2020 Chateau Montrose St. Estephe

One of only 14 Second Growths in the 1855 Grand Cru Classe classification of Bordeaux, Chateau Montrose produces only two wines. The second wine, La Dame de Montrose was created in 1986. The first wine has achieved perfection in recent years as a result of an ongoing improvement from one of France's wealthiest families, the Bouygues, who acquired the historic property in 2006. The iconic Chateau is one of the most visually harmonious and architecturally perfect Chateau anywhere.

The Bouygues brother, who owns Clos Rougeard, the preeminent producer of Cabernet Franc, in Loire Valley, also owns one of the most important companies in France. Bouygues is on the CAC 40 and is an industrial giant in construction, media, telecommunications, and real estate. The estimated $55 million dollar investment over the last decade has brought the Chateau to soaring new heights. It's now often considered at the top of the pyramid among the great second growths and in all of the Medoc.

Since 1815, the iconic chateau has been referred to as the "pink mountain". The winery is now a must-visit for tourists in the area. The polish, decadence, and pleasure of the Montrose wines mirror the investment and perfection of the estate. 

2020 was a great year for Bordeaux. Vinous Media blessed this year with a 97-point review and said, "Two thousand-twenty is an exceptional vintage for Bordeaux, certainly the best in the 2018-2020 trilogy. Quality is very, very high."

71% cabernet sauvignon, 23% merlot, 6% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. 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.

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. This will be worth a special effort to seek out and only confirms Montrose's status as one of the contemporary Médoc's leading estates and a de facto first growth. Best after 2030. ~100 Robert Parker

The nose is fantastic with lead pencil shavings, iron shavings, blackcurrants and lavender. Full- to medium-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that run the length of the wine. Wonderful persistence and personality. Juicy and savory finish. Always classy and sophisticated at the end. Organically grown grapes. 71% cabernet sauvignon, 23% merlot, 6% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. ~99 James Suckling

A serious wall of blueberry and blackberry compote, and a ton of savory Cabernet sinew and freshness. This is a great Montrose, inky, broad-shouldered and structured. It needs time to aerate and open in the glass, then you see the precision, the heft, the chiselling of the fruits with a ton of graphite, cigar box and campfire smoke - huge persistency. This will need a long time and will reward patience. One of the few where a 1986, 2016 and 2010 comparison makes sense. ~98 Decanter

The Grand Vin 2020 Chateau Montrose is brilliant and unquestionably in the lineup of the truly greats from this chateau, including the 1989, 1990, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2018, and 2019. With an IPT of 80 and a natural alcohol of 13.4%, its deep, saturated purple hue is followed by quintessential Saint-Estephe notes of pure cassis, graphite, tobacco leaf, acacia flowers, and loamy earth. Full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, it nevertheless stays incredibly pure, elegant, and seamless, with perfectly ripe tannins. A blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, is shines even today for its purity and balance, and it should be in the early stages of its prime drink window within a decade. Best After 2031. ~98 Jeb Dunnuck

Gorgeously rendered for the vintage, with a well-endowed core of loganberry, mulberry and cassis flavors that roll through and are laced with a cast iron hint, while tobacco, warm stone and black tea accents swirl in the background. The long, authoritative finish steadily melds the fruit with the cast iron edge. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. ~95 Wine Spectator

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