Professional Ratings

• 100 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  For many years I have vehemently argued that the 1989 Montrose is a benchmark wine for the estate. Having tasted it several times over the last couple of months, I have never found a single occasion to alter that view. Tasted at the vertical in London, it continues to shine, having never lost any of its luster in recent years. It is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc that was picked from 11 to 28 September. Lucid in color, the aromatics do not hold back with vibrant blackberry, blueberry and black truffle, hints of sous-bois, all with sensational precision that few can match in this vintage (indeed, its precision lends it a veneer of modernity since "precision" is now more commonplace across Bordeaux). The palate is brilliantly balanced with filigree tannin. There is wonderful backbone here, extremely fresh and tensile, crystalline even with an exceptional detail, mineral-rich finish that lingers in the mouth. Difficult to fault, this might well be the greatest 1989 Montrose that I have tasted, and certainly wishing to take nothing away from the 1990 Montrose that I tasted alongside, the 1989 is now the one I would pick. Is this the greatest Saint Estèphe of the 1980s? I would put it within the top five Bordeaux of the 1980s. Could this be inching its way to perfection??? Tasted June 2016.
• 99 Jeb Dunnuck

  the 1989 Château Montrose is a tour de force that certainly gives the 1990 a run for its money. Still youthfully purple/plum-hued, it has a classic Montrose nose of ripe currant and dark, almost blue fruits intermixed with saddle leather, tobacco, leafy, damp earth, and graphite. It's a concentrated, powerful Montrose that's full-bodied, has a deep, layered mid-palate, ripe yet still present tannins, and one hell of a great finish. Where the 1990 is broader, sexier, and more exuberant, this is more denser and focused, yet it's still a beast of a wine that brings awesome density, depth, and texture.

• 99 James Suckling
  This was yet another wine I drunk with wine collector friends in Bangkok – the city is truly buzzing when it comes to wine and when you know where to look! On the nose, there were intense aromas of iron, pot iron and dried fruits, as well as hints of nuts and wet earth. On the palate, it showed a gorgeous texture of ripe tannins and lots of spicy and currant fruit character. A full-bodied, very soft and silky Bordeaux with lots of flavors and a superb finish. Just right now – indeed it seems to be getting younger with age, not older! Decant an hour before. I think it's better than the legendary 1990. It's certainly cleaner and more consistent quality.
• 96 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

  The 1989 Montrose can be a brilliant wine, but it's also subject to notable bottle variation. I drank this wine twice in 2021: the first was the best bottle of some two dozen I have encountered over the last decade, and the second (from a cold English cellar where it had been stored since release) was the worst. At its best, this is a remarkably rich, lavish Montrose, bursting with aromas of ripe berry fruit, cigar box, black truffles and grilled meats, delivering a full-bodied, voluptuous, low-acid profile on the palate. When the Brettanomyces dominates, the wine's aromas are marred by medicinal, band aid-like aromas and the finish is a touch dried out. My score reflects the wine at its best, but readers' mileage may vary.

• 96 Wine Spectator
  Intense aromas of crushed blackberry and mineral turn to dried flowers and dried fruits, staying fresh on the nose. Full-bodied, offering big, round tannins and loads of ripe, seductive fruit. This is decadent and wild, turning nutty and fruity. A beautiful bottle. This is very close in quality to the legendary 1990.