Château Montlandrie 2022

Top on the nose, with floral notes, cloves, cherries, cassis and cinnamon; straightforward attack, mouth-filling and dense, the chalky tannins are pronounced, of the highest quality, chiselled from stone; great elegance, red-fruited, salty finish, echoing with violets. A must-buy!

This is well-built, with reserved notes of black cherry reduction and cassis carried by the refined structure as subtle accents of chalk, black tea and smoldering tobacco infuse the background. Sneakily long, with a pretty floral echo. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2026 through 2036. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 2,800 cases made.

A perfumed nose filled with blackcurrants, cherries, violets and soft vanilla and milk chocolate accents. Bright and alive, this focuses on the intensity of crystalline strawberries and red cherries with lots of mineral, salty-edged tannins. This has an iron tang and such overall brightness. Acidity is super high and just lifts the expression giving tension and focus and so much life. Classy and sophisticated. A total crowd pleaser.

A linear and racy young Côtes de Bordeaux with blueberry, mineral and crushed-stone character. Violets as well. Medium-bodied, refined yet structured. Plenty of energy here. Persistent finish. 75% merlot, 20% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon. Drink after 2028.

The 2022 Montlandrie is another stellar wine in this range from the Durantou sisters. A healthy percentage of Cabernets (30%) in the blend adds aromatic lift and gorgeous supporting structure. Montlandrie is a complete wine. It offers striking aromatics, layered, sepia-toned fruit and exquisite balance, along with a beautifully articulate, sustained finish that is quite simply captivating. Montlandrie is a fabulous wine in its peer group, or any group for that matter.

From an estate purchased by the Durantou family in 2009, the 2022 Château Montlandrie comes from limestone and clay soils and is 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 50% new French oak. It's another sensational wine in the lineup, and it exhibits a deep ruby/purple hue as well as textbook limestone-influenced aromatics of black raspberries, black cherries, crushed stones, and flowers. I love its overall balance, and it's medium to full-bodied, has a pure, seamless, layered mouthfeel, and sweet, present tannins. It will keep for 15+ years or more.

75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Delicately structured bouquet with dried lilac blossoms, light tobacco, and subtle black-berry contours. On the palate, compact and taut, with grainy extract, supportive vigor, and a well-trained frame. In the focused finish, a full load of graphite, tarragon, and fine, friable astringency; potential rating.

The depth of flavour is clearer, along with the fragrance of freshly cut and dried herbs—white pepper, sage, turmeric, cloves, incense—really coming through on the retro-olfaction; deep black cherry, beautifully characterful, great stuff, easy to recommend, 50% new oak, clay-limestone doing its absolute best.

A generous bouquet where rich purple fruits intertwine with notes of rock, earth, and iris. On the palate, an intriguing, smooth, and complex character that marries fruit and sapidity, with indulgent hints of chocolate on the finish.

Finesse is certainly a recurring common thread with the Durantou family, but that shouldn’t stop us from highlighting it regularly. The oak is present, though not in a striking way. It’s simply there, providing valuable aromatic support. On the palate, the wine confirms its path devoted to finesse and character. The details are emphasized, imposing, and the tannins are supportive, powerful, mouthwatering, fresh, and a pledge of long aging potential.

Dark, intense and beautiful colour. Superb, highly aromatic nose: deep, fruity, delicate, floral and complex. Ultra-melting on entry, with meticulous texture as it unfolds and real class to the touch, the wine gradually gains body and power. It finishes long and supple, never losing the juicy flesh of its fruit. An exceptional success. Blend: 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Alcohol: 14.5% – pH: 3.5. IPT: 85 (average). Yield: 37 hl/ha.

Black raspberries, flowers, truffles, and cocoa form the core of this wine. Creamy and fresh, with supple, sweet, ripe fruit and a drizzle of chocolate at mid-palate and in the long, fruity finish. I like the touch of mint that finds its way into the very end of the finish. The wine blends 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2025–2038.