DAME DE MONTROSE
2022 Saint Estèphe Château Montrose
A second wine that would embarrass numerous classified growths, the 2022 La Dame de Montrose unfurls in the glass with aromas of blackberries, violets, rose petals, charcoal and loamy soil, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy palate of striking concentration, energy and dimension. Seamless and complete, it's a blend of 71% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Rating: 92-94 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Apr 2023)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
The 2022 La Dame de Montrose is deep, pliant and rich. All of the intensity of this warm, very dry vintage comes through in the wine’s sheer size and ripe, dark profile. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, licorice, spice and espresso are all amplified in this decidedly intense, concentrated La Dame. Qualitatively, there is little question this could have easily been a Grand Vin in a preceding generation. The 2022 is a stunning La Dame. Drinking range: 2028 - 2042 Rating: 92-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2023)
The 2022 La Dame de Montrose represents 43% of production this year and comes from Terrace 3 glacial deposits (the Grand Vin is on Terrace 4 that has more clay). It has a clean and pure bouquet with wild strawberry, boysenberry and light marmalade notes percolating through with time. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a succulent entry, fine depth, slightly powdery texture. There is much more grip on the finish compared to the 2021 last year. Excellent. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 91-93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2023)
The blend is 71% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, with a yield across the estate of 31 hl/ha. This took 40% of production. The Merlot features more in the blend as it was a little more generous this year, and was of high quality. The nose is all sweet blackcurrant fruit with layers of toast and cigar, with a little sooty richness. The palate feels rather restrained, certainly modest in terms of substance and texture, with lithe currant and sooty blackcurrant fruits, as well as a soft ribbon of tobacco tannins tied all around, and a sense of easy freshness. It finishes with a little flourish of dark tannin. This is a charming La Dame with a soft structure which will certainly be approachable within the first 6 or 7 years. The élevage will be in 30% new oak. The alcohol is 14.6% on analysis. Rating: 90-92 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (May 2023)
71% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Lots of Merlot this year. Broad and spicy with red-fruit notes. Suave, round and opulent but manages some freshness as well. Surprising length with a bit of alcohol on the finish. (JL) 14.6% Drinking range: 2028 - 2038 Rating: 16.5 James Lawther MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (May 2023)
Wonderful freshness and brightness to this with currants and red berries, as well as chocolate and hints of coffee. Full and layered with round tannins and a fresh and vivid finish. Lemon rind underneath it all. It has lots of length for being mostly merlot. 71% merlot, 23% cabernet sauvignon, 5% petit verdot, and 1% cabernet franc. From organically grown grapes. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2023)
Higher proportion of Merlot than usual in the blend, this is deep ruby red in colour and opens to sandalwood, cedar, black pepper and rosemary notes, alongside ripe blackberry and creme de cassis fruits. A lucky vineyard located next to the river at one of the widest points of the Estuary, this is impactful and confident, with the fingerprints of the vintage. 31hl/h yield. 30% new oak. Drinking range: 2027 - 2038 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Apr 2023)
Château Montrose
St Estèphe Deuxième cru 1855 Wine production St Estèphe developed much later than further south in the Haut-Médoc - indeed, the vineyards of Château Montrose were not planted until 1815, when it was then part of the Calon-Ségur estate. Only 40 years later, not only had Montrose seperated from its parent, it had surpassed it, being one of only two St Estèphe estates to be awarded 2nd Growth status in the 1855 classification. Montrose sits nearer the river than Cos d'Estournel on classic Haut-Médoc gravel soil - the last outcrop as you head north. The 65ha of vines are 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The Grand Vin spends 18 months in wood (70% new). A second wine was introduced in 1983 - La Dame de Montrose - aged in wood for 12 months (20% new). Montrose is a noted performer in weaker vintages, possibly because of a generous micro-climate which allows slightly earlier picking than most of the Haut-Médoc. The wines age brilliantly.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2024 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2026. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.