Source: jamessuckling.com. Issue Date: Saturday, March 31, 2012 (JS-88-89)

A little lean with spices and berries. Minerals too. Medium body, with fine tannins and a delicately fruity finish. Second wine of Montrose. 72% Merlot — much more than normal. 28% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Source: 212, The Wine Advocate; Issue Date: 30th Apr 2014, (RP-86)

One of this appellation’s finest second wines, the 2011 La Dame de Montrose offers attractive black cherry and black currant fruit, soft tannins, medium body and a silky personality. While it lacks concentration, it makes up for it with its charm and forward appeal. Drink it over the next 7-8 years.

Drink Date: 2014 – 2022

Source: Winemaker

Made to the same rigorous standards as the First Wine, from grapes grown in the same vineyard, La Dame de Montrose is the estate’s second label. Supple and silky Merlot generally predominates in the varietal mix. Its very pronounced red fruit aromas and flavours reflect another expression of the terroir in a distinctive style which is less elaborately complex than that of the First Wine.

Consistently reliable and reaching maturity sooner, the wine was created in 1983 in tribute to Yvonne Charmolee, who ran Chateau Montrose single-handedly from 1944 to 1960. Production varies from one year to another but accounts on average for 40 ? 45% of the total production of the Montrose vineyard. Aged for 12 months in 30% new french oak barrels.

Main characteristics of the vintage

Snow, drought, heat waves, hail the Medoc vineyards were spared no extremes of weather during 2011!

This year more than ever, the vignerons were forced to truly understand and work with their environment and to adapt their techniques to the very specific climatic conditions which they experienced.

In the vineyard, the work was hard and intense; incessant attention and unrelenting efforts were required to ensure that the grapes reached full maturity. In the cellar, the vinification of each vat was carefully monitored and controlled in order to extract ripe, precise, and very silky tannins.

Balance is always a good thing, present all around us in nature. In addition to balance, we have sought to express through the wine freshness, fine aromatic qualities, and precise, well defined, yet supple tannins thus revealing the best of the wonderful terroir which is Chateau Montrose. Period of harvest: September 2nd – September 27th

Blend:

Cabernet-Sauvignon: 28 %

Merlot: 72 %

Tasting notes

The robe is silky with an average intensity and a beautiful cherry red colour. The nose is very expressive and concentrated, slightly sweet and woody, with a mixture of red fruit aromas, raspberry, and morello cherry. The palate is powerful and racy, combining suppleness and tight tannins. Beautiful length in the mouth, with tannins less evident in the after-taste. A Second wine well balanced and accessible.