopefully) provides confirmation. Between the two lies the reductive phase, which varies depending on the vintage’s configuration. The more tannin and acidity are in play, the more unapproachable the wine becomes during its time ageing in bottle. When I tasted this blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot at the estate in early April 2011, it quickly became clear to me that this will unquestionably be a great Montrose. But I also noted that it would probably only live up to its high rating (19/20) in around 20 years. Still, it would not be serious to leave a vintage lying around that long without tasting it until it possibly comes of age. Besides, curiosity is known to be a good informant. So today I pulled the cork on the still far-too-young Château Montrose 2010 and followed it pedantically for over eight hours. And things unfolded as one had to assume they would. The nose led down a false trail, because it already displayed a surprising array of aromas: dark berries, smoke, tar, precious woods (especially mahogany), black olives and walnut shells. On the palate it shut down. The astringency is massive and demanding, and it harbours tannins for the day after tomorrow. Even prolonged decanting does (as yet) nothing. Just wait. And wait again! How long? In my view, this is one of the most cellarworthy Montrose in its history. And perhaps one day it will even reach the maximum score. By then I will either be in a retirement home or in grand-cru heaven. So I leave that field to the younger wine freaks and console myself with riper vintages of this iconic Saint-Estèphe. Without any resentment. After all, you can’t expect a Montrose to be among the most ageworthy crus and then provide huge fun at every stage along the way. 19/20. Estimated drinking maturity: from 2030 to 2100???.

A deep, complex, mineral bouquet with black cassis, Black Currant, smoke, graphite, dark chocolate and prunes. A concentrated, powerful palate with dark fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a dense, focused structure, layers of compact, dark aromatics and a very long, intense finish. 19/20 2025 - 2060

This is up there with the best of the tastings, just nods past the 2009. Less generous perhaps but here you see the beauty and precision of the construction, and the ability to just knock the fruit and tannins out of the park - I love both, but this has the edge in terms of juice, and the Left Bank classicism of bilberry, cassis, olive, mint leaf, graphite, scraping texture and vertical lift on the finish. Jean-Bernard Delmas director.

The 2010 Montrose is composed of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a lot of swirling and coaxing to bring out notes of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, warm cassis, and licorice, followed by hints of mocha, tapenade, crushed rocks, and cast-iron pan. The full-bodied palate has a formidable structure of very firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the voluptuous black fruit and mineral layers, finishing long, long, long.

A superb wine, dense and rich, with great length, featuring imposing yet silky tannins and a broad, generous palate. It ranks among the estate’s very greatest vintages. Built for long ageing.

Dark, intense colour with just a hint of evolution. A remarkable nose, showing ripe aromas yet full of freshness, with lovely black-fruit notes and elegant oaky nuances. Tasted blind, the palate evokes Château Latour. The richness, power and enveloping body, combined with plenty of fruit, work wonders. Very flavoursome finish with a firmness that is entirely legitimate given its youth. A chalky nuance lingers on the finish. Those who can’t resist will taste it now; otherwise, wait two or three years.