2015 La Dame de Montrose, Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux - 750ml

94 Points – James Suckling

La Dame de Montrose is the second wine of Château Montrose, drawing on the same Saint-Estèphe estate that produces one of the Médoc’s benchmark Second Growths. The 2015 is notable for its Cabernet Sauvignon majority, giving the wine more classical Médoc definition while retaining the supple texture and earlier accessibility expected of La Dame de Montrose.

Blend: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot.

Tasting Notes: Blackcurrant, black cherry and plum lead into graphite and violet, with tobacco, dried herbs and an earthy, lightly truffled character emerging with air. The palate is rounded and composed, balancing ripe dark fruit with savory detail, polished tannins and a fresh mineral quality through the finish.

Structure: Medium to full-bodied, with Cabernet Sauvignon providing definition and Saint-Estèphe firmness while the substantial Merlot component gives the mid-palate flesh and suppleness. The tannins have integrated well with bottle age, leaving the wine structured but increasingly approachable.

Drink Window: Now–2035. The 2015 is in an excellent drinking phase, with its fruit still present while tobacco, earth and other secondary notes are beginning to add complexity. Decanter likewise placed its drinking window through 2035, while Jeb Dunnuck projected development through 2039.

Decanting: Decant gently for approximately 30–45 minutes before serving. At more than a decade from harvest, moderate aeration is preferable to an extended decant, allowing the wine to open without diminishing its developing savory nuances.

La Dame de Montrose offers a particularly appealing way to experience the character of this important Saint-Estèphe estate at an earlier stage of maturity than the grand vin. The 2015 now combines Cabernet fruit with developing Bordeaux complexity, making it well suited to roast lamb, beef, duck, braised dishes or mushrooms—and a strong choice for drinking rather than simply cellaring.