Château Montrose - Saint-Estèphe 2009

Wine Advocate

100 / 100

par Robert Parker le 29/08/2014

Harvested between September 17 and October 5, this wine seems always open for business, so to speak, much like the great 1982s. The summer of 2009 was very hot and dry, which got the harvest off to a reasonably early start. The blend was 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Jean Bernard Delmas’ goal was to find perfect equilibrium between freshness and concentration, given its incredible opulence and the voluptuous character this vintage offered. That’s what this wine has in abundance. With an astounding dense purple color, the wine has velvety, sweet tannins, and an extremely open-knit and opulent blueberry, blackberry and creme de cassis nose. There is scorched earth, vanilla and, again, telltale licorice and spice. It is unctuously textured – thicker and juicier than the 2010 and more forward. This wine should come into its own in another five years. And again, it has at least 50+ years of aging potential.

Wine Advocate

95 / 100

par Neal Martin le 01/01/2013

Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. The Montrose 2009 has an intense bouquet but it is somehow very contained at the moment. Nice precision here, perhaps a little smudged with baked cherry and bilberry fruit. The palate is soft and rounded on the entry and there is clearly immense backbone and weight. Even blind, the class shows through, but as usual it is a difficult wine to taste at the beginning of what will inevitably be a long career. Tasting a second bottle in a different flight, I noticed a more Pauillac-like personality with a powerful, burly finish that is typical of Montrose. Impressive verging on oppressive and vice versa! It will need serious ageing, lock this up for a decade before parole. Tasted January 2013.
(95+ points)

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

97 / 100

par Stephen Tanzer le 31/07/2012

Bright, deep ruby-red. Drop-dead gorgeous nose offers cassis, mineral and candied violet aromas of great depth. Enters the mouth sweet, suave, and dense, showing utterly seamless, highly complex flavors of dark berries, underbrush, minerals and cedar. For a wine with such amazing depth of flavor, this comes across as almost weightless. Though it displays the upfront fruity charm of the 2009 vintage, this is a complex, rich monster that will prove extremely ageworthy. One of the wines of the vintage, and the best young Montrose I've yet tasted.

Wine Advocate

100 / 100

par Robert Parker le 29/02/2012

A colossal effort, the 2009 Montrose represents a hypothetical blend of the monumental duo of 1989 and 1990 combined with the phenomenal 2003. With 13.7% alcohol (an all-time high at Montrose), it is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and the rest tiny quantities of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Some structure and minerality can be detected in the background, but the overall impression is one of massive blackberry, black currant and mulberry fruit intermixed with forest floor, damp earth, crushed rocks and a hint of spring flowers. Full-bodied with sweet but abundant tannin, Jean-Bernard Delmas believes this is the greatest wine he has made during his short tenure at Montrose since retiring from Haut-Brion. This wine will undoubtedly shut down for a decade, then unleash its power, glory and potential perfection. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050+.

Jamessuckling.com

100 / 100

par James Suckling le 15/02/2012

Blueberries, currants and Indian spices on the nose follow through to a full body, with ultra-fine tannins and a lovely finish. It's intense and refined. A beauty. It goes on for minutes. Speechless. Better and cleaner than the great 1990. Try in 2022.

Wine Spectator

97 / 100

par James Molesworth le 11/01/2012

A bit of a brute, with a very chewy bittersweet ganache, tobacco and roasted fig core splayed open right now by a dagger of roasted apple wood, allspice and cedar. Long and dense through the finish, with a strong singed iron edge. The stuffing is certainly there, but this will take a while to come together as it's running unbridled right now. Proves you can still get classic old-school Bordeaux. Best from 2020 through 2040 - J.M

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

94-97 / 100

par Ian D'Agata le 30/06/2010

(a blend of 65% cabernet sauvignon, 29% merlot, 5% cabernet franc, and 1% petit verdot; pH 3.7; 98 IPT; 38 hl/ha; 13.7% alcohol; no press wine used) Opaque, almost impenetrable inky-ruby. The profound but initially reticent nose opens with air to reveal superb depth to the cassis, violet and mineral aromas. Then wonderfully dense yet weightless, with a penetrating quality to its black fruit and mineral flavors. The inky, minerally, very long finish features very smooth tannins. Currently less generous and showy than some other '09s, this is nonetheless a classic Bordeaux in style. With its mineral reticence and austerity, it is also very typical of Saint-Estephe.

Le Figaro

95-98 / 100

par Bernard Burtschy le 30/06/2010

Depuis la reprise par la famille Bouygues, Montrose était à la recherche du très grand millésime. C’est fait avec ce 2009 d’une incroyable concentration, un beau velouté compensant des tanins splendides, le tout est noblement constitué et dépasse largement le couple 1989 et 1990. Il faut remonter à 1961, voire au 1929, pour trouver un Montrose aussi complet. Robe très sombre. Nez de mûre, très fin, superbe. En bouche, le vin est dense, compact, avec de beaux tannins très fins, le tout est long, racé avec une masse impressionnante et une superbe finale. 65 % cabernet-sauvignon, 29 % merlot, 5 % cabernet-franc, 1 % petit-verdot.

timatkin.com

97 / 100

par Tim Atkin MW le 30/06/2010

13.7% alcohol. 65CS, 29M, 5CF, 1PV It’s hard to believe when you taste it, but the 2009 Montrose contains no press wine at all, apparently. Hard to believe because it’s a massively tannic wine, structured, dense, hunkered down, but with freshness and acidity to match. There’s a lot of oak on show here too, but the wine isn’t over-ripe (compare Cos down the road) and should develop beautifully in bottle. 25+ years.

La Revue du Vin de France

18,5-19,5 / 20

le 31/05/2010

Dans les années à venir, on s'amusera à comparer les mérites respectifs du 2003 et du 2009. A notre sens, ce dernier, bien que plus riche encore, apparaît toutefois plus équilibré, avec un milieu de bouche et surtout une finale très éclatante. Cette essence de grand saint estèphe possède une somptueuse matière qui allie raffinement et puissance. La finale affiche une précision remarquable et laisse une merveilleuse impression de fraîcheur.

Le Point

18 / 20

par Jacques Dupont le 06/05/2010

Fruits noirs, violette, bouche très fruitée, dense, tannique et tonique. C'est un montrose avec beaucoup de tanins, mais équilibré frais, dense, long. Le style classique sans les impuretés d'autrefois. O=2017 G=30 ans

Wein Wisser

20 / 20

par René Gabriel le 30/04/2010

72 % der Erntemenge (38 hl/ha) wurden als Grand Vin selektioniert. Die Assemblage enthält 65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 29 % Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc und 1% Petit Verdot. Extrem dunkles Purpur mit lila und schwarz-violetten Reflexen. Das Bouquet birgt einen königlichen, absolut noblen Cabernet, feinstes, parfümiertes Cassis, Lakritze und dunkle Edelhölzer, Brazil-Tabaknuancen im trüffeligen Untergrund – noch selten haben wir bei einem Fassmuster Montrose so viel Frische und eine derart zarte Minze im Schwarzschokogrund erlebt! Auch der Gaumen ist durch und durch königlich, aromatisches Cassis-Heidelbeer-Extrakt, die exakte Fortsetzung und Weiterentwicklung der Nasenaromen, gute Muskeln in einer verlangenden, aber doch ausgeglichenen Adstringenz. Keine Spur von Moderne, sondern das Maximum dessen, was Montrose zu leisten vermag. Ein grosser Klassiker, der zu den allergrössten neueren Montroses zählt (auch wenn er mit 1989 und 1990 nicht vergleichbar ist, die jeweils von Hitze geprägt waren). 2019–2060

TAST

19 / 20

par Bettane & Desseauve le 30/04/2010

Très grand Montrose, le plus structuré et large depuis 1970, mais avec plus d’assurance dans les arômes, plus purs, plus stricts, mieux définis, rappelant aussi le somptueux 2003 en un peu moins « baroque », et une finale inimitable, pas facile à comprendre par tous, en raison de la tension du tanin et une nuance ferrugineuse qu’il partage avec Latour. Le long vieillissement lui rendra pleinement justice. Dame de Montrose enthousiasme un peu moins.

Wine Advocate

95-97 / 100

par Neal Martin le 30/04/2010

Representing 72% of production, a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, cropped between 17th September and 5th October, 13.7% alcohol and an IPT of 98 and 3.7 pH. this has a ripe blackberry, boysenberry, oyster shell and briary nose that soars from the glass. Fine definition with a very tangible mineral component. The palate is full-bodied with smooth tannins, very powerful with superb definition, great sense of tension here. There is a great deal of panache in this Montrose, layers of black fruit interwoven with graphite and earthy notes towards the long finish tinged with a touch of cardamom. Sophisticated and regal. A modern day ’89? Tasted March 2010.

Decanter Magazine

19 / 20

par Steven Spurrier le 30/04/2010

Black red, smoky cassis nose with fine Cabernet spice, quite restrained yet full of power, a really precise and true vineyard wine, superb middle sweetness, a grandly classic wine. Drink 2019-45.

Wine Enthusiast

95-97 / 100

par Roger Voss le 30/04/2010

A wine that feels big, not heavy. With a solid structure, the wine shows black density at the same time as the blackcurrant juice of Cabernet shines through.

Falstaff

94-96 / 100

par Peter Moser le 30/04/2010

Feine Orangenzesten, feines dunkles Beerenkonfit, zarte florale Anklänge, reife Herzkirschen. Stoffig, rund, perfekte, seidige Tannine, fast zu elegant, süßer Kern, bleibt sehr gut haften, wirkt bereits entwickelt und zugänglich.

Periodic Review of Wine

96-98 / 100

par Alan Duran le 28/04/2010

Life is too short to miss a massive Montrose like this! The deeply-timmed, saturated purple hued Montrose's roaring perfumes reveal crushed-stone, blackberry, blueberry liqueur, sweet smoke, and liquefied-minerals. Wow! Huge, rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, it builds its layers of nuances at a glacial speed. In some ways it comes across as finessed despite being a northern Medoc, but its savory flavors and broad tannin offer tremendous appeal. This is a big overachiever in the vintage! Maturity period 2016-2045.

Wine Advocate

96-100 / 100

par Robert Parker le 28/04/2010

1989 and 1990 deja vu all over again? If you think the 2003 Montrose (which merited 100 points) was powerful (13.2% alcohol), keep in mind that the 2009 Montrose came in at 13.7% alcohol. There is no sense of hotness, only extraordinary transparency and precision, allied to massive fruit intensity. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this superconcentrated claret possesses a style reminiscent of the sumptuous 1990 combined with the structure of the 1989. The color is an opaque purple, the pH is a relatively normal 3.7, and the finish is endless. The flavor profile bursts with black currant, blackberry, and boysenberry fruit intertwined with hints of spring flowers and crushed rocks. Huge body, sweet tannin, and wonderful freshness make for one of the all-time great wines ever produced at Montrose. I hope to be drinking this wine with great pleasure before the Man comes for me. Kudos to Jean-Bernard Delmas. (Tasted two times.) (96-100*) points

Anthony Rose

94-96 / 100

par Anthony Rose le 26/04/2010

Crunch up the gravel stone pathway to the chais at Montrose and the reward is an excellent wine in 2009. 72% of the production, a blend of 65% cabernet sauvignon, 29% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot with 60% new oak, at 13.7% alcohol. No press wine but at 98 ipt (the tannin index for all you nerds out there), it has the highest level of tannin ever. Dense vivid colour, very attractive sweet spicy aromatic quality, vivid, almost violets-like, a very nice, richly concentrated red with an intense dark fruits quality, very firm chunky tannins, but behind them a finesse, potential for succulence and freshness on the finish that holds out bright hopes for the future.

Jancis Robinson

16,5 / 20

par Jancis Robinson le 23/04/2010

Very intense purple. Very smart oak and certainly a fine wine but it lacks a little oomph. Was the selection not strict enough? Pretty bone dry on the finish. Sucks the flesh out of the palate. Rather obdurate at the moment, though it may get there in the end. Drink 2020-2035. (16.5+)

Wine Spectator

97-100 / 100

par James Suckling le 09/04/2010

Big and structured, delivering wild aromas of Indian spices, crushed berry, sweet tobacco and coffee. Full-bodied, with loads of velvety, chewy tannins and a long spicy finish. The château says this is like the 1990, but I think it could be even better. It's certainly better made.

Jancis Robinson

16,5 / 20

par Jancis Robinson le 07/04/2010

72% of total production. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Picked 17 Sep to 5 Oct, much earlier than Cos! Average yield 38 hl\ha. Extremely dark crimson with strong purple notes. Low-key but modestly confident nose – much more married than some recent vintages. Pretty raw and austere and very much St-Estèphe. Very inky finish. Lovely nose and succulence but a little bit tough on the end. Certainly harks back to classical St-Estèphe in a way that Cos very much doesn’t. 13.7% Drink 2017-2029

Jean-Marc QUARIN

17 / 20

par Jean-Marc Quarin le 15/03/2010

Tôt, comme lors des Primeurs 2008, le 5 février dernier, le château Montrose a présenté aux professionnels de Bordeaux, le résultat de son travail. C'est le meilleur vin que je goûte sous l'ère de la nouvelle direction. Il me vient à l'esprit, et j'ai encore besoin de le vérifier, que ce millésime pourrait passer devant le 2005 qui lui était un millésime de transition (la propriété a été vendue en plein élevage du 2005). A Montrose, le 2009 est le premier millésime issu de raisins dont les vignes ont été remises en culture depuis 2006 et non plus désherbées. Très coloré, assez solaire au nez, encore discret, le vin se distingue par une entrée en bouche grasse, suivie d'un beau développement aromatique et d'un caractère juteux, raffiné au toucher, au grain de tannin fin. Le corps est très présent à partir du milieu de la bouche. Le vin s'achève savoureux et long, mais dans un style discret et classique sans le moindre effet d'extravagance comme il y a pu en avoir dans d'autres millésimes, entre 2000 et 2003. Ce type de travail rigoureux a besoin de temps pour s'exprimer. J'évoquais ce style un peu réservé l'an dernier aussi. Sachez que ma note du 2008 a grimpé en fin d'élevage, ce qui est de bon augure pour ce 2009. Composition : 60 % cabernet sauvignon, 30 % merlot, 5 % cabernet franc et 1 % petit verdot.