Montrose St-Estèphe 1989

99 points James Suckling: "This was yet another wine I drunk with wine collector friends in Bangkok – the city is truly buzzing when it comes to wine and when you know where to look! On the nose, there were intense aromas of iron, pot iron and dried fruits, as well as hints of nuts and wet earth. On the palate, it showed a gorgeous texture of ripe tannins and lots of spicy and currant fruit character. A full-bodied, very soft and silky Bordeaux with lots of flavors and a superb finish. Just right now – indeed it seems to be getting younger with age, not older! Decant an hour before. I think it's better than the legendary 1990. It's certainly cleaner and more consistent quality. (6/12/16)"

98+ points Robert Parker: "This was not in the tasting at the chateau, but I opened two bottles on my return home, because this is another near-perfect wine from Montrose. It is an unusual two-grade blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. The wine emerged from another very hot, sunny, dry growing season, with early, generous flowering. Harvest in Montrose took place between September 11 and 28. The wine has never had any issues with brett, making it a somewhat safer selection than the more irregular 1990. Like a tortoise, the 1989 has finally begun to rival and possibly eclipse its long-time younger sibling, the 1990. The wine is absolutely spectacular and in auction sells for a much lower premium than the 1990. That should change. This is a magnificent Montrose, showing notes of loamy soil undertones, intermixed with forest floor, blueberry and blackberry liqueur and spring flowers. It has a full-bodied, intense, concentrated mouthfeel that is every bit as majestic as the 1990, but possibly slightly fresher and more delineated. This great wine should drink well for another 40-50 years. (Aug 2014)"

98 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 1989 Montrose is a magnificent wine and this represents one of the best bottles I have encountered – one that was purchased on release and not moved from Berry Brothers’ cellar since. I have encountered perfect bottles of the 1989, and this flirts with that magic figure. It is blessed with a captivating bouquet of blackberry, raspberry, sous-bois and black truffle, the veins of blue fruit just toned down a little compared to previous bottles. The palate is supremely well balanced with those filigreed tannins that in some ways are atypical of Montrose. It delivers silky-smooth texture and an intense finish that glides across the senses. I cannot give a perfect score on this occasion, but without question, this is one of the great Montrose releases. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at Hatched in London. Drink: 2019-2050. (Sep 2019)"

96 points Wine Spectator: "Intense aromas of crushed blackberry and mineral turn to dried flowers and dried fruits, staying fresh on the nose. Full-bodied, offering big, round tannins and loads of ripe, seductive fruit. This is decadent and wild, turning nutty and fruity. A beautiful bottle. This is very close in quality to the legendary 1990. - '89/'99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Drink now."

95 points Bettane & Desseauve's Guide to the Wines of France: "With sumptuous aromas, this is high-class wine, appealing, complex, posing on spicy tannins admirably representing the northern Médoc terroir. It tastes magnificent right now but will slowly continue to become finer--if the cork, of course, does not fail. Drink: 2011 up to 2015. (2011)"

94 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The 1989 Montrose may not be quite as deep as the 1990, but it is a purer wine of precise definition and classic proportions. The superb nose offers up a refined mélange of cassis, dark berries, cigar ash, gravelly soil tones, espresso, fresh herbs and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and shows off excellent mid-palate depth, with firm tannins, tangy acids and outstanding focus and grip on the very young, pristine and old school finish. Some may prefer the more overtly powerful style of the 1990 Montrose, but for me, though the two vintages are qualitatively equivalent, I prefer the superior transparency of the 1989. 2020-2070. (Jul/Aug 2012)"

5 stars (potential), Michael Broadbent's Pocket Vintage Wine Companion: "Deep, medium intensity, mature; very distinctive nose, almost creamy; a lovely mouthful, sweet, richly flavoured, well balanced, very fragrant, its tannic austerity masked. Last tasted Nov 2005. Now-2020."

94 points (18.25/20), Decanter: "Consistently a great wine, unlike the 1990 where bottle variation is very high. This is a powerful Montrose that is exuberant and expressive with a firm, muscular, tannic structure. Very long finish -- a wine that will keep for decades. Drink: 2013-2029. Alcohol 13%. (Dec 2013)"