2012 Chateau Montrose Saint-Estephe Bordeaux (375 mL) Half-Bottle

On release, Robert Parker raved that the Second Growth 2012 Château Montrose was “one of the highlights” of the vintage, and the late, legendary Steven Spurrier praised it as “a great classic” with “Latour-like depth.”

Last year, the 2012 Montrose had a helluva 10th birthday party. Decanter featured it in their “Top-Rated Wines Tasted 10 Years On“ vintage-retrospective. And just recently, one of their Masters of Wine—in proper starched-white British fashion—hailed it as “a proper grown-up claret,” while Vinous hailed its “fine vigour and class.” 

Boasting a decade of age and 95-point Cellar Selection honors from Wine Enthusiast, the 2012 Montrose is the kind of wine that has cemented the château as one of Bordeaux’s “Super Seconds”—the few wines that regularly compete with the First Growths for top honors on the Left Bank. 

MICHELIN-starred destinations The French Laundry, Spruce, and Saison ALL have this very bottle on their lists right now for eye-popping prices. We’ve secured a small tranche of half-bottles, directly from the cellars of the château.

The weather in 2012 posed challenges—plentiful spring rains caused a late start to the season and led to concerns about mildew, then extreme heat during flowering slashed yields—but châteaux with plenty of expertise and workers in the vineyard managed to stay one step ahead. 

Like most vintages of Montrose, this one is clearly built for the long haul, even as it’s beginning to show significant charm today. A half-bottle will be perfect following some Champagne on date night, especially if you’re serving some medium-rare lamb chops or hearth-roasted quail alongside it. No matter the pairing, it’s a rare chance to enjoy perfectly cellared, top-flight Bordeaux for less than a Benjamin.