CHÂTEAU MONTROSE

As with the 1982, the colour is starting to soften and brick around the edges, but the main body of the wine remains a deep plum. A reminder once again of how brilliant the 1996 classified Médocs are right now. It is gentle, with caressing tobacco and campfire notes and the signature cassis and blackberry of Montrose. The finesse and the juicy, mouthwatering finish is so impressive, growing in intensity as it comes in waves through the palate. This is peak Montrose, in a year that was generous in its yields, if not quite as much as the 1982, but well over 45hl/h. Not huge amounts left at the estate now, as these were the years when almost everything sold En Primeur, up to 95% of production. Harvest September 23 to October 6. Drinking range: 2021 - 2045 Rating: 97 Jane Anson, Decanter (Sept 2021)

Tasted at the vertical in London, I have instead used the tasting note from a bottle opened at the property when I visited just a couple of weeks later. The 1996 Montrose is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot picked between 23 September and 6 October. It was served alongside the 1986 Montrose, however, this is a far better wine and reconfirms Robert Parker's remarks at his own vertical at the property in 2014. For me, it is that loamy character that defines the nose—freshly tilled, damp soil that tinctures the black fruit —that takes you straight to this particular château. This is classic through and through and very well defined. The palate is wonderful with very fine delineation, pitch-perfect acidity, touches of graphite infusing the red and black fruit that dovetails into a very pretty, floral finish. This is clearly one of the great wines of the 1996 vintage and I would be stocking up as much as I could, because it will give 30-40 years of pleasure. Tasted July 2016. Drinking range: 2018 - 2055 Rating: 96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2017)

This was a very strong year for the Medoc, as opposed to Graves and the Right Bank. The vintage has a very irregular reputation, but not so much for the Cabernet Sauvignon grape in the Medoc. Harvest occurred September 23 and finished October 6, a relatively short period, even at a large estate such as Montrose. The wine has sweeter tannins than the 1995, but doesn’t have quite the ripeness noticeable in 2003, 2005, 2009 and 2010. This wine is the classic, or more traditional style of Montrose, with dusty loamy soil notes intermixed with blackcurrant and blackberry fruit. Licorice, underbrush and floral notes were all present in this wine, which has good acidity and is not far from entering its plateau of full maturity. This was a year where Montrose used a lot of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend – 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Rating: 95 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Aug 2014)