Wine Enthusiast 94 pts, James Suckling 92 pts, Vinous 92 pts, Decanter 90 pts, Jeb Dunnuck 90 pts

La Dame de Montrose is the second wine of Château Montrose, whose consecutive five-star critical campaigns from 2009 onwards have placed it firmly among the most sought-after estates in the Médoc. The 2021 La Dame de Montrose carries both the pedigree of one of Saint-Estèphe’s greatest estates and the character of a vintage that, while less immediately celebrated than the outstanding 2018, 2019 and 2020 vintages, produced wines of excellent classical structure and freshness. The 2021 Bordeaux growing season was marked by spring frosts, difficult flowering conditions and a summer that required careful management before the crucial September weather delivered the conditions needed for fully ripe Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines that resulted from 2021 are structured, linear and classically proportioned in the Médoc tradition, requiring cellaring but promising long and rewarding development.

Montrose’s position in the Saint-Estèphe hierarchy, producing wines from deep clay-dominated soils on the Gironde’s edge that give the estate’s flagship wine its distinctive combination of depth, structure and longevity, is reflected in the La Dame even in a secondary selection year. The 2021’s naturally firm tannin character and good natural acidity sit well within the La Dame’s traditional profile of approachable structure and early-accessible Médoc fruit, and the second wine’s commercial positioning as the accessible counterpart to the Grand Vin of one of Bordeaux’s most consistently decorated estates gives it a market significance that extends well beyond its intrinsic quality.

La Dame de Montrose in the 2021 vintage provides collectors with an opportunity to acquire the Montrose house style and Saint-Estèphe terroir character at an entry-level price during a vintage of honest, classical quality. For those who follow Montrose across multiple levels and vintages, and for those seeking Médoc second wines of reliable provenance from a truly first-class estate, the 2021 La Dame offers genuinely compelling value within its category.

Deep ruby with a fresh and focused nose of blackcurrant, cedar, dried herbs, tobacco and a mineral note from the Saint-Estèphe clay soils. Medium to full-bodied on the palate with firm but structured tannins, excellent natural acidity from the 2021 vintage conditions and a long, classical, herb-edged finish. Best from 2026 through 2035.