Tuesday night saw a group of customers come together with FINE+RARE and Nicolas Glumineau – Chateau Montrose’s technical director – to enjoy fine wine, fine dining from our favoured restaurant Texture and a hint of philosophy from this “super second” producer.

We kicked off with a champagne favourite of both FINE+RARE and our customers:

1999 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

The following were then served throughout the night in pairs, with some enlightenment from Nicolas as we proceeded through the evening. To begin “Anjou Quail, Chargrilled Sweetcorn, Shallot, Bacon Popcorn, Red Wine Essence” was matched with:

2007 La Dame de Montrose

Gentle oak influence adds vanilla to the strawberry notes on the nose. Although this sounds simple flavour-wise, this wine is in fact rich, with notes of maturity already that are typical to the 2007 vintage. The body is firm yet very silky with more strawberry and oak notes coming through from the nose to the palate. This is a delicious wine, which on returning to 15 minutes later, developed serious chocolate notes.

2007 Montrose

A much more closed nose meets you with the big brother of La Dame, leaning more towards perfume and roses than fruit but still some strawberry fruit hints. What a surprise the palate is then which is much more mature, with the oak obvious in both the rounded tannins and the lasting vanilla. This is even silkier than La Dame and goes down very easily but with an abundance of freshness. Again, a bit of air, a bit of time, and the chocolate notes really get going.

“Pyrenees Lamb Shoulder, Wild Icelandic Herbs, Mustard” followed with the legendary 2000 and 1995:

2000 Montrose

So fresh and young on the nose having just tried the more forward 2007 vintage. The palate is more forward and loaded with fruit – cherries, blackberries, strawberries – and still that lingering nod to perfume notes, violets and some liquorice.

1995 Montrose

A funny nose, that fluctuated in the glass constantly between open and closed. This was double decanted yet seemed to need much more time to allow its bouquet the time to open up and be appreciated. The palate seals the deal on the age though with really savoury notes shot through with some sous bois, all really really good. Despite this maturity there is so much freshness, that is the lasting impression as this wine lingers on for minutes.

Along with our cheese course came the oldest vintages of the night:

1985 Montrose

Overwhelmingly mature Bordeaux nose showing cigar box, savoury meat, smoke, some sweet smoke; this is a wine I could stick my nose in for hours. Then it shuts down! If would have loved the opportunity to taste this hours after the first pour, I am sure it would hold up well. Damp wood soon clears up on the palate for smoky meat, layers of freshness and all this still needs more time to combine, though utterly delicious to enjoy now.

1975 Montrose

Last of the reds, 1975 had hidden its bouquet entirely but the staff assured us that on opening the bottle it had erupted. Again, this is a wine to enjoy the development over several hours. Surprising bready notes appear on the palate, very different from everything that has come before. Whether this was a little tired or just keeping quiet when I tried I am not sure. It was very pleasant but in an unexpected way for a 70’s Bordeaux.

We broke from tradition – port, sweet wines – to offer an unusual match to the evening’s dessert of Icelandic Sykr, Mara des Bois Strawberries, Muesli, Granite:

NV Taittinger Nocturne

Amanda Baxter