Château Montrose Vertical (2017-2019)

Extremely aromatic with currant, wild-herb and fresh-violet aromas. This is regal cabernet sauvignon at its finest. The palate has unwaveringly long and defined tannins that carry such fresh, piercingly pure, redcurrant and cassis flavors. A twin to the superb 2015? A blend of 76% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.

Montrose has solar panels and uses geothermal energy to manage temperatures in the barrel halls and vats. The 2017 is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon (with 20% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot), aged in oak for 18 months. Georgie Hindle: Fleshy, juicy, bright, softly sweet. Mouthcoating, velvet-like flavour and texture. Nice menthol edging of the fruit. Feels very controlled and purposeful. Vincenzo Arnese: Nice mix of prune, figs and blackberry, with vibrant notes of cloves and nutmeg. Palate is concentrated and rich. Good finish with integrated tannins. Andy Howard MW: Restrained at first, this broadens and evolves with aeration. Intense palate with graphite notes, a touch of leafiness and fine tannins point towards a very long life ahead.

The 2017 Montrose is one of the most compelling wines of the vintage. Wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, sweet berries, rose petals and pencil shavings, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and seamless, with an enveloping core of vibrant fruit, supple tannins and a perfumed finish. This is an unusually suave, youthfully approachable vintage of Montrose that will offer a broad drinking window.

A full-bodied powerhouse as well as a perfect wine, the 2018 Château Montrose is a final blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc that was raised in 60% new French oak. Boasting a deep purple hue as well as awesome levels of crème de cassis and smoky blackberry fruits and notes of tobacco, lead pencil, scorched earth, and chocolate, it's deep, opulent, and incredibly concentrated on the palate, with no shortage of mid-palate depth, tannins, or length. It reminds me a little of a fresher version of the 2003, although there's more Cabernet Sauvignon in 2018 as well as less Merlot. It has that classic Montrose minerality and backward, mineral-laced style, yet I suspect this will be drinkable in just 5-6 years and should evolve into a modern-day legend from this terroir.

Purity and beauty on the nose with blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, crushed-stone and violet character. A full-bodied red with masses of polished tannins and intense flavors of currants and blackberries. Juicy finish. Super depth to this. Goes on for minutes. Try after 2027.

Rich and deep with beautifully nuanced dark chocolate, mocha, cocoa bean and liquorice. Just full of understated power and silky tannins. This is gorgeous and among my top wines of the Left Bank. As it opens in the glass you get sweet black cherry and cassis flesh, and a sense of lilting sappiness. Great stuff from Montrose.

The wine has a massive structure, great concentration. It now really shows the results of the massive investment of the owners, the telecom magnate Bouygues family. The powerful tannins mask the impressive black fruits and the wine's rich berry flavors. This magnificent wine will develop slowly over many years. Drink from 2027.

Another triumph from Montrose. Dense, rich and powerful, there is plenty of new oak evident at the moment (60% used). A beautifully sculpted wine which has power and structure, yet huge reserves of plush, refined tannins. Violets pervade the nose together with an inky, opaque hue all pointing to a very long future. Finishes a little dry at the moment but this will resolve with several years careful cellaring. A great St-Estèphe with masses of class and concentration.

As I wrote last year, the 2019 Montrose is performing very well, wafting from the glass with a dramatic, perfumed bouquet of wild berries and cassis mingled with notions of lilac, violets, pencil shavings and licorice, framed by nicely integrated new oak. Full-bodied, layered and seamless, it's deep and multidimensional, with lively acids, beautifully refined tannins and a long, resonant finish. While analytically it's almost as powerful as the 2018, the 2019 is much more suave, sensual and polished, its tannic structure and alcohol more harmoniously integrated into its sweet core of fruit.