Chateau Montrose 1998

ANTONIO GALLONI: "The 1998 Montrose was the only recent vintage that was omitted from the series of verticals that I conducted in 2016. It is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot picked between 22 September and 6 October. Funnily enough, I had not tasted it since en primeur! It has a high-toned and expressive bouquet with blackberry, leather, a touch of menthol and dried herbs, a little earthiness coming through with time. There is still plenty of freshness here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin. This offers fine balance and a smooth texture, slightly lactic in texture with tobacco and even a touch of latte towards the black fruit-driven finish. There is almost a case for this Montrose being too melted in character. Fine, but I think it could have been better. Tasted at the château."

DECANTER: "Not a great vintage (very hot August, rain in the last half of September), but the Merlot was luscious and wines made from the best plots of Cabernet were very rich. Perfectly evolved, the wine is now silky textured, showing smoky notes of coffee, tobacco and cocoa. Drinking Window 2019 - 2035"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "A little austere, but that does not mean this is without an abundance of classic charm. Firm and full-bodied, with a backbone and a lot of lift, the red fruits are vibrant, the nose is complex and there is a nice spicy tone that goes along with the finish, You can drink this now, or age it for more softness and development."

THE WINEADVOCATE: "A classic effort, the 1998 Montrose exhibits a dense purple color in addition to a sweet nose of jammy cassis, licorice, earth, and smoke. It is a powerful and full-bodied wine with well-integrated tannin. Given Montrose's tendency to shut down, it is performing better out of bottle than I expected. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2030."

WEINWISSER: "Dunkles Granat mit Purpurschimmer. Sehr reifes, pflaumiges Bouquet, Dörrfrüchtenuancen, dunkle Schokonoten (reifer Merlot), geballt, recht füllig. Im Gaumen viel Tannine, dicht aneinandergedrängt zu einer fleischigen Struktur formend, Zederntöne, Trüffelnote, leicht mineralischer Terroireinschlag, körniger Fluss, langes Finale, grosses Potential."