| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Estèphe |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Montrose
The 1982 is nowhere near the quality of some of the Montroses made afterwards (1989, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008), but it has aged better than expected having developed more complexity and richness than barrel samples suggested. Sweet kirsch, black currant, crushed rock, and floral notes are followed by a full-bodied, opulent, fleshy wine displaying no hard edges. It still possesses beautifully pure fruit as well as good body, but it should be consumed over the next 5-8 years.
A wine that has long enjoyed a somewhat mixed reputation, the 1982 Montrose continues to drink very well at age 40; in fact, this tasting note reflects the best bottle I've ever drunk of this vintage. Exhibiting aromas of sweet berry fruit, cedar box and loamy soil, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, with lively acids, melted tannins and a soft, subtly leather-inflected finish. While it isn't as concentrated or characterful as the brilliant 1989 or 1990, for example, it's a generous, open-knit wine that's far from being in danger of imminent decline.
Served blind initially. Subtle, dry but gorgeously smooth-textured with fully evolved tannins. Really fresh with great drive and energy - almost like a fully ripe Cabernet Franc. Savoury, leathery, firm yet round. Admirably long. No hurry to drink this.
The wine reveals a healty dark ruby/garnet color, followed by a fragrant,sweet nose of black fruits intermingled with new oak and floral scents. Full bodied and opulent, with dusty tannin in the finish, this gorgeously proportined , rich, concentrated wine can be drunk now or held for two decades.
The Montrose ’82 has never been able to hold a flame to either the 1989 or 1990. Here at 30 years of age it has a slightly enervated bouquet: a little dusty with earthy black fruit that has mutated into secondary aromas; leather and sous-bois. The palate is balanced but not complex and feels like a runner who has completed one lap too many. There remains a pleasant Merlot core lending this Saint Estephe with approachability, but overall, it is missing both tension and pedigree. Tasted November 2012.
Focused, minerally. Gorgeous, round and velvety textured yet with very convincing freshness. This was a stunning bottle. True. Great combination of St-Estèphe rigour and 1982's richness. Not heavy. Tasting it was like a brush on the cheek with a feather. Lovely!
