Tasted at the Montrose vertical in London, the 1945 Montrose may have been born in a victorious and lionized growing season, yet the estate had had no time to recover from the trauma of the war and being a prime target for Allied bombers. Compared to the 1947 Montrose, it appears even more youthful in color: clean with just a thin tawny rim giving away its age. The bouquet is well defined with scents of red berry fruit, black truffle, woodland leaves and a touch of brown spice. The delineation here is fine, if not otherworldly. The palate is balanced with impressive, clean and pure red fruit, yet somehow conservative and controlled, a little curtailed on the finish. I was actually more taken with this than Hervé Berland who liked succeeding vintages. It is not the best 1945 on the block, but it passes muster. Tasted June 2016.