romo

9.3

Some poopy bret blew off in 30 mins and revealed a sheer dress of leafy brown spice. Likely peaked at 15 years. — 8 months ago

Colleen Tomasello

9.4

Excellent cab! Always great from Ridge, this one is full bodied, nicely aged (still has room to age more, but wonderful right now!, wish i had a couple more) — 9 months ago

Justin

9.4

Great wine. Great value. — 3 years ago

Mark Eastom

9.0

Had before. This vintage has a bit more new oak (maybe the year they brought in new barrels to the mix). Dark berries, smoke, vanilla, medium plus bodied, blackberries, minerals and nice acid. — 5 years ago

Robin Gerber

Partner Spotlight Brands

9.5

Tried this vintage a year ago and it was really good but tonight is in its prime. Sad it’s my last bottle. — 7 years ago

Jennifer Liu

9.2

39.97 from new season. Balanced. Round. Worth the price. Would buy again — 8 years ago

Christine Wallin

9.1

I’ll have the whole bottle, please. — 9 years ago

Michelle Zell

9.7

My favorite Cabernet. — 11 years ago

with Madra

Mike

9.1

Quirky but nice — 11 years ago

Jon Anderson

9.3

Savory. Interesting. Fantastic. — 12 years ago

Matt Perlman

9.2

Very old world, savory. Beautiful — 8 months ago

joy horn

9.9

Bought at Pine Orchard 11/25 $70 after tasting at Ridge in 10/25. Less expensive here. The 2023 is rated at 100 pts. Absolutely delicious. Floral aromas, lightly crisp, subtle oak, smooth finish. — 9 months ago

Pooneet K

9.2

Delicious. Flinty, full, dense, lovely finish. Very nice. — 2 years ago

Ed Chin

9.0

May have been slightly off. Can’t put my finger on it. — 5 years ago

Priscilla Pederson

9.5

Semi-sweet, light and refreshing, good table wine — 6 years ago

Nick W

9.3

Real sleeper of a wine — 7 years ago

web bond

8.9

Always enjoyable. — 8 years ago

Nicole Nadig

9.1

Nice light red not too dry — 10 years ago

Marcio Morelli

9.5

Great as usual. — 11 years ago

with Otavio, Marcia and 2 others

Kelley Peters

9.1

Violets and funk. — 11 years ago

Gary Westby

Champagne & Sherry buyer K&L Wines

9.7

Our K&L Redwood City staff party at LB steak was fantastic- nothing smaller than magnum allowed! This double mag has been in our cellar since release and has hardly moved at all! Big, powerful, Mountain fruit! — 13 years ago

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 — 8 months ago

Douglas Braun

9.1

2018 Vintage - reductive style - lees style - baked apple, medium plus acidity — 4 years ago

Brandon T

9.2

Can’t get enough of these chards. Just behind the Zephyr for me. — 6 years ago

John Osgood

9.0

Good Cali blend — 7 years ago

Nick

9.1

Region close to Biarritz — 8 years ago

Nico J. Snyman

9.6

Tried the '90 recently, spoke of how amazing a producer of Californian Cabernet it is, but just needed a little more time, this '85 is well & truly on point, everything is in balance, there's fruit intensity yes, but the development/complexity/layers are really shining through, outstanding stuff. — 10 years ago

Michael Washabaugh

9.1

Paired well with a lamb, eggplant purée, fava beans, piquolo pepper. Would also pair with a medium rare magret duck or other game. — 11 years ago

James Gordon

9.3

Love this rosé. Killer with BBQ. — 11 years ago

Marshal White

9.4

First time checking in since bottling. Like a laser beam of dark, intense fruit with very woodsy overtones. — 12 years ago