La Dame de Montrose 2017

Robust in style, somewhat austere, with noticeable wood spice at this stage.

Bright and fresh in feel, featuring a stream of lilac and red currant aromas and flavors, backed by light chalky minerality on the finish. Moderate in scale, but pure and balanced. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2022 through 2029.

Very pure and attractive red cherries, plums and wild herbs on the nose here. Impressive polish and poise on the palate. The cabernet fits really beautifully into the merlot, delivering cassis, ripe red plums and spiced mulberries. A blend of 49% merlot, 43% cabernet sauvignon, 4% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. Second wine of Château Montrose. Drink or hold. Better after 2022.

The 2017 La Dame de Montrose is attired in a newly redesigned label embossed with the roses that represent those cultivated at the end of vine rows. It has a very composed bouquet with blackberry, bilberry and briary aromas, nicely focused and with satisfying freshness. The palate is really all you could wish for in a second wine: approachable, fresh, well balanced with a slightly grainy texture. The fruit appears very clean and precise and the harmony on the finish encourages another sip. It is more approachable than some of the previous vintages, insofar that after a 12 to 18 months in bottle, this will be ready to go. Worth seeking out.

Cedar and tobacco leaf on the front end, this is all about juicy, bright, crisp cassis. There is suitable spice and a hint of green olive with soft tannins and even more fruit on the back end. This should drink well with just one to three years of age.

Dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, subtle edge brightening, fine precious wood nuances, black berry fruit, delicate liquorice, tobacco notes, pleasant herbal savouriness. Juicy, fresh cherries, silky tannins, finely structured, a touch of red berries on the finish, salty aftertaste.

The second wine of the estate, the 2017 La Dame de Montrose is a blend of 49% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It’s one of the top second wines out there and could easily pass for many estates’ flagship cuvée. Terrific notes of crème de cassis, crushed flowers, graphite, and plenty of Montrose minerality and earthy nuances emerge from the glass, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with polished tannins and a great finish. It tastes like a mini‑Montrose and will evolve for 15 years or more.

49% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. Garnet-ruby. Red-berry contours with floral nuances and a tobacco-like spice, a hint of verbena and black olives. On the palate, fleshy extract, supportive muscle, and finely powdery tannins. Aromatic finish with sour cherry and waxy notes, as well as mulberries.

Kunz barrel sample 18: (49% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot) Silky, soft bouquet, cassis, blackberry jelly, roasted notes, vanilla, fine caramel. Light, firm palate with fine, sandy tannins, fine sweet aromatics, muscular structure, dry finish. Has room to improve.

Herbs, closed bouquet, blackberries, smoke, hardwood. A well-core, medium-bodied palate with finely sandy tannins, medium aromatics, well-angled structure, dry finish. Can still improve. 16/20 2022 - 2034

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 La Dame de Montrose springs from the glass with fragrant notes of violets and kirsch, giving way to a core of plum preserves, wild blueberries, and spice cake. The medium-bodied palate is elegant and refreshing, with soft-spoken black and red berry layers and a plush textured, fragrant finish. This is still very youthful!

Nicely crafted, with a palate of good structure and a certain finesse, La Dame 2017 is starting to reveal itself.

The bouquet of Dame de Montrose unfolds slowly, with filigree precision. Classic notes of graphite and cedar emerge while the fruit stays in the background. After aeration, notes of blackberry appear. On the palate, the wine has a creamy touch and shows a rather muscular profile, thanks to the pedigree of its structure. As on the nose, it remains restrained aromatically, but it is endowed with tannins that provide power and thus longevity, especially with such a structure. One to follow over time.

Intense, beautiful, purple color. Moderately aromatic nose with fresh, fragrant fruit. Precise on the attack, flavorful through the mid-palate, very juicy, with a rather elongated body; the wine stretches out on the finish—long, sappy, and full of flavor. It’s good. Blend: 49% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. Alcohol: 13.

Fresh nose of red cherries and dark fruits, with elegant wood undertones. Racy acidity, mouthwatering and super bright. Very open, with fine tannins.

91–93. Barrel Sample. This generous and juicy wine is open, luscious and full of great black fruit notes. The equal quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot give both richness and a soft texture. The tannins are succulent and will allow the wine to develop quickly, drink from 2021.

The 2017 La Dame de Montrose is a blend of 49% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, aged in 30% new and 70% one-year old barrels for 12 months. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with warm red currants, black cherries and black raspberry scents, followed by earthy/underbrush notions plus hints of violets, dark chocolate and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied and firm, with loads of mouth-coating juicy fruit, it has a velvety texture and long, mineral-laced finish. It should be approachable pretty much from the get-go, although don't let its precociousness make you underestimate its aging potential. Nicely done!