Château Montrose Winery

The Deuxième Grand Cru Classé Château Montrose is located in the Saint-Estèphe appellation on the banks of the Gironde. Wine has only been cultivated here comparatively late, since 1815.

Almost 200 years later, entrepreneurs Martin and Olivier Bouygues acquired the vineyard and invested with the aim of preserving the historic Bordeaux heritage and at the same time "providing the best conditions for viticulture and vinification", including a new eleven metre high and 1,000 square metre hall for barrel storage.

The 95-hectare vineyard surrounds the buildings in a continuous arc. The classic Médoc varieties Cabernet Sauvignon (60 %), Merlot (32 %), Cabernet Franc (6 %) and Petit Verdot (2 %) are cultivated.

The soil consists of gravel with sand, with a clay-rich layer underneath that helps to retain water - conditions that can be considered the "natural home" of Cabernet Sauvignon. The largest plot is two hectares in size, the smallest just a few hundred square metres, but each has its own personality. The final wine is the synthesis of these micro-terroirs.

After an initial selection in the vineyard during the harvest, the grapes are taken to the fermentation house. There they are manually selected and destemmed twice before the grapes are placed in the 92 temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for around 25 days. Almost 60 different batches are tasted and classified for the assemblage in December. The premium wine Château Montrose then matures for 18 months in 60 % new French oak barrels. During the ageing process, the wines are decanted every three months.

photos: ChâteauMontrose