2010 Dame de Montrose

I loved the 2010 La Dame De Montrose, a mature, yet elegant, complex second wine. Ripe red and black fruits, leafy herbs, spice, and cedary notes all shine here, and it's round, supple, and medium-bodied on the palate. Drink 2025-2035.

Some 28% of the estate's production went into the 2010 La Dame de Montrose, and it remains youthful and serious at age 13. Unwinding in the glass with notes of sweet cassis, violets, plums and pencil shavings, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and seamless, with a vibrant core of fruit framed by sweet, powdery tannins. At age 12, this still has upside ahead of it.

You want a good value St Estèphe from a top name, ready to drink this Christmas, this is where to go - one of the best 2nd wines of the vintage. Tasted out of magnum, which made it more primary in its fruit structure than you will find in bottle, but either way this is still full of plump and opulent black cherry and cassis fruits. Still plenty of grip and life ahead, but so much pleasure to be found, and it's at its peak.