La Dame de Montrose is the second wine of Château Montrose, the Deuxième Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Estèphe whose deep, gravelly clay soils on the bank of the Gironde produce Cabernet Sauvignon of formidable structure, depth and longevity that is widely regarded as among the most consistently age-worthy in the Médoc. The main wine of Montrose regularly commands scores of 95 to 100 points from approved publications and ranks among the finest Bordeaux estates of the modern era. La Dame de Montrose shares the fruit selection process and the winemaking precision of the Grand Vin, differing only in the specification of the lots selected at the final assemblage and therefore carrying both the pedigree of the estate and the character of the vintage in a format more accessible in its youth.

The 2012 Bordeaux vintage is now widely regarded as one of the most underrated of the decade, a vintage initially dismissed for its difficult weather conditions but which has proved, in the best estates, to produce wines of exceptional freshness, precision and classical balance that are developing beautifully with time. In Saint-Estèphe specifically, where the deep clay soils and the late-ripening character of the commune’s dominant Cabernet Sauvignon benefit from the vintage’s extended growing season, 2012 produced wines of notable structure and mineral clarity. A La Dame de Montrose from this vintage now approaching or entering its optimal drinking window represents a wine that combines the pedigree of a great estate with the pleasures of a well-developed Médoc red from a class vintage.

La Dame de Montrose offers collectors access to the Montrose house style and the estate’s Saint-Estèphe terroir at a price point well below that of the Grand Vin, making it one of the most compelling propositions in classified second wine Bordeaux. The 2012, with its combination of the vintage’s classical character and the estate’s rigorous selection process, provides a drinking experience that rewards those who have waited for the wine to develop its full complexity over a decade from release.

Deep ruby with a developed nose of blackcurrant, cedar, graphite, dried herbs, tobacco and the iron-mineral character of Saint-Estèphe clay soils. Full-bodied with well-integrated tannins after twelve years of bottle development, excellent natural acidity and a long, classical, herb-edged Médoc finish. Drinking beautifully now; best through 2032.