2017 La Dame de Montrose

94 POINTS

James Suckling

Very pure and attractive red cherries, plums and wild herbs on the nose here. Impressive polish and poise on the palate. The cabernet fits really beautifully into the merlot, delivering cassis, ripe red plums and spiced mulberries. A blend of 49% merlot, 43% cabernet sauvignon, 4% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. Second wine of Château Montrose. Drink or hold. Better after 2022.

92 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

The second wine of Montrose shows tannins and great freshness from the black-currant flavors and succulent acidity. Drink from 2022.

92 POINTS

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - Wine Advocate

The 2017 La Dame de Montrose is a blend of 49% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, aged in 30% new and 70% one-year old barrels for 12 months. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with warm red currants, black cherries and black raspberry scents, followed by earthy/underbrush notions plus hints of violets, dark chocolate and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied and firm, with loads of mouth-coating juicy fruit, it has a velvety texture and long, mineral-laced finish. It should be approachable pretty much from the get-go, although don't let its precociousness make you underestimate its aging potential. Nicely done!

91 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2017 La Dame de Montrose has come together well during its élevage, but it remains a bit burly in feel and in need of more time in bottle to soften some of the edges. Sweet tobacco, cedar, grilled herbs, chocolate, menthol and licorice add pretty savory and earthy top notes. I would give the 2017 another few years in bottle. It finishes with terrific depth, in the understated style of the year. Tasted two times.

90 POINTS

Jane Anson - Decanter Magazine

A good year for Dame de Montrose, showing extremely well balanced plum and damson fruits, and a lovely texture. There was no frost here, as you would expect from a vineyard so close to the Garonne river. Harvest took place between 12-29 September. 4% Cabernet Franc makes up the blend given here. The cellar is now equipped with over 90 small-sized vats, and this is matured in 30% new oak. 40% of production.

Neal Martin - Vinous

The 2017 La Dame de Montrose is attired in a newly redesigned label embossed with the roses that represent those cultivated at the end of vine rows. It has a very composed bouquet with blackberry, bilberry and briary aromas, nicely focused and with satisfying freshness. The palate is really all you could wish for in a second wine: approachable, fresh, well balanced with a slightly grainy texture. The fruit appears very clean and precise and the harmony on the finish encourages another sip. It is more approachable than some of the previous vintages, insofar that after a 12 to 18 months in bottle, this will be ready to go. Worth seeking out.

Wine Spectator

Bright and fresh in feel, featuring a stream of lilac and red currant aromas and flavors, backed by light chalky minerality on the finish. Moderate in scale, but pure and balanced. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2022 through 2029.

Julia Harding MW - JancisRobinson.com

49% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. Deep crimson. Much more scented than the Tronquoy-Lalande, lovely dark fruit on the nose. But still with that savoury graphite quality of the grand vin. Fully ripe but not sweet. Even a touch floral. Silky texture, tannins are so supple. Lightish but juicy on the mid palate and with a good balance between fruit and freshness even in this lighter mode. Score: 16.5/20