MONTROSE 2025

A magical, utterly profound wine in the making, the 2025 Château Montrose is a classic blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc that will spend 18 months in 60% new French oak, with 12% press wine included in the final blend. Pure cassis, graphite, liquid violets, and spicy wood define the aromatics, and it's sensationally pure on the palate, with full-bodied richness, beautiful concentration, ripe, polished tannins, incredible class, and a great finish. It reminds me of the 2016 with its finesse... and maybe there's a touch of 1996 here as well.

The 2025 Montrose is a very quiet, sophisticated Montrose. Silky tannins, lifted aromatics and mid-weight structure are the signatures. Time in the glass brings out lovely red-toned fruit character, along with hints of spice, blood orange, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco. It will be interesting to see how the 2025 develops with élevage. Today, it is a bit on the lighter side relative to the norm here. Some of that may be attributable to winemaking. Drink 2035-2065.

Integrated and creamy tannins that are long and polished deliver an impressive palate of medium body, juicy fruit and a refined finish. Character of black and red currants with hazelnuts. Refined. Extremely long and polished, with plenty of Montrose character. Balanced. All there for the vintage. A blend of 77% cabernet sauvignon, 19% merlot and 4% cabernet franc.

A timeless classic in the making, the 2025 Montrose unfurls in the glass with notes of dark berries, black truffle, burning embers and violets, gaining in range and detail with aeration. Full-bodied, dense and elegantly muscular, it's layered and multidimensional, with a prodigiously concentrated core of fruit, exceptional quality of tannin and a long, resonant finish. The 2025 is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc, derived exclusively from the estate's historic core on the fourth terrace situated just in front of the château itself. With a pH of 3.65 and 13.4% alcohol, it remains classically balanced despite its impressive power and intensity. Readers will have a fascinating time parsing the nuances of style and quality between the 2025, 2023 and 2022 over the decades to come!