Professional reviews
Robert Parker (100)
From barrel, I wrote that 2022 Montrose was so compelling that assigning it a bracketed score seemed a mere formality, and so it has proven. Unwinding in the glass with a deep and brooding bouquet of cassis, wild blueberries, violets, pencil shavings and burning embers, it's full-bodied, deep and dense, somehow marrying all the tannic authority that has long been such a signature of Montrose with a suavity and purity that represents the quintessence of contemporary Bordeaux. The broad, palate-staining finish lasts for more than a minute. This is a profound young wine that readers aren't going to want to miss.
Winespectator (96)
This is laden with gently steeped black currant, black cherry and blackberry fruit inlaid with flashes of licorice snap, singed alder, chestnut and gunpowder tea. A flash of lilac skirts the edges, adding subtle energy and lift. The long finish offers an alluring feel, with an echo of warm earth lingering amid the fruit. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
James Suckling (99)
Great depth in the nose, taking you into its core of blackcurrants, pencil shavings, graphite, tar, inkpot and cassis. Full-bodied and very tight, this flexes its polished muscles, showing form and tension. Compacted. From organically grown grapes. 66% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot, 8% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.
Jancis Robinson (18)
66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.
Blackish purple. Sumptuous nose. Extremely polished tannins! This caresses the palate until the not inconsiderable tannins kick in. Lip-smacking fruit with the commune’s stoniness kicking in afterwards and masses of ripe tannin. Not yet ready but very impressive indeed. (JR)
Vinous (100)
The 2022 Montrose is insanely beautiful. That much is obvious. When it might be ready to drink is another question. In recent years, Montrose has acquired notable finesse in its tannins, so that is not an issue. But the 2022 is packed with tremendous density and concentration that will need time to soften. Blackberry, graphite, licorice, lavender and chocolate stain the palate in a stunning, riveting wine of the very highest level. I can only hope to be around when the 2022 starts to drink well! Montrose is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Unforgettable.
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
One of the greats in the vintage, the 2022 Château Montrose is deep ruby/purple-hued and has a massive perfume of sweet crème de cassis, sappy tobacco, and freshly sharpened pencils. With incredible purity and precision in its aromatics, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, powerful, yet still somehow elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. Based on a classic blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, it spent 18 months in 60% new French oak. As I wrote during En Primeur, it has the essence of a Montrose-like character. While it’s not a massively backward or austere example of the château, it nevertheless deserves 10-12 years of bottle age and should have at least half a century of longevity. It is, without a doubt, in the same league as the 1989, 1990, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2018, and 2020.
Decanter (99)
A deep heady nose filled with fragrant black fruit, liquorice, tobacco and violets. Sumptuous and seductive, this walks the fine line between presenting the vintage with a heady, charged palate full of sun-kissed fruit and lashings of liquorice spice with pristine cherries and blackcurrants and a vein of salty, crushed stone and iron minerality. Gorgeous acidity keeps the profile lifted and almost airy before the density of the aromatics and flavours comes into play. So well constructed, this has muscles and serious power but within a sleek frame and a delicate chalky touch on the finish.
