La Dame de Montrose 2021

Stony, cool, red and dark berries, spice; juicy palate, crisp fruit, immensely fresh, firm tannins, top acidity, red-fruited finish. Built for mid-term aging.

Cocoa-dusted blackberries and strawberries, with a deep core, baked fruit and aromatic touches – more herbal than the grand vin. Quite high-toned, verging on sharp, with real brightness and vivacity to the red cherry and strawberry fruit. Fruit-forward, smooth and direct, with mouthwatering acidity to the fore. You salivate a lot here – then the wet-stone mineral notes cleanse the palate. Pierre Graffeuille replaces Hervé Berland here, having arrived in March and taking over fully in October. 3% Cabernet Franc completes the blend.

This juicy red shows cedar and berry character, spices and hints of dried roses. Medium body with a savory finish and round, easy tannins. Drink now.

The 2021 La Dame de Montrose has a tightly wound bouquet, well-defined with blackberry, loam and light graphite scents percolating through with time in the glass. This is nicely focused but somehow refreshingly unassuming. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, gentle grip and clean, fresh, very saline fruit. This is classic Bordeaux in style, a little austere on the finish in a positive sense, containing the sapidity to encourage another sip. Recommended.

Espresso, flowers, spice, wet earth, and cocoa with a hint of pepper fill the perfume. The medium-bodied palate is soft, sweet, and vibrant, with a refreshing hint of orange and black pepper that adds to the chocolate-accented cherries on the finish. Enjoy this while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. Drink from 2025–2037.

Dark ruby core, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. Delicate floral aromas support black cherries and a hint of tangerine zest. Medium complexity, red berries, freshly structured with integrated tannins and a salty, elegant minerality on the finish.

A blend of 53% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, the 2021 La Dame De Montrose is another impeccably made wine from this château, which has been playing at a First Growth level for many years now. Beautiful red cherries, currants, sappy tobacco, and some floral notes, as well as some classic Saint-Estèphe damp earth, all define the aromatics, and it's medium-bodied, with fine tannins and outstanding overall balance. Give it 2-3 years and enjoy bottles over the following decades. I love its purity of fruit.

Kunz barrel sample 2022: (38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 53% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot) Velvety, fruity, dark, powerful, and sweet bouquet; blackberry jelly, tobacco, currants, licorice, smoke, dark wood. Creamy, full, finely opulent palate with powerful, sweet fruit, finely powdery tannins, dense structure, multifaceted dark aromatics, and a long, powerful finish.

(38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 53% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot) Velvety, fruity, dark, powerful, and sweet bouquet—blackberry jelly, tobacco, currants, licorice, smoke, dark wood. Creamy, full, finely opulent palate with powerful, sweet fruit, finely powdery tannins, dense structure, varied dark aromatics, long, powerful finish. 17/20 2027 - 2040

One of the few truly successful second wines of the vintage, this is inky in color and even visually you can see it has a gorgeous texture. Clear graphite, pencil lead, and blueberry notes set the tone on the palate. Cool-vintage character, this is extremely elegant. There is a natural structure and power in Montrose soils, which meant the austerity of the vintage was fully on display at harvest; they chaptalized just four tanks of Merlot to add a little weight through the mid-palate to this second wine, but it also means there is less of a departure from the classic Montrose signature than you find at other estates. Harvest from September 26 to October 6, after less rain in September than in the more southerly sections of the Médoc.

A blend of 53% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc, La Dame de Montrose 2021 is deep garnet-purple in color. It strolls out with confident scents of juicy plums, fresh blackberries, and cassis, plus suggestions of fallen leaves, dusty soil, and bay leaves. The light-bodied palate is tense, lively, and mineral-laced, featuring lightly chewy tannins and a long-lifted finish.

La Dame de Montrose reveals itself cautiously, step by step. Slightly reduced at first contact, the wine shows the freshness and fruit of Cabernet. Less dense than usual, it is linear, somewhat creamy, and endowed with compact tannins that support the finish well. A wine that gains plurality and complexity over the minutes and stands out for its persistence and liveliness.

Dark, deep, and beautiful color. Intense nose with ripe, subtle fruit. Precise on the attack, juicy mid-palate, very flavorful, with an inky note and a backdrop of blackcurrant; the wine caresses the palate, very Médoc in style, juicy and long. It’s very good. Blend: 53% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc.

This second-label wine is dense like its older brother, rich in blackberry and cedar aromas. It is solid with black fruits and dense tannins. Drink from 2028.