1964 Château Montrose
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Tasting notes
The 1964 Montrose is a vintage that I have tasted twice before with positive experiences. This bottle, opened by estate manager Pierre Graffeuille at the estate, is another impressive example. It has a surprisingly youthful bouquet with blackcurrant laced with tobacco, orange liqueur and even a hint of camphor. It is beautifully defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with impressive depth and grip. Fresh with attractive salinity, it just tapers slightly towards the finish, but that does little to detract from one of the best 1964s from the Left Bank when it favored the Right. Tasted at Château Montrose.
Critic scores
Neal Martin
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Tasted at the Montrose vertical in Stamford and again at the vertical in London a few weeks later, I wondered whether the 1964 Montrose would repeat its spectacular showing at the tasting back in 2004. The answer is yes. Picked between 18 September and 1 October, unlike many Left Bank estates, Montrose managed to avoid the mid-October rains that ruined the Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a stunning bouquet, Burgundian in style, laden with far more fruité than the 1961, 1966 and 1970. Beautifully defined, there are plenty of pretty red berry fruit here laced with candied orange peel. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, clearly a "feminine" Montrose, though that does not preclude it from delivering plenty of weight and fruit intensity. There is a touch of chlorine towards the finish, but otherwise this exquisite Saint Estèphe will continue to give great pleasure for many years. Do not ignore this wonderful Montrose if you ever see it. Tasted June 2016.
Pretty impressive, this wine obviously picked before the rain. Very deep crimson with a russet rim and a blackish hue. Fine, fruity nose – vigorous and sturdy. Very very big and deep-coloured. A yeoman wine – very confident but not fine. Dry finish but more impressive than the 1961. (JR)
Tasted at the Montrose vertical in Stamford and again at the vertical in London a few weeks later, I wondered whether the 1964 Montrose would repeat its spectacular showing at the tasting back in 2004. The answer is yes. Picked between 18 September and 1 October, unlike many Left Bank estates, Montrose managed to avoid the mid-October rains that ruined the Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a stunning bouquet, Burgundian in style, laden with far more fruite than the 1961, 1966 and 1970. Beautifully defined, there are plenty of pretty red berry fruit here laced with candied orange peel. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, clearly a "feminine" Montrose, though that does not preclude it from delivering plenty of weight and fruit intensity. There is a touch of chlorine towards the finish, but otherwise this exquisite Saint Estephe will continue to give great pleasure for many years. Do not ignore this wonderful Montrose if you ever see it. Tasted June 2016. Mar 2017, www.robertparker.com
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 .