La Dame De Montrose Saint-Estephe 2018

Description

Made to the same rigorous standards as the First Wine, from grapes grown in the same vineyard, La Dame de Montrose is the estate’s second label. Supple and silky Merlot generally predominates in the varietal mix. Its very pronounced red fruit aromas and flavours reflect another expression of the terroir in a distinctive style which is less elaborately complex than that of the First Wine.

Consistently reliable and reaching maturity sooner, the wine was created in 1983 in tribute to Yvonne Charmolue, who ran Chateau Montrose single-handedly from 1944 to 1960. Production varies from one year to another but accounts on average for 40 a 45% of the total production of the Montrose vineyard. Aged for 12 months in 30% new French oak barrels.

"Black-cherry colour with black core. Fragrant with violets and cassis. So aromatic. Very fine tannins, many layered, dry but not at all obstreperous. Rich in the darkest of rocky black fruit, really ambitious and successful. Deep, long and remarkably juicy. Almost silky on the finish."
Score 17+
(Julia Harding, Jancis Robinson, April 2019)