La Dame de Montrose 2018

• James Suckling – (95-96)

Very dense center palate to the La Dame this year with purity of fruit and round, velvety tannins. Juicy, too. Sexy. Reminds me of the 1989 Montrose!

• ·         Wine Advocate – Lisa Perrotti-Brown (90-92)

Composed of 52% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, harvested from September 17 to October 5, the deep garnet-purple colored 2018 La Dame de Montrose delivers a profound nose of baked plums, blackberry preserves and raisin cake with touches of dark chocolate, licorice, Chinese five spice and sandalwood. Full-bodied, rich and opulent in the mouth, it fills the palate with ripe, generous fruit, backed by firm, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and spicy.

• Decanter – Jane Anson (91)

I can see here a comparison with 2009 in terms of generosity and enjoyment. It’s a big wine with lots of structure, so during extractions they had to be careful to stay on the cooler side, between 26°C and 28°C, the lowest since 2014. This has traces of heat, although it has clearly been extremely carefully handled and is well balanced. Ripe black fruits, rosemary and black olive notes are countered by tannins that gather at the end of the palate, showing just how much is going on here. Harvested commenced on 17 September and ran into October. 81IPT. 16% press wine.