>I have 5 bottles of the 75 Montrose that have been stored properly since
>release. I might open one within the next 5 years.

My last 5 notes:

Montrose (St. Estephe) - This wine has been quite backward, even by
the standards of this vintage, until quite recently. I had a bottle
the week before as a test, and enjoyed it, and this one was entirely
consistent. It had a nice cedar and fruit nose, and the fruit was
exhibited on palate, with a pleasant smoothness, not too tannic, as it
was well balanced by the flavour intensity. Now entering it''s
(probably lengthy) plateau of drinkability.


1975 Montrose - I am a big fan of this tough vintage, or at least of the wines
that had enough fruit to outlast the substantial tannin that earmarks this
year. This Montrose was by far the darkest wine of the flight, and had the best
nose. It has the usual high level of tannin, with only slightly inadequate
fruit that tailed off a bit at the end when it hardened up. My bottle was not
as good as several I have had of this wine, and one table that obviously had a
good one, voted this wine of the night. I desperately wanted to like this one,
but knowing what it could be, I had to give the nod to the 83 La Lagune.

1975 €“ a similar somewhat light colour, with a nice nose of mature fruit, a
bit herbaceous, and not much oak showing. It also had a rather startling
structural resemblance to the 89. This is a good wine that the big "P
doesnt like much (he doesnt like the 85 much either).

1975 Montrose - bit of sulphur initially on nose blew off, leaving a fairly
tannic yet surprisingly forward wine tht finished a little on the acidic side.
I never thought this one would come around, shame it has lost a bit too much
fruit, but that is a common problem with the 75's. fairly drinkable now.

Montrose €“ my favourite, and perhaps the last truly typical St. Estephe ever
made €“ after this vintage, to make an old style hard wine became fiscal
suicide for the producers. Quite dark, and a nose of dusty fruit, it showed as
a huge wine on the palate, though not unbearably tannic, with a finish that
seemed to go on for minutes. Can take a few more years. As noted by Albert
Givton, one of our most experienced tasters, these wines would be wasted
completely on the new sort of wine drinker brought up to expect the effusive if
often one dimensional fruit of the popular style of Californian cabernet and
modern Bordeaux. A wine for contemplation!