Learn everything about Chateau Montlabert St. Emilion with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, a history of the property, information on the vineyards, and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles
Chateau Montlabert History, Overview
Chateau Montlabert, located outside the village of St. Emilion, not that far from Chateau Figeac, takes its name from the founder of the estate, Michel Descazes Montlabert.
One of the more picturesque chateaux and grounds in Saint Emilion, the property began life as a hunting lodge in the 1700s.
Chateau Montlabert, which is owned in part by the Castel group today, who also counts Chateau Beychevelle in the St. Julien appellation as part of their holdings, announced they were going to make the best wine possible starting with the 2010 vintage. The first move they made was to bring in Hubert de Bouard of Chateau Angelus as their consultant.
While Hubert de Bouard started with the property in 2009, his first vintage where he called the shots was 2010. By 2015, you could really start to see the progress in the wines.
Chateau Montlabert Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking
The 12.5 hectare Right Bank vineyard of Chateau Montlabert is planted to 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 5,600 vines per hectare. On average, the vines are 25 years of age. The terroir of Chateau Montlabert is sand with clay, gravel, and limestone soils. The vineyard is farmed using sustainable farming techniques.
To produce the wine of Chateau Montlabert, the wine is vinified in small, temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrels.
The wine of Chateau Montlabert is aged in 50% new, French oak barrels for an average of 14 months, which can vary depending on the character and quality of the vintage. There is a second wine, La Croix Montlabert.
The best vintages of Chateau Montlabert are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009 and 2005.
On average, the production of Chateau Montlabert is close to 3,100 cases per year.
When to Drink Chateau Montlabert, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau Montlabert needs some time before it can be enjoyed. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 1 hour or more. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume.
Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. Chateau Montlabert is usually better with at least 3-4 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Montlabert offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 4-15 years of age after the vintage.
Serving Chateau Montlabert with Wine and Food Pairings
Chateau Montlabert is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Chateau Montlabert is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Montlabert is also good when matched with Asian dishes, rich fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta.
Château Montlabert Wine Tasting Notes
12 Vintages 35,691 Views Sort by Vintage-Rating
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2023
Château Montlabert (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
The nose pops with mint, truffle, licorice, black cherry, and smoke in the aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is elegant, soft, fresh, and vibrant. There is a refined touch to the mid-palate, and in the black-cherry oriented finish, with a nice, cocoa-filled endnote. The wine blends 75% Merlot, with 25% Cabernet Franc. 14% ABV. Drink from 2027-2038. 91-93 Pts. 1,024 Views Tasted May 4, 2024 |
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2022
Château Montlabert (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Soft, fresh, and refined, the wine is packed with layers of chocolate covered plums, black cherries, licorice, spice, and espresso. There is a softness, and polished to the fruits, and textures that works perfectly this year. Drink from 2025-2037. 91-92 Pts. 2,273 Views Tasted May 8, 2023 |
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2021
Château Montlabert (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Black cherries and black raspberries are front and center here in this medium bodied, soft, fruity, plummy wine. There is lift, energy and creamy-textures, but not a lot of length and persistency. Drink from 2024-2036. 576 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2024Medium bodied, the wine opens with espresso, cocoa, licorice, plums and chocolate-coated cherries. Round, soft and polished, the wine is forward, and already quite charming to taste. Drink from 2023-2036. 89-91 1,469 Views Tasted May 20, 2022 |
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2020
Château Montlabert (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Still showing some of its oaky youth in the nose before you get to its floral character. The wine is medium-bodied, vibrant, earthy, fresh and silky with a sweet, ripe, fruit-packed, polished, earth, espresso and chocoalte-mint, accented finish. Give it a year or so in the bottle to better integrate. Drink from 2024-2040. 839 Views Tasted Mar 21, 2023Medium-bodied with loads of soft, silky, fresh, sweet, savory red fruits, espresso and licorice. The finish adds a touch of spice and leafy herbs for additional complexity. 91-93 Pts 1,712 Views Tasted May 20, 2021 |
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2019
Château Montlabert (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Flowers, cherries, plums and a touch of cocoa hit all the right notes in the nose. Medium-bodied, silky, fresh, vibrant and fruity, with a soft, polished texture to the finish. This should be enjoyable on release. The wine was made from blending 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2022-2036.. 1,442 Views Tasted Mar 29, 2022 |
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2018
Château Montlabert (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Plush and polished with soft, sweet, juicy, ripe, plums, licorice, cocoa and espresso on the nose and palate, the medium-bodied finish delivers lots of ripe cherry, chicory and espresso notes in the finish. 1,171 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2021Smoky dark red fruits and a hit of fennel bulb strut their stuff in this medium-bodied, soft, early drinking, elegant, fruity wine. 89-91 Pts 1,562 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2019 |
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2017
Château Montlabert (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Medium bodied with loads of dark cherry, licorice, cocoa and coffee notes, the wine is soft, sweet and will drink well within just a year or two of release. 1,717 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2018 |
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2016
Château Montlabert (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Medium bodied, elegant, round and forward, there is some oak that needs to integrate before the ripe plums cherries and licorice in this soft textured fruity wine is at its best. 2,974 Views Tasted Sep 21, 2019Medium bodied with a cherry and plum personality, this wine is mineral driven and needs a few years of bottle age. 3,493 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2017 |
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2015
Château Montlabert (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Medium-bodied, sweet, fresh, soft, ripe and forward, this blast of chocolate-covered black cherry and licorice should be quite nice on release. Displaying more depth than usual, this is the best vintage of Montlabert produced yet. 3,985 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2016 |
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2014
Château Montlabert (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Medium bodied, forward, easy to taste and like, soft, red berry dominated wine, that is already fun in your glass. 2,434 Views Tasted Nov 14, 2017Espresso, black plum and cocoa scents, open to a round, forward, licorice and dark red, fruity wine. 86-88 Pts 2,633 Views Tasted Apr 27, 2015 |
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2013
Château Montlabert (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Forward, medium bodied and correct, this early-drinking wine delivers spicy, bright red fruits and fennel. 85-87 Pts 2,120 Views Tasted Apr 28, 2014 |
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2012
Château Montlabert (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Medium-bodied this is a lighter and fresh style of St. Emilion with fresh cherries and chocolate. This is the debut vintage for this estate under the eye of consultant, Hubert de Bouard. 87-90 Pts 4,267 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2013 |
