1953 Montrose

Tasted at the Montrose vertical in London, the 1953 Montrose was one of the vintages tasted by Robert Parker at the property in 2014. I concur that it is a very fine Montrose, if not quite firing on all cylinders like the 1947 or 1964. It appears fully mature with wide bricking on the rim. The nose is typical of several 1953s that I have tasted recently, all indicative of a great Bordeaux vintage that is now in graceful decline. Yet the bouquet is still enticing with scents of dried blood, cedar and sandalwood, red plum and fireside hearth. The palate is fully mature with a ferrous opening, still plenty of decaying red berry fruit and fine tannin, not as much depth as other vintages, but nevertheless very well balanced. On this bottle, I noticed just a touch of dryness on the finish that was perhaps highlighted by the precocity of coeval vintages, though I suspect large formats will be doling out pleasure for many years to come. Tasted June 2016.