2020 Chateau Montrose, Saint-Estephe, France 750ml

A serious wall of blueberry and blackberry compote, and a ton of savoury Cabernet sinew and freshness. This is a great Montrose, inky, broad-shouldered and structured. It needs time to aerate and open in the glass, then you see the precision, the heft, the chiselling of the fruits with a ton of graphite, cigar box and campfire smoke - huge persistency. This will need a long time and will reward patience. One of the few where a 1986, 2016 and 2010 comparison makes sense. A yield around 30hl/ha. 1% Petit Verdot, 3.86pH, IPT 80. 45% of the overall production. (JA)

The 2020 Montrose was picked September 10-29; the clusters between 10% and 20% smaller than normal. It has an intense nose that is even more powerful than the 2019, revealing layers of blackberry, briar, cedar, pencil shavings and smoke that evolve wonderfully in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied, precise and poised, with unerring symmetry and perfect salinity. Very harmonious, almost pixelated on the finish. This is simply brilliant.