Chateau Montrose 2008
- Vintage
- 2008
- Country
- France
- Region
- Bordeaux,St Estephe
- Size
- 750ml
- Rating
- WA94,WS91,WE94,JS94
- Grape
- Cabernet Sauvignon,Merlot
Dense, profound, purple color. Full and powerful wine: There exists a good balance between the smoothness of an aromatically fruity wine and the clean tannic texture, giving thus length and silkiness to this long ageing wine. The finish is of grand precision, with an exceptional softness.- Winemaker's Notes
Tasted at the château, the 2008 Montrose is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot picked between 29 September and 15 October. It has a far superior bouquet compared to the underperforming 2006 with black fruit, minerals, fern and briary. It is very composed, almost understated, yet clearly with great potential. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin, a fine line of acidity, powerful for the finish but with impressive mineralité and tension on the persistence finish. It is quite an audacious 2008 and one of the finest wines of the vintage. Tasted September 2016.- WA94
I impressed with the purity of fruit and ultra-fine tannins in this wine. It’s full bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Sexy and refined. Ends with spices and berries. Fascinating for the vintage. Chewy. Better after 2014.- JS94
Powerful yet still retaining a sense of restrained style, this wine is packed with ripe plum and sweet berry fruit flavors, laced with firm, dusty tannins. Acidity filters through the dense texture to give great freshness.- WE94
This has a density that sets it apart, with a pleasantly firm edge to the plum, black cherry and currant fruit, all wrapped with notes of iron, tobacco and savory herb. The long, rock-solid finish is still a bit tight, but it should meld nicely in the cellar. A fine effort for the vintage. Best from 2013 through 2020.- WS91
At Château Montrose, the terroir's potential is optimised on the basis of a very simple winemaking philosophy, summarised by Jean Bernard Delmas as follows: "wine is made in the vines and not in the winery." In other words, fine wine can only be made with good grapes. The finest terroir and best vineyard plots on the estate were identified many years ago. Vineyard work and winemaking methods are guided by a global,common-sense approach to the soil/vine/climate system.
Château Montrose overlooks the Gironde Estuary. In fact, the proximity of this vast body of water (called locally "The River") is a major advantage. The estuary is responsible for maintaining a mild microclimate and toning down extremes of temperature. Helped by the presence of nearby marshes, it provides remarkable air conditioning in the summer while also compensating for the rigours of the winter.
The large gravel found throughout the estate’s topsoil originated in mountains in the Massif Central and the Pyrenes. These pebbles absorb the sun’s heat during the daytime and release it at night. This is an important way of improving the maturity of the grape.