LeDomduVin: Three to Tango (Cristal 2015, Corton 2018 & Montrose 2003)

Three to Tango 

(Cristal 2015, Corton 2018, & Montrose 2003) 

The other day, I had the chance to serve these wines at a private dinner, and they performed really well. 

Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2015

Pale yellow color, with fine bubbles in the glass. Fresh, crisp, mineral, zesty aromas on the nose with yellow stone fruits, floral, nutty, and toasted notes. The palate is also fresh, crisp, and mineral, medium-bodied, with similar flavors to those on the nose, excellent balance, and zesty acidity through the mid-palate, leading to a fresh, clean finish. Loved it! 

Hospice de Beaune Corton Grand Cru Cuvée Docteur Peste 2018

(Aged and bottled by Joseph Drouhin)

Pale golden hue in the glass. The nose combines aromas of yellow and stone fruits with toasted, buttery, floral, and mineral notes. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is quite rich, complex, and layered, offering plenty of buttery and oaky notes that are nicely balanced and well-integrated. The minerality provides a coating sensation, the acidity adds freshness and focus, while the butteriness and oakiness contribute creaminess. The finish is quite long and buttery, yet very well integrated, with the oakiness adding complexity and dimension rather than being overwhelming. 

Chateau Montrose Saint-Estèphe 2003

2003 in Bordeaux was a challenging vintage. The Bordeaux region experienced a severe heat wave as part of a disastrous Europe-wide event, bringing extreme weather and record temperatures that significantly affected public health and the region's renowned wine industry. 

Unexperienced in dealing with these conditions, some vignerons harvested too early to preserve freshness, yet also ended up with unripe, green flavors, while others harvested later to allow ripeness and maturity, yet ended up with overripe, high-alcohol wines.  Some did both, harvesting part of their vineyards too early and the rest too late.  As a result, 2003 was one of the most unbalanced and least homogeneous Bordeaux vintages I had ever tasted En Primeur. 

Their inconsistent and unbalanced profile, and lack of integration, combined with mostly over-ripeness, strange acidity, green flavors, and under-ripened tannins, prevented complexity and aging potential, resulting in weird wines better drunk young, as if they were Australian Shiraz rather than Bordeaux.    

The 2003 vintage was the hottest and driest vintage since records began. Therefore, late-ripening grape varieties, such as Cabernet-Sauvignon, performed best, so most of the top wines were produced in the Haut-Médoc, where that variety dominates, especially in the northern part of the appellation, around Saint-Estèphe and Pauillac, and some Saint-Julien.  

Chateau Montrose was one of the top scorers of the vintage 2003, along with Chateaux such as Latour, Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild, Cos d'Estournel, La Mission Haut Brion, Margaux, Pichon Baron, Gloria, Meyney, Pichon Lalande, Haut Brion, Pontet Canet, Lynch Bages, and Beychevelle (to only name a few). 

I had the chance to retaste most of these wines over the past 20 years, and I must say, my liking for the 2003 vintage in Bordeaux has not grown with the years; on the contrary, it has worsened, as some of these wines did not develop or age well.  Yet Château Montrose 2003, which was one of the best at the time, has remained amongst the best of that vintage, even 20 years later, and revisiting it that night confirmed it.  

A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2003 Château Montrose displays a deep garnet color with a light brown brick hue. The nose is dark and ripe, yet fresh and appealing, offering aromas of crème de cassis and blackberry, along with tobacco leaf, leather, coffee, toasted oak, and earthy notes. The palate is medium-bodied, but dark, ripe, rich, and chewy, layered with black fruit, savory and earthy flavors, good texture, and structure enhanced by enough freshness to keep it focused and balanced. It presents integrated yet firm, chewy tannins that lead to the earthy finish. Nicely done! I loved it! (more especially knowing it came from a challenging vintage and still managed to survive the past 2 decades and remain so charming.) 

Cheers! Santé! 

Dom 

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