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Monbousquet 2015

Tasting Notes

A rich and round wine with beautiful fruit and chocolate, meat and berry character. Full body and a juicy finish. Hard not to drink now as it’s so delicious. But wait. Drink in 2020 onwards.

95
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2018

Blended of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in French oak, 70% new, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Monbousquet simply sings even at this youthful stage with notes of crushed black cherries, mulberries and cassis with touches of lavender, cloves, Sichuan pepper and roses. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is finely textured with wonderful elegance and impressive depth, offering up perfumed black berry layers and a long finish that whispers fragrant earth suggestions. 2020 - 2034

93
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (Interim Fe), February 2018

Tasted blind. Very dark blackish crimson. Oily nose that is way over the top. Horribly charred, overdone style that seems straight out of the Pavie stable. Drying finish. 14.5%

13.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, February 2019

The 2015 Monbousquet is currently dominated by its chocolaty oak component and is a touch hard to read, yet has a big, full-bodied, opulent style on the palate that’s certainly promising. Give bottles 2-3 years at which point it’s going to be clear if its drunk up or if this amount of oak can actually integrate.

90
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, November 2017

Ripe fruit on the nose the start of the palate is sweet with depth of flavour in the middle. There is underlying firmness tight tannins and the fruit at the back is over taken by dusty dryness. 2022-34

87/89
Derek Smedley MW, DerekSmedleyMW.co.uk, April 2016

Very much in the Gérard Perse/Michel Rolland style, this is a plush, oaky, coffee and
chocolate-scented red that wouldn’t be out of place in the warmer bits of the Napa Valley.
Firm tannins, rich, cakey, figgy flavours and just enough acidity for balance. Drink: 2020-30

91
Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, April 2016

Rich, dark and fairly balsamic, the oak wants to command the attention in this wine but the fruit, albeit of the highly
extracted/sour style still manages to be at the front on the queue. Huge tannins and very dry this presumably will take
two decades to soften, but I am not sure I will be along for the ride.

16.5+
Matthew Jukes, Matthew Jukes' Blog, April 2016
Read more tasting notes...

The 2015 Monbousquet is a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon matured in 70% new oak. It has a ripe and sexy bouquet with black cherries, black olive and blueberry. The oak is nicely integrated here. The palate is full-bodied with saturated tannin, supple in the mouth, easy-going in some ways with a smooth rounded finish of licorice-tinged black fruit mixed with cassis and a hint of cedar, more evident on a second sample I tasted outside the château. What it needs is just more finesse and delineation but it should turn out nicely once in bottle. Drink 2019-2032

90/92
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (224), April 2016

Tight and structured with blackberry and blueberry character. Hints of almonds and spice. Full and savory. Velvety tannins.

94/95
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, March 2016

Exceptionally dark crimson. Deep-flavoured and mellow. Like fermented liqueur chocolates. Very tight on the end. A bit tough and charred on the end. Not my style - full marks for effort if not for achievement.
Drink 2026-2040

16.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2016
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.