Château Montlandrie 2016

Château Montlandrie is a truly stunning value-driven wine in the satellite appellation of the Côtes de Castillon.  This wonderful producer was the legendary vigneron Denis Durantou’s first purchase within this far-east reaching appellation of the Right Bank. Denis Durantou was a forward thinking visionary, who produced stunning wines at accessible price points in a region with some of the most exorbitantly priced wines in the entire world.  If one could describe the way Denis Durantou approached his properties, it would be with a tremendous sense of integrity.  Château Montlandrie is no exception, and easily one of the best values within the Right Bank.  Accessible when young, yet perfect with just a few years of bottle age, Château Montlandrie is truly a hidden gem for bargain hunters.

Château Montlandrie has a longer history that dates back to the 1800s when it was founded by an Italian family.  The property remained relatively obscure until the 21st Century, when Denis Durantou purchased Château Montlandrie in 2009.  The Côtes de Castillon was an exciting region and considered the most promising out of all the satellite appellations in Bordeaux.  It’s no wonder Denis Durantou saw so much potential here.   With its rich soils, high elevation, and gently sloping vineyards, Château Montlandrie was a diamond hidden in the rough. Shortly after the estate was added to the already prestigious list of Durantou properties including L’Eglise Clinet, Saintayme, and Les Cruzelles to name a few, Denis began implementing his magic touch in the vineyards.  Denis Durantou had a wonderful understanding of the often dismissed varietal, Merlot, and was no stranger to planting it in more mineral driven soils.  He often said, “Merlot can be a rich, heavy wine.  You can treat it with elegance and make a lovely wine.”  This was his approach to working with the varietal, treating it with finesse and respect.  The results of his work speak for themselves, and all his wines featuring Merlot have that light and pretty touch.  At Château Montlandrie, Denis Durantou began using Cabernet Sauvignon in the wine merely four years after acquiring the property, as before it was only Merlot and Cabernet Franc. 

The promise of the terroir at Château Montlandrie is undeniable and comparable to some of the better terroir in Saint-Émilion.  This 12-hectare vineyard sits on the plateau of the Côtes de Castillon.  The terroir is a mixture of clay and limestone soils and Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon thrive here.  The vineyard is planted in one single block and production here is relatively small.  After the vines are harvested, they are vinified in 15 small temperature controlled stainless steel vats that range in size from 24 hectoliters to 82 hectoliters.  The wine is versatile enough to be enjoyed in its youth yet can age up to fifteen years. Château Montlandrie has a beautiful mineral-driven quality to it.  For those who love the freshness of Saint-Émilion wine, coupled with the sensuous textures of Merlot, Château Montlandrie is the perfect wine that overdelivers for the price tag. 

"Medium garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Montlandrie opens with pretty rose hip, lavender and cinnamon stick notes over a core of baked plums and spice cake plus a touch of tilled soil. Medium-bodied, it has a chewy texture and oodles of freshness framing the youthful spiced plums flavors, finishing on a lingering savory note." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (11/30/2018, Interim Issue), Ratings: 90+, DRINK: 2019-2031

"The 2016 Montlandrie is a blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon picked between 3-17 October. It was picked at 40 hectoliters per hectare and raised in 60% new oak (although my sample was from a one-year-old barrel). It is the first vintage to include more than 80% of the vines that were planted by Denis Durantou after 2008. This has a more broody bouquet than the two Lalande-de-Pomerols, just a touch of leafiness Originting from the Cabernet Sauvignon that enhances the complexity. The palate is medium-bodied with fine structure, more saline than the Les Cruzelles, backward at the moment, but the Cabernets impart some lovely graphite notes on the saline finish. Superb. Expect this to land towards the top of my banded score once in bottle." - Neal Martin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/28/2017, Issue 230), Ratings: 91-93, DRINK: 2021-2036