Montrose

Second Growth Chateau Montrose is superbly situated in one single sweep of vines overlooking and sloping down to the Gironde estuary. The soil is deep gravels over clay, making wines which tend to be austere and tannic in youth. Montrose was nicknamed the "Latour of Saint-Éstephe" due to its power and concentration, needing many years to come around, but with notable successes in dry, hot years. Legendary wines were made here in 1959, 1961, 1989, 1990, 2003, 2009, 2010. Under the ownership of the billionaire Bouygues brothers since 2006, the Chateau buildings and cellars have been restored with historic accuracy. A showcase for sustainable development, the facilities transformed by a goethermal system and rooftop solar panels. Hervé Berland, director of Mouton Rothschild for many years, was brought in to manage the estate, with Jean-Bernard Delmas (formerly of Haut Brion) as consultant.