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: 2016 Montrose, St-Estèphe

2016 Montrose, St-Estèphe (Pre-Arrival)

SKU #1299386 100 points Jeb Dunnuck

Outer quote mark Unquestionably one of the top 2-3 wines of the vintage, the 2016 Château Montrose is a monument in the making. Checking in as a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc raised in 60% new French oak (the balance was in once-used barrels) and representing a tiny 36% of the production, this deep purple-colored 2016 possesses powerful, incredibly classic Saint-Estèphe notes of creme de cassis, graphite, damp earth, lead pencil shavings, and burning embers. With a powerful, full-bodied style on the palate, a huge mid-palate, lots of underlying structure and tannic grip, and perfect balance, this magical wine will need upwards of a decade or cellaring and keep for 40-50 years. Inner quote mark (2/2019)

99 points Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Montrose is a little youthfully shy to begin, but with coaxing, it unfurls to reveal the most beguiling scents of wilted roses, oolong tea, crushed rocks, wild sage, star anise and candied violets over a wonderfully pristine, well-defined core of crushed blackcurrants, black raspberries and kirsch plus wafts of pencil lead and wood smoke. The taut, muscular, medium to full-bodied palate straddles jaw-dropping intensity and finesse superbly, featuring a solid backbone of ripe tannins and giving a firm frame right through the incredibly long, exquisitely nuanced finish. (LPB) Inner quote mark (11/2018)

99 points Vinous

Outer quote mark The 2016 Montrose has a tightly wound bouquet that is extremely well focused. This is one of the most pixelated aromatics I can remember on a Montrose at this stage, featuring blackberry, boysenberry and cedar and real mineralité underneath. The palate is medium-bodied with fine density and wonderful salinity. There is tremendous precision with razor-sharp tannin, and a brightness on the finish that is exceptional. This is a Montrose that will comfortably sit alongside the canon of great vintages from this Saint-Estèphe estate. As my score implies, it’s up there with the first growths. Stunning. (NM) Inner quote mark

98 points James Suckling

Outer quote mark The floral and fresh aromas to this are mesmerizing. Roses and lilacs galore. The pure cab aromas coming from the glass -- blackcurrants and blackberries -- are so memorable. Full-bodied, deep and profound. The ultra-fine tannins on the palate are so polished and fine-grained. The finish goes on for minutes with subtle yet superb fruit. It’s all about precision and form here. A modern classic for Montrose. Inner quote mark (12/2019)

Jancis Robinson

Outer quote mark Tasted blind. Very dark crimson. Tight and dense and dramatic and utterly convincing. With a little bit of richness. Fruit covers the tannin. Really very glorious. Dry finish. Reverberant. Salty. 18.5/20 points (JR) Inner quote mark (1/2020)

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2016 Montrose, St-Estèphe

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Product Reviews:

By: Steve Bearden | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 6/8/2017 | Send Email

This has that ethereal quality that the best Left Bank wines seem to posses in 2016. There is concentration, power and intense richness but an overall lifted and fresh character that leaves the wine feeling light and airy despite the massive raw material. The very long chalk infused finish is completely dry and refreshing. This is a masterpiece.

By: Jeff Garneau | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 5/15/2017 | Send Email

The 2016 Montrose is a marvel—intense, concentrated and brooding. Inky, dark, palate-staining color. Wildly aromatic nose with notes of lavender and oolong tea. A big, powerful wine with perfectly ripe, sweet fruit. Solid, structured, with vibrant acidity and ultra-fine tannins. This is Montrose as it is meant to be, at its very best, a wine of precision and refinement rather than blunt force. Unequivocal quality here. Not to be missed.

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends

- Cabernet Sauvignon has come a long way from its role as a blending varietal, however dominant, in the wines of Bordeaux. Today it is the most planted red varietal in the world. Identified as a descendent of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon needs to be planted in warmer climates to fully ripen. Its small berries can easily be identified for their distinctive blue color, thick skins and high tannins. And while the varietal has its own definitive characteristics: green pepper-like aromas and black currant flavors among them, it is perhaps most prized for its ability to convey terroir, vintage and winemaking. A relatively new varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon started making inroads into the wines of the Médoc and Graves in the late-18th century. Today it is also dominant in the up-and-coming Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux and can also be found in Southwest France. It is the companion varietal to Sangiovese in Italy's Super Tuscans and is planted all over Europe, stretching to lesser-known winegrowing regions like Russia and Lebanon. In the Americas Cabernet Sauvignon has found champions in every nook and cranny of California and among winemakers in Washington, where it complements plantings of Merlot. In South America, Cab thrives in Chile, but can also be found in smaller amounts in Argentina and even in Mexico.

Country:

France

- When it comes to wine, France stands alone. No other country can beat it in terms of quality and diversity. And while many of its Region, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne most obviously, produce wine as rare, as sought-after and nearly as expensive as gold, there are just as many obscurities and values to be had from little known appellations throughout the country. To learn everything there is to know about French wine would take a lifetime. To understand and appreciate French wine, one only has to begin tasting them.

Sub-Region:

Bordeaux

Specific Appellation:

Saint Estephe

- The northern-most of the Medoc communes, St. Estephe is quickly becoming one of the favorite areas for both high quality and great value Bordeaux reds. While it has fewer classified growths than the other communes, it also boasts some of the hottest up and coming chateaux of the last several. The most famous chateaux are the second growths Montrose and Cos d'Estournel with Calon Segur (3rd growth), Lafon Rochet (4th growth), and Cos Labory (5th growth) rounding out the cru classe wines. Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the area, but plantings of Merlot are on the rise resulting in rounder, fatter, flashier wines than in years past.