Review: |
"When you taste a barrel sample and the first thought that comes to mind is 'I want this in my cellar' you know you're tasting a rock star! The color of a pitch black night, this beauty is completely opaque. The wine is powerful, concentrated and palate staining. The fruits vary from black to dark red. The tannins are incredibly soft and sweet plus there is a polish that feels fantastic in your mouth. As the wine coats your palate, teeth and gums, you experience a beautiful purity of fruit, intensity and volume with lift and a finish that crosses the 60 second mark. Like all the top vintages of Montrose, you need to allow it time in the cellar, at least 10 to 15 years or if you're have patience 20. It is hard to fathom that Montrose has been able to put together an unequaled run of vintages at this high-level of quality. A vertical of 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018 is going to be fascinating to experience. The wine was made from blending 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, reaching 14.8% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. The Grand Vin was made from 52% of the harvest, which took place September 17 to October 5. The yields were quite low here due to issues with mildew, so the estate only realized 26 hectoliters per hectare." |