Chateau Montrose Collectors Bordeaux Wine Tasting

"It wasn't always like this. Before Paris, people didn't drink our wine. I mean, my friends did. But you could hardly consider their palates discerning..."

 Bo Barrett - Bottle Shock

 
We are big fans of Chateau Montrose so when I heard that Arnaud Fréderic was coming into town I knew that we had a lot of Chateau Montrose collectors out there that would love to bring a bottle out of their cellar to share with our group tonight.

Our collector series tasting event is where we ask you, our wine drinking people, to come up with some wine from your wine collection to add to the party in exchange for your ticket to the event.  That’s correct the collector series tasting means you must bring a bottle of Chateau Montrose from your cellar to attend the event.   The catch is we only need one bottle of each vintage of Chateau Montrose for this event and we already have six vintages spoken for.
 

Chateau Montrose Collectors Cellar Tasting
with Special Guest Arnaud Fréderic
Wednesday October 9th
7:30pm

Let me explain further- this is a two-part event:

 Part 1

The first part of the evening begins at 7:30pm, this is where we will be tasting through a selection of new releases of Bordeaux from the Montrose family of Chateau.  This will be a happy hour style event at the bar.  The wines we will be showing are the ones below.
 
2014 Chateau Tronquoy Blanc Magnum
2018 Chateau Tronquoy Rouge
2019 Chateau Tronquoy Rouge
2018 Dame de Montrose Saint Estephe

 Part 2
 Dinner with your bottles of Chateau Montrose.
Here are the vintages of Chateau Montrose that we have already:

1978 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe

1980 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe
1982 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe
1990 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe
1995 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe
2003 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe
2004 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe
2005 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe
2006 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe

2008 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe
2009 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe
2013 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe
2014 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe
2015 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe

2021 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe

(I will add the vintages as people respond with the vintage they are bringing)

 
Menu
Selection of cheese and Charcuterie
Portobello Mushroom Carpaccio and Tomato Tartar with herb de Provence aioli and Parmesan Toast
Venison Shumai with Bordeaux Reduction
Crispy Mallard duck breast with Juniper berry red wine reduction Lyonnaise potatoes and crème fraiche
Canelé cakes

You must have a bottle of Chateau Montrose to contribute to the dinner to attend this event.  The fee for dinner is $150 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
 

A bit about Chateau Montrose :

 St. Estephe is often referred to as the “bargain basement” of Bordeaux since it offers an abundance of high-quality Bourgeois Growths.  This appellation boasts to be the largest both in size and in production of all the appellations of the Haut Medoc with only five crus classes covering a mere six per cent of the commune, there are two second growths, one third, one fourth and one fifth.  St. Estephe is located at the north end of the Haut Medoc just above Pauillac.  The soil here is varied.  In the south-east corner it is heavy gravel on an alios base, similar to that in Pauillac.  Progressively west and north the soil contains more clay and becomes heavier and more fertile, and in parts contains limestone.  The wines of this region also vary greatly, as some areas have quite high proportions of Merlot compared to other appellations of the left bank.  In general the wines are tough, more aromatic and less elegant than those of neighboring communes.  They are solid rather than austere; firm, full and tannic, but in a less distinguished way; less ripe black currant blackberry fruit in flavor and more robust and spicy.  Although some St, Estephes do not age gracefully, the top wines of this region can last as long as any Haut Medoc.  This region has become best known as a rich source of undervalued wines, such as Chateau Marbuzet.

In the first quarter of the late 18th century, Alexandre de Ségur owned the LATOUR, LAFITE and MOUTON estates. He was known as The Prince of vines » for he promoted his vineyards to a prestigious destiny and bequeathed them to his son, Nicolas Alexandre.

Due to his marriage, Nicolas de Ségur took possession of Château de Calon, and he enthusiastically said: I already make wine at Latour and Lafite, but my heart belongs to Calon. Like his father, he pulled up the estate by setting a high level of requirement and contributed to the prestige of his wines.

Then in 1778, under Louis XVI’s reign, he sold CALON to Etienne DUMOULIN. Théodore, Etienne’s son, discovered in his fief a part of land known as « Lande d’Escargeon » covered with heather in pink bloom.

Convinced that this deserted heath has hidden value, he cleared the land, planted vines and built a château. Thus was born Montrose which progressively acceded to the Gotha of Medoc’s wines.

In 1824, Théodore DUMOULIN sold Calon to Mr LESTAPIS but kept MONTROSE.  Thirty one years later, in 1855, MONTROSE is classified Second Great Growth: a resounding success!

And yet,5 years after his death, his adopted children sold the estate. The new owner, Mathieu DOLLFUS, a visionary businessman, increased the technical potential with an unconditional enthusiasm. Montrose deserves the best: he modified the château, built houses for the estate workers and new farm buildings; he installed huge bullock pens, stables, and accommodation for the coachmen and invested in an automatic system for horse feed distribution. He took the unusual step of providing social security for his workers with whom he also shared the estate’s profits, a very avant-garde behaviour for that time. This model estate looked like a village with narrow streets, squares, houses and workshops.

 In 1896, Château MONTROSE became the property of the CHARMOLUE family. The new owner, Louis Victor, was born at Château Figeac in ST Emilion : an auspicious reference.

Three generations will succeed and deserve the honor of having restored a vineyard that was devastated by the Second World War. When Jean-Louis Charmolue left the estate in 2006, the wine connoisseurs described the wine with praiseworthy words:

« An outstanding wine, a color so deep, almost black, a multi-facet nose, a very firm and complex palate with a long finish. Its spicy aroma reveals a good concentration of fruits and forest scents, maturing for 19 months gives a superb oak, well sustained by the rich and ripe tannins of the grape.

Since 2006, the BOUYGUES brothers, Martin and Olivier, share  this same enthusiasm as theirs predecessors. : to pursue with all their heart  the production of this great  and exceptional wine.

2021 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe
Price: $246.00                   Your Price: $216.48
(94- 96 Points) A brilliant achievement, the 2021 Montrose is reminiscent of a purer, more precise, modern-day version of the estate's 1996. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of blackcurrants, pencil shavings, sweet loamy soil, black truffle and nicely integrated new oak, it's full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with terrific depth at the core, lively acids and a seamless, harmonious profile. Exhibiting beautifully refined tannins and an impressive sense of completeness, it's a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot—standing out as one of the few top wines of the vintage that actually includes more Merlot and less Cabernet than in recent years. (WK)  Wine Advocate, Review Date: 04/2022

2020 Chateau Montrose St Estephe
Price: $300.00                   Your Price: $264.00
(100 Points)  Surpassing the 2019 and rivaling the 2016 as this estate's finest vintage of the last few decades, the 2020 Montrose is a monument in the making. Wafting from the glass with aromas of violets, dark berries, licorice, loamy soil, black truffle and subtle spices, it's full-bodied, deep and layered, with a seamless, elegantly muscular profile, terrific purity and energy, beautifully powdery tannins and a long, resonant finish. It checks in at 13.7% alcohol, the same as the superb 2009, but it is even deeper, more vibrant and more complex than the 2009.  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

2003 Chateau Montrose, Saint-Estephe, France
Price: $295.00                   Sale Price: $250.00                Quantity in Stock: 3
(95 Points) One of the top half-dozen wines of this torrid vintage in Bordeaux, as well as one of the least evolved, is the 2003 Montrose. Evocative of blackberries and cassis mingled with black truffles, loamy soil and pencil shavings, it's full-bodied, rich and layered, with a broad attack that segues into a supple but structured mid-palate laden with sweet but succulent fruit that's framed by powdery tannin. While in no danger of imminent decline, it's drinking very well today. Wine Advocate

1990 CHATEAU MONTROSE ST. ESTEPHE MAGNUM 1.5L
Price: $2695.00                Sale Price: $2250.00                Quantity in Stock: 9
1990 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe
Price: $1350.00                Sale Price: $975.00                Quantity in Stock: 4
(100 Points) I have had the 1990 Montrose on four separate occasions over the last several months, and I have consistently rated it either 99 or 100. Three of the bottles came from my cellar, and one was tasted at the chateau. None of them revealed any brett, which is not the case with bottles that were exposed to heat, or had bad storage issues. The wine remains a blockbuster, an inky/ruby/purple-colored effort revealing stunning concentration, amazingly high glycerin, and abundant amounts of sweet black fruits intermixed with notions of earth and spice. It is a fleshy, full-bodied St.-Estephe with atypically high amounts of fatness and fruit extract, but it is settling down nicely and seems set for another 2-3 decades of longevity. Many have felt the 1989 Montrose is better, and it is getting closer to meriting a three digit score, but it remains more tannic and backward. Release price: ($350.00/case) Wine Advocate #183, Jun 2009

1982 CHATEAU MONTROSE ST ESTEPHE BORDEAUX, FRANCE
Price: $695.00                   Sale Price: $550.00                Quantity in Stock: 20
(96 points) Intense aromas of kirsch, currant and spice follow through to a full-bodied palate, with round, velvety tannins and a long, long finish. This is complex, changing on the nose and palate. Layered and structured. Will improve for many years to come. (JS) (3/2006)  Wine Spectator

1980 Chateau Montrose St Estephe Bordeaux, France
Price: $275.00                   Sale Price: $225.00                Quantity in Stock: 6
Winemaker Notes: The result of rigorous selection at each stage of production, in both the vineyard and the winery, this great, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon wine is typical of the Saint-Estèphe appellation. Structured and tannic but with all the elegance and refinement of a Grand Cru Classé, with time it develops a delicate and complex bouquet. The wines have considerable ageing potential and are exceptionally long-lived.

1978 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe
Price: $330.00                   Sale Price: $280.00                Quantity in Stock: 5
(89 Points) Tasted at the Montrose vertical in London, the 1978 Montrose is a vintage that I had not tasted for a number of years. I was in for a pleasant surprise. It was a late picking, passim in Bordeaux, here picked between 3 and 17 October. Clear and graphite on the nose that tips you towards Pauillac in style, not intense but bridled with fine tension. There is a pleasing brightness on the palate, something uncommon with 1978s that can be a bit staid, fresh acidity with tertiary bay leaf notes, leading to a short and structured finish. Well-preserved bottles such as this will continue to give pleasure. Tasted June 2016.

2015 La Dame de Montrose St. Estephe
Price: $70.50                     Your Price: $62.04
(88-90 Points) "The 2015 La Dame de Montrose is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot that was picked between 15 September and 8 October. It has a perfumed, floral and pure bouquet with black cherries, blueberry and violets, all with commendable delineation for a deuxième vin. The palate is well balanced with a more sumptuous texture compared to its fellow Saint Estèphes, thanks to that lush Merlot that forms the core of this wine. It has commendable energy and feels approachable, therefore with 3-4 years in bottle, you should have yourself a fine if not exceptional La Dame de Montrose." - Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate, Drink: 2019-2032

1990 Chateau Montrose La Dame de Montrose St. Estephe
Price: $330.00                   Sale Price: $275.00                Quantity in Stock: 15
Another excellent 2nd wine and this wine is one of the best value. A baby version of Montrose, a bit more forward in style and slightly less concentrated.