2013 Montlandrie
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Tasting notes
There’s no denying that 2013 was a tough vintage – with a rainy season creating immense disease pressure and making it challenging to ripen fruit. But, as winemaker Noëmie Durantou Reilhac says, what you’re doing with the fruit is much more important than the vintage itself. With the tricky conditions, selection was key, as was gentle extraction. The Durantous made 25-30% less Montlandrie, but the resulting wine is showing surprisingly well today. Herbaceous tones complement pure fruit – crunchy redcurrant and blackcurrant. The wine is lithe and taut, lighter-bodied with red-berry freshness and just a hint of savoury leather creeping in. The tannins were firm when we first opened the wine, but re-tasting it six hours later, the palate had relaxed a little, the wine more approachable yet still youthful. This is effortless, food-friendly Claret – with five or even 10 years still ahead of it.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
A blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2013 Montlandrie is deep garnet in color, with a touch of brick. It has a surprisingly youthful nose of black raspberries, juicy plums, and Morello cherries, plus suggestions of candied violets, sandalwood, and dusty soil, with a hint of mint tea. The medium-bodied palate is lively and soft-textured, with bright, vivacious fruit and a perfumed finish. Such a surprise for this very difficult vintage!
5% Cabernet Sauvignon added to the Merlot-Cabernet Franc blend this year. Oak apparent making it a touch awkward but depth of fruit behind.
The 2013 Montlandrie offers impressive fruit concentration on the nose with raspberry coulis and crushed strawberry, although maybe it does not quite own the same delineation as the 2013 Les Cruzelles at this stage. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, gently gripping the mouth, leading into a cedar-tinged, quite assertive finish that suggests another couple of years in bottle will do this Côtes de Castillon no harm at all.
About the producer
Ch. Montlandrie is the Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux property owned by the Durantou family – best known for their esteemed Pomerol estate Ch. l’Eglise Clinet.