1998 Chateau Montrose 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe 1x750ml

Robert Parker 89

Deep purple colour. At first the nose was very tight, dusty black fruits and soot, turning more into dried prunes with aeration. The palate is very tannic as expected though I fear too tannic for the amount of fruit on the mid-palate. Quite chocolaty, that note becoming stronger with time in the glass. The finish is very masculine, dry and austere which is concerning. Will the tannins soften after the fruit has dried out? It needs another 5 to 8 years before entering any kind of drinking plateau. Tasted October 2003. [Neal Martin, 01/10/2003]

Anticipated maturity: 2008-0

Vinous 90+

Red-ruby. Cassis, black cherry, tobacco leaf, licorice and tangy bitter chocolate on the nose. Intensely flavored, bright and penetrating; as dense as the ’99 but firmer, more obviously structured, and in need of a good decade of bottle aging. Firm tannins suffuse the palate. Montrose has been making consistently excellent wine in recent years. [Stephen Tanzer, 05/01/2001]