Tasted at BI Wine & Spirits' 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 Montrose has a crisp, earthy, tobacco-scented bouquet with sage and clove developing in the glass-clearly a Saint Estèphe that is determined to succeed in an off-vintage, which this estate is masterful at doing. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin. This bottle felt compact for this vintage, one of the few 2007s that merit decanting. However, there is undeniably plenty of freshness and a welcome touch of spice towards the finish. Linear in style, this is one of the few 2007s that should improve with bottle age. Tasted February 2017.
Berry and citrus fruit on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a soft-textured finish. Pleasant and fruity. Friendly and caressing. Just a touch hollow in the midpalate. Score range: 87-90
(12.8% alcohol; 64% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot) Bright ruby-red. Subdued aromas of currant, licorice and tobacco leaf. Suave and sweet for St. Estephe, with a currant flavor complicated by olive, mocha, shoe polish, mint and a light saline nuance. Offers good volume and breadth for the year and expands nicely on the back end. Finishes with sweet, silky tannins, a light herbal element and decent cut.