2006 Château Montrose, St Estèphe, Bordeaux

Tasted at the chteau, the 2006 Montrose has mostly been very inconsistent and frankly disappointing for such a consistent estate. Apart from one bottle, I have been unimpressed and there could well be a reason, given that it was a dropped catch between the change in ownership. It is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot, picked between 18 September and 3 October. It was the first vintage where green harvesting was conducted all over the estate and yields were 41 hectoliters per hectare. Frankly, this has long been a disappointing Montrose for me and this bottle did nothing to alter that view. The nose just lacks fruit and energy, not as green as I have encountered with other bottles, but just missing personality and intensity. The palate is medium-bodied and chewy in the mouth. Where is the precision and the tension? It just feels static and for want of a better word, rather dull on the finish. Sorry, this 2006 has never done it for me. Tasted September 2016.Neil Martin - 31/03/2017

The first vintage under new owner Martin Bouygues,who convinced Jean-Bernard Delmas to come out of retirement to produce this wine, the 2006 Montrose is an undeniable success. A blend of approximately two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon, one-third Merlot, and a tiny dollop of Petit Verdot, the most dramatic difference between the 2006, and wines made by the previous administration is that Jean Delmas produces wines with sweeter, silkier tannins, although analytically, they are as high as those found in the great Montrose vintages of the past. The 2006 is extraordinarily elegant and finesse-styled, but it exhibits stunningly concentrated, sweet blackberry and cassis fruit with hints of flowers and minerals. Full-bodied with a savory, expansive mid-palate as well as sweet, noble tannins, this beauty will benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age, and should drink well for 20-25+ years. robert_parker, Wine Advocate, Feb 2009