Producer Profile
Château
Montrose
Château
Montrose is a Second Growth estate in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of
Bordeaux, the northernmost of the Médoc communes, just north of the
hamlet of Marbuzet.
It’s considered one of the premier estates in Saint-Estèphe not only due
to its wines, which are some of the longest-lived but due to its unique
microclimate. Only 800m from the Gironde, its vines and land
immediately surround the château. It’s also hailed
for its innovative approach to sustainability, aiming to save energy
and reduce its carbon footprint wherever possible.
Despite this modern approach, it is an estate that dates back to 1778.
The owner Nicolas Alexandre de Ségur sold seemingly unwanted scrubland
used for hunting to the Dumoulin family (also owners of Château Calon)
who cleared it and brought winemaking to the
exposed soil. A short while later and despite being less than 40 years
old at the time, Montrose obtained its Deuxièmes Crus (Second Growth)
status in 1840.
From 1886 it was the Charmolüe family who steered the estate through 100
years of excellence (despite some tricky times) and established this
château as the iconic estate we recognise today. Jean-Louis Charmolüe
owned the estate from 1962 to 2006 and it has
been in Martin and Olivier Bouygues’ hands since.
Château Montrose derives its name from the pink heather that flowers in
the surrounding hills: legend has it that sailors on the Gironde River
used to refer to the area as ‘Mont Ros’ (Pink Mountain).
The 95 hectares of vineyard that immediately surround the château are
positioned on a gravelly knoll, with vines on gravel and black sand and a
clay and marl subsoil. The vines produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and
Cabernet Franc.
OUR VERDICT:
Château Montrose, as the history above
details, has no Scottish connection whatsoever – perhaps that is the
sole reason it has not yet achieved promotion to 1st Growth status (writes a Scotsman)…!
Misplaced cheek aside,
the wines from this great property edge ever closer to the pinnacle.
Since the ownership change the wines have soared and become ever more
consistent, befitting its great terroir. They’ve done a tremendous job.
We love two Bouygues…
