This wine was decanted about a half hour and continued to open up all night. This is a legend in the making, Lots of spice and black fruit intermingled with cassis and cedar. One of the greatest wines i have tasted. This wine will be incredibly long lived. It is palate staining and supple with classic bordeaux imprinted on the endless finish. Parker was right 100 points

How close do you feel this wine is to being ready to drink? I have three magnums of it and don't want to waste one.

Board-O, If I recall RP'S notes in his latest Bordeaux book, he said the wine has 20-30 left. No need to hurry.

Signs of seepage--the capsule was stuck to the bottle neck and had to be cut away. Sure enough, the cork was wet and purple all the way to the top. The fill level was fine.

On first whiff, there was a bit of oxidation evident. This was not a pristine bottle, but it wasn't totally spoiled. Color was still good, just a hint of orange on the rim, identical to the 1996. On the nose, oxidation was evident--it didn't blow off over the next two hours, but there was still that classic Bordeaux barnyard nose (not the funky bad one, but the kind that reminds you of a meadow in spring), mixed with a racy, minty camphor essence, backed up by rich black cherry. Flavors of cassis, blackberry, blueberry and red cherry. Very round profile--full mid-palate. Lush. Tannins are smooth but full-bodied. Very long finish, with a nice hint of mintiness. It is probably inappropriate to score this, as it was obviously not in perfect condition, but will still give it 96. A perfect bottle must be awesome, indeed.

I have had a number of excellent '90 Bordeaux, and this is yet one more.

A nose of berry, tobacco, espresso, chocolate and mint on this exotic nose, that followed up on the palate also with silky tannins on the finish, a long finish.

A pleasure to drink.

How is the brett in the wine? It's always been pretty smelly but the concentration of ripe fruit and velvety tannins is just too wonderful not to say it is outstanding quality.

James, I have only had two bottles of this wine that were less than stellar. One was corked and one the brett indeed dominated the wine.

All others were excellent within the first hour.

I was wondering about the bret issue myself. I've had this three times. Once was great, but a little bret, two times the brett was too much (though one of those bottles may have also been slightly corked -- so much brett, hard to tell.)

Great to hear you got a good bottle. I love Montrose -- one of the very few Bordeaux I consistently really enjoy.

w+a, how ready to drink do you think this wine is? I've got three mags and am wondering when to open the first. Based on what I've read, it still seems to need some age, but I'd like your opinion.