Château Montrose 2012

Tim Atkin

Wine Enthusiast

Bright colour, still a very youthful appearance with a bright purple hue, high density. Beautiful purity on the nose. This one is displaying a high level of ripeness. Great intensity, with inky dark fruit, black currant, dark cherry and plum. Excellent purity with a good presence of stony minerality. Very discreet oak. There is a slight hint of roasted coffee bean, tobacco leaf. Very fine purity. That is bloody good. Very high density here. I really like this concentration. It is a high concentration with let’s say a modest extraction. The tannins are really finely polished, but they still give a really good lift here. Layers of inky dark fruit. Great purity with fine and spicy blackcurrant flavor. Some notes of bitter chocolate. Excellent density Produced in the magnificent new cellars at Montrose, this big, tannic wine is powerful and concentrated. It has something of the classic severity of a wine from this estate, but that's mitigated by the ripe, generous blackberry fruitiness and the final freshness of a 2012. A great success, to drink from 2022.

Andreas Larsson - Tasted

Bright colour, still a very youthful appearance with a bright purple hue, high density. Beautiful purity on the nose. This one is displaying a high level of ripeness. Great intensity, with inky dark fruit, black currant, dark cherry and plum. Excellent purity with a good presence of stony minerality. Very discreet oak. There is a slight hint of roasted coffee bean, tobacco leaf. Very fine purity. That is bloody good. Very high density here. I really like this concentration. It is a high concentration with let’s say a modest extraction. The tannins are really finely polished, but they still give a really good lift here. Layers of inky dark fruit. Great purity with fine and spicy blackcurrant flavor. Some notes of bitter chocolate. Excellent density and vibrant acidity as well. Good integration of oak and a very long finish. Quite massive today. I would say but it is mostly the fruitiness which has this density and weight. Really long and lingering finish, with excellent clarity and bright freshness. Very mineral, very persistent and highly potent. Very fine.

VertdeVin

The nose is elegant and offers fleshiness, a certain concentration, a very fine powdery side and richness. There are notes of crushed cherry, crushed raspberry and, more slightly, lily combined with a touch of balsamic, zan, colas, as well as hints of sweet blond tobacco, strawberry, racy minerality / iodised gravel, as well as a discreet hint of saltiness, nutmeg and vanilla. The palate is fresh, mineral, balanced and offers a nice mineral backbone, acidity, harmony, roundness, a nice grain, delicacy as well as a nice work on the bitter taste. On the palate this wine expresses fresh/juicy blackberry, crunchy raspberry and slightly juicy/pulpy cherry notes combined with hints of fresh/chunky blackcurrant, hints of liquorice/zan, colas as well as fine clove, cardamom, vanilla and a subtle hint of cardamom. Hints of crushed hazelnut on the finish.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Tasted at the château, the 2012 Montrose is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot picked between 24 September and 20 October. It underwent a particularly long maceration period between 26 and 28 days. It offers more fruit intensity than the 2011 Montrose with blackberry, raspberry and bilberry scents, quite backward and primal yet well defined. The aromatics almost mock you because returning after ten minutes, there are glimpses of underlying dried herb and mineral notes. The palate is medium-bodied, intense and very focused, clearly with more depth and sinew than the 2011, yet displaying impressive precision and energy on the finish, which bodes well for the long-term. Tasted September 2016.

James Suckling

Fascinating aromas of blackberries with cacao and buttery notes. This is a full-bodied red combining well-rounded tannins, lovely acidity and a mouth-watering finish. Yet turns firm and powerful. Drink in 2020.