Montrose Estate Fruit, Cru Bourgeois Price
Tertio de Montrose comes directly from the same vineyards as Château Montrose itself. No bought fruit, no shortcuts. Every cluster is grown and harvested by the Montrose team with the same obsessive attention to detail that has made the estate one of Saint-Estèphe’s true benchmarks. This is not a “negociant second wine.” It is estate fruit, pure and simple, handled with the same standards that define the Grand Vin.
What makes Tertio different is not quality, but it is intention. The cépage shifts slightly, pulling from younger vines and parcels that don’t quite fit the structure or long-term ambitions of the Grand Vin. The élevage is different as well, designed to highlight freshness and approachability rather than decades of cellaring. The result is a wine that shows the unmistakable Montrose signature of dark cassis, graphite, savory herbs, and that classic Saint-Estèphe firmness but in a more generous and immediately rewarding style.
And then there’s the vintage. 2017 in the Médoc produced elegant, balanced wines with moderate alcohol, fine tannins, and an emphasis on purity over sheer power. Some might call this what Bordeaux used to be. There were issues, but the best Chateau still produced great wines, just in smaller quantities. Today, it’s showing exactly how lovers of Bordeaux hope Bordeaux will at maturity: the fruit is fully integrated, the tannins have softened into a polished frame, and the wine feels cohesive, complete, and deeply satisfying. This is what “ready to drink” really means; harmonized.
What makes Tertio de Montrose such an extraordinary value is that you’re tasting Montrose terroir without paying Montrose prices. You get the same gravelly soils, the same proximity to the Gironde, the same meticulous vineyard work, just presented in a style meant to be enjoyed now rather than tucked away for twenty more years. It’s the rare Bordeaux that delivers true château pedigree and immediate pleasure in the same glass.
This is the kind of bottle that disappears quickly once people understand what it really is. Real Bordeaux. .
