Description
Gabriel
| Drinking maturity | wait (2020 - 2045) |
|---|---|
| Valuation | 18/20 |
| Barrel sample: 73 % of the production was selected as Grand Vin. 64 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 32 % Merlot, 3 % Cabernet Franc, 1 % Petit Verdot. Royal, rather slender Cabernet bouquet, delicate stem spice and delicate geraniol notes, liquorice, tar and traces of ink, backed by aromatic, slightly cold fruit. Long body on the palate, intense tannin-acid combination, firmly gripping astringency, perhaps still lacking some meat and fat in the centre, but this could be integrated with further barrel ageing, tending towards hardness with a still gently bitter finish. Although this is a very well vinified Montrose, it is also somewhat reminiscent of the old days when the wines were always promising and then somehow didn't really want to mature even after decades. When it has digested its tannins, it can still gain weight. So we can patiently hope that it will catch up with the other top Grands Crus (17/20). Tasted again at the winery in autumn 05. The power and potential are there. But where is the flesh and fat? I suspect that it will always remain hard! (17/20). 07: Rich, dark purple colour with a purple hue. Sweet, prune-scented bouquet, tarry notes, liquorice, deep and powerful, showing only a small part of its potential on the nose. Firm on the palate, still superficial, grainy tannins at the start of the tongue, fleshy, marked astringency, persistent with plenty of reserves. The potential would be enough for 18/20. But it really has to prove that its massive tannins will somehow become enjoyable in 10 years. 07: Tasted again in autumn in Basel, alongside some other 2004s. It really is bigger than I thought and this thing always has too much tannin anyway. So now it's all about the patience of the buyer. (18/20). 11: Dark, deep wine red colour. Deep nose, truffles, prunes, smoke, really beautiful, great Bordeaux on the nose. Sublime palate with lots of spicy, tobacco Cabernet flavours, still mealy-grainy tannins on the tongue, full of character, but also bourgeois in the traits, so; typical Montrose. (18/20). 15: Imperial bottle. Very dark colour still showing a lot of violet reflections. The nose is surprisingly open; blackberries and cassis, showing a beautiful depth and a completely straightforward approach. The palate is still in a fading fruit phase. In other words, it is relatively accessible at the moment, but will soon close up again. The potential is very promising and in 10 years it could even reach 19/20. 17: A hammer wine. Not unapproachable. But not yet mature either. There is always a bit of an upward trend. | |
