2017 Monbousquet

This shows a prominent tobacco leaf note out front, followed by dark currantand blackberry paste flavors, studded with singed alder, savory and charcoal accents. Features muscular grip through the finish, with the savory edge leading the way. A bit burly for St.-Emilion, but should mellow in the cellar. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2022 through 2038. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 4,583 cases made. — JM

A soft, silky wine with plum and chocolate aromas and flavors. It’s full-bodied, yet caressing and delicious. Extremely open and drinkable already, but better in 2022.

This is a bold wine, full of structure and dense tannins. It has layers of black fruits, juicy acidity and a ripe, chocolate-coffee character. This producer is now producing great wines with richness and concentration.

The 2017 Monbousquet has turned out beautifully. Rich, ample and generous on the palate, it possesses striking depth from start to finish. A rush of blackberry jam, lavender, spice, menthol and smoke builds into the voluptuous finish. Yields are down a whopping 50%, but the wine that was made is just gorgeous.

The top wine from this estate of the Perse Family is the 2017 Monbousquet. The 2017 is the normal blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in roughly 70% new barrels. While the estate kept the blend (and quality) the same as past years, they had to make a draconian selection and lost two-thirds of the production. A more medium-bodied, elegant example of this cuvée, it has rock solid notes of black cherries, cassis, graphite, and spring flowers. Seamless, elegant, and silky on the palate, with terrific purity, it’s going to gain weight with time in bottle and should easily be an outstanding wine that’s more than worth checking out.

Incense, red cherries, thyme and smoke open the wine. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, full, velvety, polished and forward. The fruit is bright and you sense true freshness. The percentage of new oak has dropped to 50%, placing the fruit center stage.

Exubérant, sur l’orange sanguine et un côté truffé ; la bouche est fuselée, plutôt allongée, le tanin ferme sur la finale. L’élevage contribuera à lui donner de la chair et de la finesse.

This vineyard was significantly hit by frost, but I was told there was no use of second-generation fruit. Composed of 60% Merlot, 30% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Monbousquet gives up notes of crushed blackberries, black raspberries and kirsch with touches of black truffles, Marmite toast and tapenade. Medium-bodied, the palate has a firm structure of grainy tannins and just enough freshness to support the earthy, muscular fruit, finishing on a mineral note. Drinking Window : 2020 - 2032