Montrose '89 will be great if cellared correctly. However, I may have drunk this wine 5 years ago to be safer. Only the 90 goes on and on I believe.
I prefered the 89s to the 90s all over the most northern part of the left bank, at the affordable end of classed growth. They were riper and fruitier, and slightly less tannic than the following most sort after year for Saint Julian etcetera further south. Vintage '89 does not hold as well as the 90's at this level though.
'89 was a 9 out of 10 for the petite chateau in St Estephe in many peoples books, a hot year, cooled by the river estuary as well as the sea nearer the peninsular.
It should be great, but do not let it expire, thinking that you should soften it. That would be damn stupid as you will lose fruit and freshness.
http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?i ... &AllV=True
See what they say for the '89. I haven't had Montrose since my income fell back, and Montrose got more expensive. The last one was an 88 I think, drunk on my 50'th or around that time.
Well ......Cellar tracker folks say the wine is still very fresh, so this Montrose 89 is firmer than I said above: How much horse and farmyard do you want with your Montrose ?
Tasted by City Wine Journal on 12/31/2009 & rated 96 points: Purchased in a small wine shop in St. Emilion as a single, in the summer of 2009, opened as the last bottle of the year, ending "to the nines". What a sensational bottle of wine. Opened at 3PM, decanted at 8, served at 9, and the wine kept on coming all night long holding form through midnight. Big, dark, powerful, balanced, deep and long. Dark fruit, spice, leather and a real sense of deep gravel and old vines of St Estephe. A fantastic 20 year old Bordeaux wine and a superb finish to 2009. Happy New Year!
These guys (guy) gives good serving direction and indication.