Wine Advocate 92 points The 2018 La Dame de Montrose is a blend of 52% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it springs from the glass with vivacious notions of redcurrant jelly, mulberries, juicy blackberries and stewed plums, giving way to suggestions of underbrush, wild sage and fertile loam. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with bright, expressive black and red berry layers, supported by plush tannins and tons of freshness, finishing long with a spicy kick. Drinking 2022 -2038 -- Lisa Perrotti-BrownDecanter 93 points Visually gorgeous with bright plum colour. Black cherry and damson on the first sip, clear oak influence with flexible but far-reaching tannic structure. Some real tension and balance - no question that this has a long life ahead of it. Juicy also; for a second wine we are right up there. Drinking Window 2026 - 2040 -- Tasted by Jane Anson(at Bordeaux, 09 Nov 2020) Part of Best 2018 Bordeaux second wines: Re-tasted in the bottleJeb Dunnuck 92 points Looking first at the second wine of this incredible Saint-Estèphe Château, the 2018 La Dame De Montrose is a blend of 52% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, all brought up in 30% new French oak. Lots of blue fruits, sappy herbs, tobacco, violets, and graphite notes all emerge from the glass, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a round, concentrated, textured mouthfeel, and enough tannins to warrant 3-4 years of bottle. A beautiful second wine with lots of Saint-Estèphe character, it will have 15-20 years of longevity.Jancis Robinson 17 points 52% Merlot. Tasted blind. Mild nose. Pure, streamlined wine. Lots of both acidity and fine tannin. Not a blockbuster and perhaps just picked slightly early? -- Jancis RobinsonJames Suckling 95 points Very dense center palate to the La Dame this year with purity of fruit and round, velvety tannins. Juicy, too. Sexy. Reminds me of the 1989 Montrose!Vinous 92 points The 2018 La Dame de Montrose is such a gorgeous wine. Built on a core of Merlot, La Dame is silky, sensual and impossible to resist. Cedar, new leather, spice and tobacco add lift to essential sweet red berry fruit. La Dame is the sort of wine that can pass unobserved in 2018, but that would be a mistake, as it is truly superb. This is at its most elegant. Drinking 2023 - 2033 - By Antonio Galloni on March 2021
