2023 Dame de Montrose (St-Estephe)

The 2023 La Dame de Montrose has a much lighter, airier bouquet compared to the previous vintage, with tobacco-tinged black fruit, hints of liquorice and sea spray. Fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with a fresh entry, fine tannins, quite bright and tensile, with noticeable acidity and salinity keeping this on its toes toward the finish. Give this a couple of years in bottle, and you will have a fine Deuxieme Vin. 90 points

Silky tannins with grip and intensity, a lovely balance of texture and fresh acidities. Slate and pummice stone grip, this is delicious, with appellation typicity in its powerful black fruits, but measured with a saline kick on the finish. In organic conversion, to be certified 2025. 92 points

The 2023 La Dame de Montrose is a rich, heady wine. Succulent dark cherry, plum, new leather, spice, menthol, licorice and mocha are beautifully amplified. Explosive to the core, the 2023 possesses tons of aromatic intensity and pure volume. This showy, Merlot-based Dame is quite alluring. 92-94 points

Another strong performance from this bottling, which dependably numbers among Bordeaux`s top three or four second wines, the 2023 La Dame de Montrose reveals aromas of cassis, pencil shavings and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and dense palate that`s polished, pure and layered, with sweet tannins, lively acids and a saline finish. It`s a blend of 61% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. 91-93 points