Château Montrose began as a plot of heather-covered land that was bequeathed to Théodore Dumoulin by his father
Etienne. The land was originally part of the Calon-Ségur estate that Etienne acquired in 1778. By 1820, Théodore had
constructed a small château and vine plantings were already underway. Eventually the area was split from the
greater Calon-Ségur estate and was renamed as Montrose-Ségur. By 1855 it had expanded to 50 hectares and was known
simply as Montrose. At this point it was also classified as a deuxième cru (Second Growth).
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Eventually Château Montrose was sold to M. Mathieu Dolfus, shortly after the passing of Théodore. Under Dolfus,
the cellars were greatly expanded and he invested heavily in estate developments and infrastructure. This included the
creation of a programme that provided benefits for vineyard workers and the construction of a small railway to transport
wine from the château down to the riverside.
Soon after Dolfus passed away, in 1896 Montrose came into the ownership of the Charmolüe family, who safely shepherded
the château through the phylloxera epidemic and two World Wars, including the recovery process after the estate
suffered bomb damage in WWII.
In 2006 Château Montrose was purchased from the Charmolüe family by brothers Martin & Olivier Bouygues and they
remain the current owners. However, in recognition of the important role that the Charmolüe family played in the
history of the property, the name of the estate’s second wine, La Dame de Montrose (named for Yvonne Charmolüe, who
ran the estate from 1944 to 1960) remains unchanged.
Viticulture and Vinification
The vineyards cover approximately 95 hectares of the estate property. The plantings consist of 65% Cabernet
Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.
Planting density is 9,000 vines per hectare on gravelly soils. The proximity to the Gironde river helps regulate the
vineyard microclimate, protecting against frosts in winter and high heat in the summer.
Harvest is conducted entirely by hand and fermentation is carried out in stainless steel tanks with intense pumping-over
for complete extraction. There is also an extended period of post-fermentation maceration to achieve even greater depth
of colour and flavour.
The blending process begins in November through a series of trial tastings. The aim is to balance Montrose’s
characteristically firm tannins with the right amount of acidity and dry extract. The blends are completed by December
and put into barrels by the beginning of January.
Château Montrose is aged in 60% new oak barrels and 40% one year old barrels for between 16 and 18 months. La Dame de
Montrose is aged in 15 to 20% new oak barrels for approximately 12 months. The wines are racked by gravity every three
months to remove sediment and traditional egg whites are used for fining.
Classification
- Château Montrose – Deuxième Cru Class 1855 Classification
- La Dame de Montrose – Saint-Estèphe AOP
Varieties
Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
Wines Produced
- Château Montrose
- La Dame de Montrose
Order top vintages of Château Montrose