Montrose 2001 750ml

Château Montrose, the Saint-Estèphe second growth overlooking the Gironde estuary, made a quietly impressive wine in 2001, a vintage often overshadowed by 2000. The blend is 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Merlot with touches of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, picked between late September and early October. Neal Martin found it initially reserved, with blackberry, tar, pencil box, Indian ink and cedar emerging with air, and described it as "tensile, minerally and edgy." The medium-bodied palate offers gently gripping tannins, fine acidity and impressive harmony, gaining complexity toward the finish. Decant for an hour or two; it should drink well through the mid-2030s.