CHÂTEAU MONTROSE
2024 2ème Cru Classé Saint Estèphe
The 2024 Montrose has a little more Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend due to the yields in various parcels. It was picked between September 23 and October 7 and matured in 60% new oak. The well-defined and very able nose demonstrates classicism, fine delineation and a little more florality than the Terrasse III. The palate is medium-bodied with very finely chiselled tannins and a keen line of acidity. This symmetrical Saint-Estèphe is blessed with an elegant, sapid and reassuringly precise finish that the estate seems to have honed in the last few years. It does not have the unbridled ambition of, say, the 2020 Montrose, but it is exceptionally well crafted and will become a fine Saint-Estèphe. Drinking range: 2032 - 2058 Rating: 94-96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2025)
In Bond
75cl bottles (wood case of 6)
* 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.
A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, the 2024 Montrose is a serious, muscular effort that numbers among the wines of the vintage. Unwinding in the glass with notes of cassis, burning embers, cigar wrapper and iris, it's medium to full-bodied, dense and layered, with a lively spine of acidity, rich structuring tannins and a long, penetrating finish. With both the highest proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon recorded at Montrose and a rather low pH of 3.55, it will surely number among the longest lived 2024 Bordeaux.
Montrose was one of the terroirs favored by the 2024 vintage, experiencing comparatively good weather at flowering and at least a moderate hydric constraint at veraison. Viticulture was adapted to conditions, with deleafing a month earlier than usual, retention of cover crops for as long as possible and hedging canopies higher to boost ripening. Two green harvests, one on July 20 and another at the end of veraison, brought more homogenous maturity. Harvest took place between 23 September and 7 October. Rating: 93-95 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (May 2025)
This shows finesse and elegance as well as plenty of subtle red currant and blackcurrant character. Medium-bodied with refinement and length. Tender, vivid and pure. Extremely well done in a difficult year. 80% cabernet sauvignon, 17% merlot and 3% cabernet franc. Rating: 96-97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2025)
80 Cabernet Sauvignon, 17 Merlot, 3 Cabernet Franc: 38 hl/ha: Harvest took place between 23 September and 7 October: 13% press wine
After a very wet Spring, a very dry Summer, and a wet September, Montrose battled the conditions like every other estate, but they were one of the few organic estates that ended up with surprisingly impressive yields. There was enormous disease pressure here, and they removed leaves in June, a month earlier than usual. Removing leaves during fruit set is uncommon, but improving the atmospheric conditions around the grapes to fight mildew was crucial. The teams left lots of grass in the vineyard rows to improve competition between the vines and the grass. They also preserved the canopy to enhance photosynthesis. The main aim was to produce sugar and anthocyanins. A substantial green harvest ensued to concentrate the power of the vines, removing a lot of grapes on younger vines (halving crops) and around 30% of veraison, to remove all the ‘late grapes’. They also worked especially hard with Merlot, removing the ‘wings’ with a couple of tries. By this stage, they had never done this much work in the vineyards. The final exercise was removing leaves on the west side of the vines on the 20th of August. They usually do this just before harvest. By the end of August, they had pristine, ripe fruit and a decent yield of 38 hl/ha – remarkable for an organic estate. In truth, this was a real Bordelais vintage, with classic rainfall and multiple challenges, but they picked all 78 lots, block by block, with perfectly ripe fruit. In common with the other finest estates, they worked extremely hard on the press wine. The Montrose theme of the 2024 vintage is ‘Embruns Atlantique’, which translates as Atlantic sea spray or wind-blown breaking waves, which have greatly influenced this magnificent wine. Made from Terrace 4 only, or the original plantings at Montrose – its name is derived from its historic position as a hillside covered in pink heather (Mont Rose). The wine itself is super-intense, strict, powerful and staggeringly long. I sensed a wine built for eternal life because of its incredibly dense fruit tones and magnificent tannins. That these monumental traits can be delivered with such freshness and cadence is baffling. I particularly admire the Barolo-like bitterness that teases the taste buds, bringing magical qualities to the finish. This is an insanely delicious and compelling wine, and it completely took my breath away. 19.5+/20 QP Rating: 19.5+ Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (May 2025)
75 CS 21 M 4 CF 13% All the hallmarks of Montrose are here to scent with the floods of black fruit and liquid raspberry underneath a curtain of sweetly spiced oak. Very inviting and complex. Lush purple fruit in the mouth and with beautifully poised fresh acidity and managed tannins. This will be relatively early maturing, but hold for some time after that, and I feel sure will come to be regarded as one of the wines of the vintage. Rating: 96 Rod Smith MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2025)
The 2024 Montrose exudes Cabernet Sauvignon character in its aromatic savoriness and tannic structure. In fact, the 2024 has the most Cabernet Sauvignon ever. Tightly wound today, the 2024 impresses with its energy and focus. There's a bit less mid-palate and overall heft than most years, as well as a brighter fruit profile. Floral, spice and mineral overtones lend brightness throughout. The 2024 is a super-classic, nervy Montrose that will need a number of years to be at its most expressive. Aging is projected to be 18 months, with 60% new oak. Drinking range: 2034 - 2064 Rating: 94-96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2025)
Beautifully deep colour, this shows chalk, violet flowers, peony, fragrant and enticing floral profile compared to so many in the vintage, this is excellent, cocoa bean, cassis, depth, layers and concentration - one of the wines of the vintage. 15% press wine, a little more than usual. Harvest 23 September to 8 October, Pierre Grafeuille estate director. Drinking range: 2032 - 2050 Rating: 95 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Apr 2025)
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. Many properties specify a standard case format, and may make additional charges for six-bottle cases, for example. We offer wood cases of six bottles as standard where these are available without extra charge, but we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. If you want six-bottle cases where a 12 bottle case is offered, please check for the extra case charge. 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
- +£9.50 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 2027. 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.