2019 Château Montlandrie, Côtes de Castillon

The 2019 Montlandrie, Denis Durantou's Côtes de Castillon vineyard, was picked from 30 September with the Cabernets picked 7-10 October before maturation in 40% new oak. It has a well-defined, very focused and compelling bouquet with intense cranberry and raspberry scents laced with cedar and sous-bois. The palate is exquisite: built around a core of finely chiseled tannins, a mélange of black and red fruit with hints of liquorice and subtle briny notes on the persistent finish. This is outstanding.

The 2019 Montlandrie is a blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It comes bounding out of the glass with bright, cheerful scents of warm redcurrants, Morello cherries, wild blueberries and boysenberries with touches of lavender, red roses, cinnamon stick and cast-iron pan. Wow. I LOVE this energy on the elegantly styled, medium-bodied palate. The red and black fruit layers practically dance, intermingled with grainy (Cabernet-like) tannins and tons of freshness. It has a satisfyingly long, fragrant finish. Truly impressive!

A chewy, structured red with medium body. The flavor shows blue fruit with salty, minerally undertones. It’s tannic, yet driven. Tight.

Cinnamon and spice box tinged pulped raspberry fruits on the nose, this has the restrained exuberance of Montlandrie in spades, where the ripe fruits are balanced step by step with fresh acidities and lip smacking salinity that speaks to the limestone soils of this estate. Cabernet Sauvignon adds a savoury touch, and overall this is yet another example of why the loss of Durantou will be felt for years.

The 2019 Montlandrie is another potent, brooding wine in Denis Durantou's range. Here, too, the tannins are incisive, but there is enough fruit to balance things out. Dark fruit, spice, chocolate, leather and licorice add a real sense of gravitas. The Cabernet Sauvignon comes through in the wine's aromatic and structural profile. Montlandrie is a rare 2019 that is going to need time in bottle to be at its best. Interestingly, harvest was later here than in Lalande de Pomerol. Merlot came in between September 30 and October 4, while the Cabernets were harvested between October 7 through 10. Denis Durantou's 2019s are absolutely brilliant across the board. My tasting was obviously bittersweet, as Durantou lost his battle with illness just a few weeks prior. Denis Durantou was one of the most intriguing characters in Bordeaux. I can't say I knew him well, but I always enjoyed tasting with him, as he was a person that spoke more with his eyes than with words. Things were implied rather than overtly stated. So, I tasted the 2019s with daughters Constance and Noémie over Zoom, in typical 2020 fashion. The Durantou sisters describe 2019 as a year with an early flowering and homogenous ripening that led to small, concentrated berries and higher pHs than normal. Temperatures were kept cool in the cellar, where both alcoholic and malolactic fermentations took place over cuvaison of 21 days (for all wines), in a reductive environment with little oxygen. From top to bottom, the Durantou 2019s are positively stellar. Don't miss them!