1989 Château Montrose
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Tasting notes
Tasted out of magnum, the 1989 Château Montrose is a tour de force that certainly gives the 1990 a run for its money. Still youthfully purple/plum-hued, it has a classic Montrose nose of ripe currant and dark, almost blue fruits intermixed with saddle leather, tobacco, leafy, damp earth, and graphite. It's a concentrated, powerful Montrose that's full-bodied, has a deep, layered mid-palate, ripe yet still present tannins, and one hell of a great finish. Where the 1990 is broader, sexier, and more exuberant, this is more denser and focused, yet it's still a beast of a wine that brings awesome density, depth, and texture. It's clearly in its prime drinking window, blossoms with time in the glass, and has another 30-40 years of prime drinking, with a gradual decline thereafter. This is a Montrose that savvy readers should snatch up.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Robert Parker (Hedonist's Gazette)
More reviews and scores
The 1989 Montrose can be a magical wine, even if huge variation between bottles makes it something of a minefield for anyone with an aversion to the animal aromatic signatures of Brettanomyces yeasts. This particular example was one of the best I have had (and as one of the best Bordeaux from my birth year, it is a wine I have drunk several dozen times), offering up rich aromas of cassis, dark berries, black truffle, pencil lead, espresso toast and rich soil tones, followed by a full-bodied, ample and layered palate that's broad, sensual and enveloping, framed by sweet, powdery tannins. In fact, my handwritten notes include the words, "best bottle ever!"
The 1989 Montrose can flirt with perfection when it wants to. This bottle, poured blind, is not the best example I have tasted, partly because it displays just a soupcon of Brettanomyces on the nose. The aromatics have a lovely warmth, with blackberries, rosemary and pencil shavings. However, because of the Brett, I feel that other bottles display more delineation. The palate is well-balanced, with a succulent entry and moderate depth. It's a little more savory than expected, which is why I failed to identify it. I will put a question mark against my score because there are definitely better bottles out there. Tasted blind at Chez Bruce, London.
About the producer
Ch. Montrose is one of two Second Growths from Saint-Estèphe and one of the most consistent producers in Bordeaux. The wines from this property are both elegant and powerful, and some of the Médoc's most age-worthy .