Chateau Monbousquet, a high-performing winery, produces a full-bodied, modern St Emilion wine that is a delightful blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is aged 18-24 months in new French Oak, contributing to its outstanding balance between weight and stability.
The nose is refined and elegant- exceptional from Monbousquet- with blackberry, violet, pepper, and coffee notes. The palate is fresh, mineral, and fat, with flavours of blackberry, blueberry, red fruit, and well-integrated oaky notes. The wine has ample, delicate, and well-built tannins, providing good length.
The terroir at Chateau Monbousquet is unique and blends warm, deep gravel to the south and sandy-clay soils to the north, providing a friendly environment for the vines, similar to renowned estates like Cheval Blanc and Figeac. The estate was elevated to Grand Cru Classe in 2006, a testament to its dedication to excellence and a significant increase in product performance. It benefits from Michel Rolland's expertise, whose consultation provides invaluable insights into wine production. The wine is recommended for cellaring for 10-20 years for optimal enjoyment.
The scores are at the 95-point level. The 2018 vintage of Chateau Monbousquet has received glowing reviews from wine experts, including Jeb Dunnuck, James Suckling, and Wine Spectator. All expressed similar views that this wine boasts a dense, purple, and opaque colour, which hints at the richness and liveliness of its aroma. The bouquet is a delightful blend of cassis, chocolate-covered currants, new leather, and graphite, sure to arouse your senses and set the mood for a luxurious wine experience.
This wine's fruitiness is unparalleled, and its full-bodied richness and ample mid-palate depth are a testament to the purity of the fruit and the quality of the tannins. It is no wonder that this cuvée has been elevated to new heights, and Dunnuck himself suggests a cellaring period of 15-20 years for optimal enjoyment.
Suckling is equally impressed with this vintage, noting its attractive aromas of crushed berries and black cherries, with some violets and stones. The wine's layers of ripe fruit and tannins give it density and intensity, further complemented by its classy and polished tannins. Suckling recommends trying it after 2026 for the best taste.
Wine Spectator also praised this vintage, noting the espresso crema and melted black liquorice aromas, which give way to a lush range of cassis, plum reduction, and blackberry confiture flavours that roll through with authority. The buried graphite note carries a long finish with a hint of smouldering earth. This energetic style wine is perfect if you like muscle and panache, and Wine Spectator recommends enjoying it from 2022 through 2038.
This 2017 bottle might be superficially innocuous, but the nuance was poignant and keenly felt.
For one, the production of this 2017 vintage is a testament to the meticulous craftsmanship behind Durfort Viviens. It comprises 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, a blend designed to create a stylistically ripe and concentrated wine. The wine is made through manual harvesting, fermentation in batches (partial wood and partial concrete; malo in vat; ageing in 40% new French oak), and very high vine density. With 7000 vines per hectare, it has the highest density in the Commune of Margaux, compared to Chateau Margaux next door.
Durfort Vivens, a Second Growth from the Margaux appellation, holds a significant place in the world of wines. Its historical recognition by Thomas Jefferson, a figure of immense importance in the wine world, as the head of the Second Cru, a position confirmed by the 1855 Classification, adds depth and respect to its story. This classification also noted its close ranking to Chateau Margaux, further enhancing its prestige and value.
Although Durfort Vivens has always had a limited market, it has steadily improved since the 2009 vintage, which is a promising sign. Previous owners from the 1960s to the 1980s, however, could not update this wine with the contemporary style, which is one of the reasons why this wine should be more well-known. The combined estates of Margaux and Durfort Vivens had created a certain ambiguity harmful to the latter, dubbed "Second Wine of Chateau Margaux" and not Second Cru of Margaux, which was probably another reason. Also, Lucien Lurton, also of Brane Cantenac, had parcels of the best land that belonged to Durfort Vivens, which added to its detriment.
The quality of Durfort Viviens 2017 is interpreted here through the tasting summaries of some famous tasters:
• 95JS: Durfort Viviens 2017 is a biodynamically grown wine with redcurrants, flowers, and cedar aromas. It leaves a fresh impression with its vibrant acidity, fresh flavours, and sustained finish, making it high-quality.
• 95V: This wine is rich and explosive with tremendous intensity. It has sweet floral notes, cedar, mint, and spice that add nuance. Although the severe frost took 35% of the production, the Durfort-Vivens is marvellously rich.
• 95WE: With a firmly tannic but rich structure and acidity, this wine is a pure berry flavour that shines through its ripe black fruit tones. It is best to drink from 2024.
• 93Decanter: This biodynamic wine has impressive depth to the cassis fruits, beautiful balance, great persistence, and evident fruit.
Be the connaisseur. Buy this wine; appreciate its actual value!
If you like St. Julien wine, you might want to try Mount Mary Quintet. The 2006 Mount Mary Quintet, in particular, is an excellent choice. I tasted it a few years ago at the Hong Kong Wine Society, which left a lasting impression on me. This wine is elegant and sophisticated, especially with two upcoming tastings. According to wine expert Jeremy Oliver, this wine has received an impressive 97-point rating. Oliver praised the wine's "terrific balance and focus" and smoky aroma of dark berries and plums, along with subtle notes of mushrooms, minerals, and cedary oak. Robert Parker awarded this 2006 vintage with 94+ points.
Delicate, melted tannins, subtle notes of dried herbs, and hints of briar and undergrowth accompany the wine's dark cherry, plum, and berry flavours were what we wrote on my tasting notes. The acidity is tightly knit, and the finish is exceptionally long. The wine comprises 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, and small amounts of Malbec and Petit Verdot, with the 2006 Quintet aged in barrels for 22 months. Thirty per cent of the barrels are large format, and only 30% are new oak.
Winemaker Rob Hall explained that John Middleton preferred the wine to have an alcohol content of around 12.5%, which can be challenging while still getting the phenolics ripe. However, Mount Mary managed to produce a modest 12.9% alcohol content. To J Middleton, the wine's colour is deep garnet, and it has restrained aromas of cassis, dried Mediterranean herbs, graphite, and loam, with a touch of cardamom and cloves. The wine is light to medium-bodied, with high acidity and medium-firm, finely-grained tannins. It is still tight-knit and needs to be aged for 2-3 years before opening. After that, it will continue to evolve over the next 8-10 years and be kept until 2024+.
Overall, Mount Mary Quintet 2006 is an exceptional wine worth trying.
