The 1995 Montrose is beginning to drink brilliantly, and the most recent bottle I pulled from my cellar is the finest I've encountered to date. Wafting from the glass with a classic bouquet of red and black currant fruit, rich loamy soil, cigar box and black truffles, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with terrific concentration, ripe tannins and lively acids. Seamless and complete, readers cellaring this wine should consider opening a few bottles.

An explosively rich, exotic, fruity Montrose, the 1995 displays even more fat and extract than the 1996. There is less Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1995 blend, resulting in a fuller-bodied, more accessible and friendlier style. The wine exhibits an opaque black/ruby/purple color, as well as a ripe nose of black fruits, vanillin, and licorice. Powerful yet surprisingly accessible (the tannin is velvety and the acidity low), this terrific example of Montrose should be drinkable at a young age. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2028.

Aromas of Indian spice, blackberry and currant. Subtle. Full-bodied, with slightly angular tannins, but soft and caressing in the finish. A little hollow but pretty.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Drink now. 17,600 cases made. -JS