Tasted at the Montrose vertical in Stamford, the 1970 Montrose is a wine that I drank regularly back in the 1990s, when it was one of the standouts of the vintage. As noted by more recent notes by myself and Robert Parker, it seems to have dried out in recent years, although there remains some drinking pleasure. It is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc picked between 23 September and 11 October. Quite deep in color, it has a cedar and leather-scented bouquet and modest amounts of black fruit, higher toned than coeval vintages, probably due to the relatively higher alcohol level. The palate is medium-bodied with fine definition, structured and perhaps a little dry and loose-knit towards the finish. It seems to be on a downward curve, though I wager that large format bottles might be holding up well. I would broach regular-sized bottles over the next 5-6 years. Tasted May 2016.