1990 Chateau Montrose, Saint-Estephe, Bottle (750ml) [Slightly Torn Label]

RP100 "This wine has an incredibly complex nose of spring flowers, blackberry and cassis liqueur, scorched earth and barbecue spice. It is full-bodied, majestic and opulent, with low acidity and fabulous fruit. It is close to full maturity. The wine should continue to drink well for at least another 30 or more years, but it is showing secondary nuances in the perfume. The wine is absolutely magnificent, broad, savory and mouth-filling. This is one of the all-time modern legends from Bordeaux as well as Chateau Montrose." RP Aug 2014

JD100 "An absolute monster of a Saint-Estèphe, the 1990 Château Montrose has to-die-for notes of ripe red and black currants, smoked tobacco, lead pencil, saddle leather, truffle, and a hint of eucalyptus that develops with time in the glass. These all carry to a full-bodied, incredibly concentrated 1990 with a layered, stacked mid-palate, resolved tannins, and incredible length. There's clearly a kiss of background brett here (which is a known issue with this vintage), but it doesn't detract in the least in my view, and the density, texture, and power of this beauty, with no sensation of weight, is something to behold. It has a touch of bricking and is clearly fully mature, but this has the concentration and depth to evolve gracefully for another two decades. I don't see any upside here, though, so don't be afraid to open bottles!" JD Mar 2024

Robert Parker awarded Montrose 1990 100 Points on six occasions for The Wine Advocate writes, "Tasted 8 Times Since Bottling With Consistent Notes. The 1990 Montrose is one of this century's monumental efforts. Dense black/purple-colored, with a tight yet potentially sensational bouquet of new saddle leather, black fruits, oriental spices, new oak, and minerals, the 1990 exhibits profound concentration of fruit, a spectacularly intense mid-palate, and massive power. One of the superstars of this superb vintage, Montrose is also one of the most concentrated, forceful, and monumental wines made in Bordeaux over recent decades." Published: Oct 30, 1994
Neal Martin 100pts for RobertParker.com writes, "I was served blind a magnum of the 1990 Montrose in Cape Town, which had been purchased on release and stored in perfect conditions. Now, here was the real deal, unfettered by any infection, a regal Saint Estèphe. It shows approximately the same evolution as the 1989 in bottle, but unsurprisingly showed less bricking in magnum format. The bouquet is cut from a different cloth to the 1989 and attests to that warm vintage: hickory, clove, undergrowth and wild fennel, later garrigue-like scents and terracotta, the latter two more pronounced on the bottle format compared to the youthful magnum. The palate is full-bodied and powerful, yet the balance is perfect, a ballerina-like poise with the structure of the Forth Bridge. It is a multi-layered Montrose that offers enormous length, fresh and vibrant with the magnum demonstrating tangible mineralite and tension as it fans out on the crescendo of a finish—a fanfare for Saint Estèphe in all its glory. Improving all the time in the glass, this example of 1990 Montrose is a privilege to behold. One can speculate whether larger formats are a "safer bet" in terms of experiencing this behemoth without any brettanomyces. Perhaps. However, if you do come across the 1990 Montrose like this, you are in the presence of a king." Published: Mar 31, 2017