2020 Château Montlandrie, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Critics reviews
Drink 2025 - 2035
Neil Martin, vinous.com (April 2021)
Drink 2025 - 2039
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (May 2021)
James Lawther MW, JancisRobinson.com (April 2021)
Drink 2023 - 2035
Jane Anson, Decanter.com (May 2021)
James Suckling, jamessuckling.com (April 2021)
About this WINE
Chateau Montlandrie
Cotes de Castillon
To the east of the St Émilion wine appellation, and on the north bank of the Dordogne, Côtes de Castillon has been the site of considerable interest and investment since the early 2000s. Wine production is significant, yielding over 1.5 million cases per annum and quality is quite variable, ranging from the everyday from the sandy and light gravel soils to imposing, aspirational wines benefiting from considerable investment, and made from the clay and limestone vineyards on higher slopes.
The style of these latter wines is akin to good St Émilion, and the wines use predominantly Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In common with other regions recognised to produce interesting and good-value wines, several well-known St Émilion proprietors have invested in the appellation over the past decade, among them Gérard Perse of Ch. Pavie, Stephan Von Neipperg of Canon-la-Gaffelière, and consultant Stéphane Derénoncourt.
Cab.Sauvignon Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.
In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% (Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity.
In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. Sassicaia is the most famous Bordeaux blend in Italy and has spawned many imitations, whereby the blend is now firmly established in the New World and particularly in California and Australia.
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Description
Merlot 75%, Cabernet Franc 20%, Cabernet Sauvignon 5%
This very highly regarded wine is from the late Denis Durantou’s estate and is now made by his daughter Noémie. The vineyards are on predominantly south-facing limestone-rich soils from the Castillon plateau. There is plenty of ripe, dense and plummy fruit, but the wine is also well-knit with a gourmand tension. The tannins are typical Castillon: assertive and a little edgy, with a firming sense of chalk dust. But they are also part of this wine’s confident personality. This is a high-quality wine from an appellation that is increasingly delivering quality and value.
Drink 2023-2035
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