2024 Chateau Montrose 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe

The 2024 Château Montrose is on another level and clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Based on 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc, it's aging in 60% new barrels. Gorgeous notes of cassis, violets, graphite, and smoky tobacco all emerge from the glass. Medium to full-bodied, it has remarkable purity, fine yet building tannins, and a great finish. Coming in at 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.5, this estate continues to deliver First Growth quality year after year.

This shows finesse and elegance as well as plenty of subtle red currant and blackcurrant character. Medium-bodied with refinement and length. Tender, vivid and pure. Extremely well done in a difficult year. 80% cabernet sauvignon, 17% merlot and 3% cabernet franc.

Beautifully deep colour, this shows chalk, violet flowers, peony, fragrant and enticing floral profile compared to so many in the vintage, this is excellent, cocoa bean, cassis, depth, layers and concentration - one of the wines of the vintage. 15% press wine, a little more than usual. Harvest 23 September to 8 October, Pierre Grafeuille estate director.

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, the 2024 Montrose is a serious, muscular effort that numbers among the wines of the vintage. Unwinding in the glass with notes of cassis, burning embers, cigar wrapper and iris, it's medium to full-bodied, dense and layered, with a lively spine of acidity, rich structuring tannins and a long, penetrating finish. With both the highest proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon recorded at Montrose and a rather low pH of 3.55, it will surely number among the longest lived 2024 Bordeaux.

The 2024 Montrose exudes Cabernet Sauvignon character in its aromatic savoriness and tannic structure. In fact, the 2024 has the most Cabernet Sauvignon ever. Tightly wound today, the 2024 impresses with its energy and focus. There's a bit less mid-palate and overall heft than most years, as well as a brighter fruit profile. Floral, spice and mineral overtones lend brightness throughout. The 2024 is a super-classic, nervy Montrose that will need a number of years to be at its most expressive. Aging is projected to be 18 months, with 60% new oak.

Black currants, lead pencil, tobacco, flowers, and black raspberries fill the heady perfume. Quite rich for the vintage, with a nice bite of juicy currants, spice, and a blast of refreshing mint at the back of the vibrant finish. This is not a vintage of power, its strength comes from balance, freshness, and early drinkability. This is the second vintage produced entirely from Terrasse 4. The wine is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. This is the largest percentage of Cabernet ever placed in the blend in the history of Chateau Montrose. 13% ABV, pH 3.5 pH. Harvesting took place September 23 – October 7. Drink from 2030-2055.

The 2024 Montrose has a little more Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend due to the yields in various parcels. It was picked between September 23 and October 7 and matured in 60% new oak. The well-defined and very able nose demonstrates classicism, fine delineation and a little more florality than the Terrasse III. The palate is medium-bodied with very finely chiselled tannins and a keen line of acidity. This symmetrical Saint-Estèphe is blessed with an elegant, sapid and reassuringly precise finish that the estate seems to have honed in the last few years. It does not have the unbridled ambition of, say, the 2020 Montrose, but it is exceptionally well crafted and will become a fine Saint-Estèphe.

80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. From parcels on terrasse 4 which historically have always been part of the estate . Cask sample. Dark fruit with a hint of spice but more reserved than Terrasse III. Quite assertive and sculptured with plenty of drive. Tannins have a certain depth and power so plenty of potential. (JL)