2003 Saint-Estèphe, Château Montrose
About Producer
Montrose 95ha vineyards lie in one block between the château and the Gironde estuary, on gravel, large stones and ferrous sands over clay and limestone subsoil. Bearing witness to the exceptional quality of its terroir, Montrose was classified as a Second Growth just a few decades after its creation in 1815 by Étienne-Théodore Dumoulin who cleared and drained at enormous expense the patch of moorland sold to his family by Nicolas-Alexandre de Ségur, aka the Prince of Vines. The name Montrose comes from the pinkish heather that once grew on these slopes. The property was sold in 1896 to the Charmolüe family who managed it over a century before it was acquired by the Bouygues brothers in 2006. The new owners immediately rolled out a massive renovation and modernisation programme to transform Montrose into an eco-friendly, organically farmed estate. The recent vintages produced here have definitely positioned Montrose at the very top of the Left Bank elite, not far behind the First Growths.
Varietals
Blend of 62% cabernet sauvignon, 34% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.
About Appellation
With 1,229ha of vines, and roughly equidistant from the city of Bordeaux and the Pointe de Grave, the northernmost tip of the Médoc peninsula, Saint-Estèphe is the second largest AOC communal appellation of the Médoc. Though the first vines dated back to Roman times, the expansion of vineyards started in the 14th century with the creation of estates that still exist today. The soil is a mix of gravel, clay and sand, with a slightly higher proportion of clay than elsewhere in the Médoc. Hence Saint-Estèphe has a unique ability to hold water reserves. The best vineyard sites are the gravelly mounds facing the Gironde estuary where cabernet sauvignon is the majority varietal. In recent years, there has been a shift by some estates toward merlot which performs better on clay-rich soils. Saint-Estèphe is home to 5 grands crus classés in the 1855 Bordeaux classification.
Tasting Notes
Enticing nose of dark fruits, mocha, caramel, cigar box, graphite, cedar and roasted herbs, dense mouthfeel with taffeta-like texture, ample volume and remarkable precision, multilayered flavours of blackberry, cassis, plum, cocoa powder, coffee, brown spices, liquorice and hints of menthol underpinned by a firm mineral backbone, well-embedded acidity and seamless tannins leading onto a long, persistent finish. One of the hottest years ever witnessed in Bordeaux, 2003 has always been controversial. Having come round in spectacular fashion, this is a phenomenal wine with composed poise, vivacious character and amazing depth that, unlike most 2003, is still far from its peak. Thanks to its water-retenting clay subsoils and the estuary breezes that cooled down searing hot temperatures, Montrose did pull off an extraordinary wine in 2003. At 21 years old, the power and fruit intensity are intact, coupled with a bead of mouthwatering freshness on the palate that brilliantly counterbalances its trademark muscularity. Brimming with effortless elegance and stunningly lithe for its age, this is undoubtedly one of the best 2003 Bordeaux I’ve tasted so far. (05/2024)