Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The only Grand Cru Classé on the sandy plain of Saint-Emilion, Monbousquet is producing great wines thanks to huge investments by owner Gerard Perse. This Merlot-dominated blend is ripe, spicy, rich and open.
Barrel Sample:92-94 Points -
Wine Spectator
A horse of a different color, with savory and sage notes streaking past the well-endowed core of glistening plum, blackberry and boysenberry fruit. A polished mesquite edge frames all the elements, while the finish glides on. Best from 2017 through 2027.
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James Suckling
This is really soft and fine for Monbousquet. Full body, ultra-fine tannins and a chocolate, vanilla bean and berry character. Very fine. 60% merlot, 30% cabernet franc and 10% cabernet sauvignon. Better in 2017.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From the least hallowed terroir of the Perse family, the 2012 Monbousquet (a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon) displays spicy vanillin and new oak, Christmas fruitcake aromas along with incense, black cherry and blackcurrant fruit. It is medium-bodied, with light tannin in a very approachable style. It is certainly not the most concentrated Monbousquet ever made under the Perse regime, but it is very well-balanced and capable of hitting its prime in about 3-4 years and lasting 12-15.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.