Willem Booij

9.5

There are bottles I expect to be great, and then there are bottles that still manage to stop me in your tracks.

Château Montus Cuvée Prestige 1998 is firmly in that second category.

This wine has rested quietly in my cellar for nearly three decades, patiently waiting, gathering depth rather than dust. Opening it tonight feels less like uncorking a bottle and more like releasing a memory that has been maturing alongside time itself.

I use to secretly hide this wine among a line up of great clarets and it always stood out!

From the first pour, it’s clear: this wine is fully evolved, yet beautifully alive. The once powerful Tannat backbone has softened into something remarkably refined. The texture is silky, rich, almost velvety, no rough edges left, only harmony.

Dark fruit has given way to layers of leather, cedar, dried plum, cocoa and subtle spice. Everything is integrated, calm, confident. A wine that no longer needs to prove anything.

What amazes me most is not just how good it is, but how complete it feels. This is maturity without fatigue. Depth without heaviness. Power transformed into elegance, love it!

I’ve always known that wines from Château Montus, under the vision of the great Alain Brumont, were built for the long haul. Crafted from old-vine Tannat, grown on the steep, clay-limestone slopes of Madiran, Cuvée Prestige is fermented and aged with patience and intent, often spending extended time in new French oak. It was never meant to be rushed i learned decades ago.

Still, every time I open a mature Montus, I surprise myself all over again.

1998 has reached a point where everything makes sense. It is fully on its drinking window, perhaps right at its sweet spot, and it delivers pure pleasure, calmly and generously.

A reminder that great wine is not about price, prestige, power or extraction, but about time, trust, and restraint.

This bottle didn’t just age well.
It became something greater. 95 WBP — 19 days ago

Christine

8.9

Really light easy drinking slightly chilled with some pizza — 4 months ago

Irina Georgieva

9.2

Really well-balanced and structured wine. Still lots of tannins, but it is expected for this blend. Strong taste and aftertaste. — 15 hours ago

edward Simpson

9.1

New one for me a dessert wine caramel and passion fruit, smooth much better than standard dessert wines that no longer innovate — 2 months ago

Brandon Boesch

9.2

This was really funky on opening and then blew some of that off to have a brawny wine with good fruit and tannin. Some earth and herbs. Dark fruits. Really liked it. — 4 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.1

2022 vintage. Any wine that smells like roses gets my attention. In this case the roses are intertwined with spices, and it is hard to find wines this cheap that smell so nice. A delicious,uncomplicated, spicy and fruity Negrette, with a little tannic bite that can be served slightly cold. Abv. 12,5%. This organic Fronton delivers lots of pleasure and character, and it sells for a song. — 6 months ago

Irina Georgieva

9.4

Love it, great freshness, long aftertaste, amazing taste! — 18 days ago

JKT

9.0

Good French Malbec with more prominent earthy notes — 2 months ago

David Koenen

9.2

Best one from the bunch I bought some 20 years ago. Dark, mysterious red. Full bodied, powerful. Spice box. Coffee grind, dark chocolate and cherries. Dusty, cacao like tannins. Bold and brazen. — 3 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.0

2020 vintage. This Négrette has more power than the Folle Noire d'Ambat, but the tannin is a bit more rustic, and the nose is more smoky/ spicy than floral. This needs food, worked well with lentils. Abv. 14%. If I didn't misunderstand Anne Ribes, this wine is not produced anymore these days. — 6 months ago