An intense black colour, a very complex nose with aromas of black fruit, cocoa, vanilla and spices, a powerful and full mouth with silky tannins, a very aromatic finish boosted by notes of candied fruit and toasted bread.
Terrior
A superb plateau of red gravels facing South, South-East, overlooking the Gironde estuary, the vineyard is bathed in light throughout the year and benefits from the mild temperatures of the oceanic climate.
Specs
Vintage: 2020
Varietals: 95% Merlot, 5% Malbec
Appellation: Côtes de Bourg AOC
Alcohol: 15%
2020 Château Montfollet Le Valentin, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux
91-92 points – JamesSuckling.com 92-95 Point Vintage, Wine Spectator
Tasting Notes
A deep garnet-red wine with purple tint, perfumes of jammy black fruits and touches of vanilla and spices, a rich mouth, full and delicate: a blend of fruits, toast and liquorice, perfect to share on special occasions with fine dishes of red meat or cheese.
Terrior
Superb clay-limestone slopes facing South, South-East and South-West, overlooking the Gironde estuary, the vineyard is bathed in light throughout the year and benefits from the mild temperatures of the oceanic climate.
Specs
Vintage: 2020
Varietals: 70% Merlot, 30% Malbec
Appellation: Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux
Alcohol: 15%
What’s Included
4-bottles:
2x 2020 Château Montfollet Altus, Côtes de Bourg
2x 2020 Château Montfollet Le Valentin, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux Case:
6x 2020 Château Montfollet Altus, Côtes de Bourg
6x 2020 Château Montfollet Le Valentin, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $360/case MSRP
About The Winery
Winery: Château Montfollet
Owners: Dominique Raimond
Location: in the heart of Blaye and Cotes de Bourg appellations
In the heart of the best terroirs of the appellations of Blaye and Bourg, this family estate of 67 hectares of vines is located on the hillsides of red clay and limestone, overlooking the Gironde estuary, on the right bank, facing the most prestigious Margaux’s Grand Crus. It has been in the Raimond family for three generations.
Today, attentive to reveal the potential of these wonderful terroirs while respecting the environment, Dominique Raimond, a passionate winemaker and the current owner, uses all the means to get real “Grands Vins de Bordeaux”.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Château Montfollet Mixed Bordeaux - $25 = 11.90%
Le Valentin:
Suckling:
This is tight and fine-tannin, providing a fine line running through the center palate. It’s medium-to-full-bodied with juiciness and richness. Some wet earth at the end. ~91-92
Wine Enthusiast:
86 Points. The wine is thin; its tannins dominate. It has a stalky, youthful character that may open up. It certainly will not be ready before 2024. — Roger Voss
Spectator:
87 Points. A frankly toasted style, with a cocoa and coffee frame around a core of plum and black cherry notes. The finish lets cedar and tobacco move in, adding to the burly, rustic edge. Merlot and Malbec. Drink now through 2026. 2,500 cases made, 2,000 cases imported. James Molesworth. Web only-2022
Le Guide Hachette(?) 2023:
1 star out of 3. Very successful wine. 71,000 bottles produced. Drink 2024-2028
Maybe an 89 point review Decanter World Wine Awards?
Altus:
Suckling…Lots of blackberry and blueberry with some wet earth and chocolate. Full and flavorful. Juicy and chewy tannins. Flavorful finish. ~91-92
Maybe an 88 point review Decanter World Wine Awards?
Looks to be imported by One Vine Wine where the retail arm Big Hammer Wines is selling them both for $21.98/bottle
So, due to technical difficulties at WCC, this wine did not get here until this afternoon. (full disclosure) Since I did not know what wine was coming, and I try to pair dinner with the wine offered, I did look at the website today to see what wine(s) was/were offered.
We (+1 and I) do not usually drink French wines, but we do like merlot. For dinner, I prepared, what could not be more French than a cassoulet (duck, pork, lamb, bacon, cannellini beans, etc.).
I removed the foil and noticed that it was sticky around the neck of the bottle and the cork had seepage. Oh-oh. I pulled the cork and there was an off-putting smell. A small amount was poured into Bordeaux glasses and examined against a white paper. The center was dark burgundy with lighter edges. After swirling a few times, the legs were long and fell rapidly. The first aromas were of blackberry and blueberry with an emanation of alcohol. The first flavors mimicked the aromas, with a little under-ripe plum thrown in. There is perhaps a little black pepper as part of the finish. The tannins were very dry.
After 30 minutes, a retasting reveals the same flavors, but any essence of alcohol fumes have dissipated. This wine was a perfect pairing for the dinner.
After an hour of decanting, this wine has not changed. I liken this wine’s flavor to black fruit jam on toast (a line I’ve seen used before). For dessert, Dove’s dark chocolate bites, which were excellent together.
I think this wine will cellar for years. It will pair with a variety of meats and cheeses. There is nothing to dislike about this wine and it is not simple or boring. At 15 bucks and change per bottle, you will not be disappointed with this purchase. I would not hesitate to serve this to friends or family with a charcuterie board, dinner or dessert.
@InFrom@jmdavidson1 right!?!? That pic makes me want some cassoulet now! I had an awesome cassoulet at a French restaurant in (of all places) Maui. It had rabbit in it IIRC.
@jmdavidson1@mew5280 That does really look nice, especially because I’m hungry. And also like French food. But isn’t that basically a form of Gumbo? (or rather, isn’t Gumbo a form of Cassoulet?)
@jmdavidson1@klezman@mew5280@pmarin
Some years ago, when I was doing some work in Toulouse FR, I had my first encounter with cassoulet. I recall it being much more stew like, thick, body, rather than a broth consistency as this, and gumbo I’ve had, looks.
@jmdavidson1@klezman@mew5280@pmarin I think that may be stretching it a little. I mean, both are stews, with various meats, they do have that in common, but to say that either one is a version of the other doesn’t sound quite right to me.
@InFrom@jmdavidson1@klezman@mew5280 yeah, well, a couple of hundred years and few thousand miles will affect things. But I do know there is quite a relation of the Creole to France, as they were the original inhabitants. (and I’m willing to take some punishment for not knowing the distinction between Cajun and Creole, but I’m sure there is one). But the idea of “throw what you have into a pot with magically good seasoning and rice, beans, vegetable into a pot, as long as it’s not moving, but actually if it is, you know it’s fresh” so in the end it’s all good.
@InFrom@klezman@mew5280@pmarin This was a thick stew (at least that is how I make it). Some basic diff’s between this and gumbo. This has the holy 3 (celery, onions, carrots), as well as duck, lamb, pork and cannelini beans. Gumbo has the southern 3 (celery, bell pepper, onion), as well as seafood, such as shrimp. Both are stewy and have andouille, but are very different IMHO. This I eat with sour dough bread, while gumbo is served over rice. Also, no okra in cassoulet.
@InFrom@jmdavidson1@klezman@mew5280 That is cool to know. I never noticed there was duo of trinities! But of course that makes sense, along with the okra thing. But the concept is still, yeah, basically good stuff, in a pot for a while, with whatever you have that doesn’t fight you too much as you put it in the pot.
…and I’m willing to take some punishment for not knowing the
distinction between Cajun and Creole
Simple way too guess the difference: Count the ingredients, and look for tomatoes. Creole recipes tend to be more complex than Cajun, and more likely to have tomatoes.
I was told that the Creoles were more likely to have servants toiling over the recipes and that tomatoes were on the pricey side, way back when.
I’ve been a Casemates customer, but I’m a new local Lab Rat and I can’t lie I’m excited to be here!
First, those that know me know that I LOVE side by side tastings. It’s such a great comparative experience. So, I was very excited to taste the two Chateau Montfollet wines together. I opened the wines about 2 hours before I planned to taste (or drink ; ) them.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I had a preconceived idea that I would have a slight preference for the Altus, but I gave both wines equal love and attention.
I didn’t find a huge difference on the nose of these wines. Both were lovely with a certain depth of black fruit and spice. The color on both also presented similarly with, as expected, a beautiful velvety hue. Upon first taste the Altus tasted more complex than I expected given the predominance of Merlot, and the Le Valentin tasted more balanced than I expected, given a higher percentage of Malbec. I enjoyed both from the start, but I loved how both wines continued to open up in the glass!
When I tasted the wines with dinner (it was a last minute plan so dinner was a gourmet fennel sausage pizza) I loved how both wines took on expanded personalities with food - even if the food wasn’t exactly what I would have matched with them. And it was hard to choose a favorite.
In summary – I super enjoyed both wines! Did my slight preconceived preference for Altus hold true? It did. But my husband had a strong preference for Le Valentin. So, I guess it’s good they are offering these as a set.
@kawichris650@mikepav@rjquillin@Winedavid49 Like the styro for temp moderation but hate it for disposal/recycling. Wanted to point out to any Portland/PDX people that a company here called Agilyx will glady let you drop off styrofoam 24 hrs a day at a facility near downtown Tigard. They have a patented process they are trying expand across the country. In most other cities it’s hard to find recycling for styrofoam. Many regular collection events had been suspended during Covid and are only slowly coming back. Maybe we need a forum board for people to post what they found in their areas.
@kawichris650@mikepav@rjquillin@Winedavid49 also remember when we used to get those little clear frozen “ketchup packets” in Summer? Maybe that was the other site. I never thought they really could help much but for whatever reason I still have a large plastic jar full of them that I kept them in.
2020 Château Montfollet Le Valentin, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux
Quick Labrat here as we just received the wine and were able to cool for an hour before pouring due to the difficulties that casemates had in procuring the rat bottles.
Very dark initial pour. Smell of alcohol and bright berries. Cannot overstate how dark this was, it was really surprising. First sip was much lighter on the palette than I would have guessed. Very tight and alcohol forward.
Let it decant for 30 mins and had a full pour. The wine has started to very nicely open up. Lot of bright cherries, can really taste the Merlot with the Malbec kind of creeping around. Over time the wine continues to open in the glass. Much better than I had expected. Definitely recommend.
2020 Château Montfollet Altus, Côtes de Bourg
91-92 points – JamesSuckling.com
Terrior
Specs
2020 Château Montfollet Le Valentin, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux
91-92 points – JamesSuckling.com
92-95 Point Vintage, Wine Spectator
Tasting Notes
Terrior
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $360/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jul 3 - Thursday, Jul 6
Château Montfollet Mixed Bordeaux
4 bottles for $69.99 $17.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $184.99 $15.42/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2020 Château Montfollet Altus
2020 Château Montfollet Le Valentin
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Château Montfollet Mixed Bordeaux - $25 = 11.90%
Rats?
@mikepav Per casemates, the rattage bottles were just sent yesterday, so expect reviews today.
Bordeaux at 15% ABV seems a bit high. Was 2020 particularly hot?
@klezman Broad brush…Not 2003, but hot summer, late rain, early harvest (can’t speak to these wines), pandemic lockdown.
Le Valentin:
Suckling:
This is tight and fine-tannin, providing a fine line running through the center palate. It’s medium-to-full-bodied with juiciness and richness. Some wet earth at the end. ~91-92
Wine Enthusiast:
86 Points. The wine is thin; its tannins dominate. It has a stalky, youthful character that may open up. It certainly will not be ready before 2024. — Roger Voss
Spectator:
87 Points. A frankly toasted style, with a cocoa and coffee frame around a core of plum and black cherry notes. The finish lets cedar and tobacco move in, adding to the burly, rustic edge. Merlot and Malbec. Drink now through 2026. 2,500 cases made, 2,000 cases imported. James Molesworth. Web only-2022
Le Guide Hachette(?) 2023:
1 star out of 3. Very successful wine. 71,000 bottles produced. Drink 2024-2028
Maybe an 89 point review Decanter World Wine Awards?
Altus:
Suckling…Lots of blackberry and blueberry with some wet earth and chocolate. Full and flavorful. Juicy and chewy tannins. Flavorful finish. ~91-92
Maybe an 88 point review Decanter World Wine Awards?
Looks to be imported by One Vine Wine where the retail arm Big Hammer Wines is selling them both for $21.98/bottle
fwiw
2020 Château Montfollet Altus, Côtes de Bourg
So, due to technical difficulties at WCC, this wine did not get here until this afternoon. (full disclosure) Since I did not know what wine was coming, and I try to pair dinner with the wine offered, I did look at the website today to see what wine(s) was/were offered.
We (+1 and I) do not usually drink French wines, but we do like merlot. For dinner, I prepared, what could not be more French than a cassoulet (duck, pork, lamb, bacon, cannellini beans, etc.).
I removed the foil and noticed that it was sticky around the neck of the bottle and the cork had seepage. Oh-oh. I pulled the cork and there was an off-putting smell. A small amount was poured into Bordeaux glasses and examined against a white paper. The center was dark burgundy with lighter edges. After swirling a few times, the legs were long and fell rapidly. The first aromas were of blackberry and blueberry with an emanation of alcohol. The first flavors mimicked the aromas, with a little under-ripe plum thrown in. There is perhaps a little black pepper as part of the finish. The tannins were very dry.
After 30 minutes, a retasting reveals the same flavors, but any essence of alcohol fumes have dissipated. This wine was a perfect pairing for the dinner.
After an hour of decanting, this wine has not changed. I liken this wine’s flavor to black fruit jam on toast (a line I’ve seen used before). For dessert, Dove’s dark chocolate bites, which were excellent together.
I think this wine will cellar for years. It will pair with a variety of meats and cheeses. There is nothing to dislike about this wine and it is not simple or boring. At 15 bucks and change per bottle, you will not be disappointed with this purchase. I would not hesitate to serve this to friends or family with a charcuterie board, dinner or dessert.
@jmdavidson1 I love that you just whipped up a little cassoulet for the occasion. Looks delish.## Heading ##
@InFrom @jmdavidson1 right!?!? That pic makes me want some cassoulet now! I had an awesome cassoulet at a French restaurant in (of all places) Maui. It had rabbit
in it IIRC.
EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!
@jmdavidson1 LOVE the cassoulet!
@jmdavidson1 The cassoulet is amazing. Thank you for ratting.
@jmdavidson1 @mew5280 That does really look nice, especially because I’m hungry. And also like French food. But isn’t that basically a form of Gumbo? (or rather, isn’t Gumbo a form of Cassoulet?)
@jmdavidson1 @mew5280 @pmarin never thought about that, but yeah that seems correct that gumbo is the Creole version of cassoulet.
@jmdavidson1 @klezman @mew5280 @pmarin
Some years ago, when I was doing some work in Toulouse FR, I had my first encounter with cassoulet. I recall it being much more stew like, thick, body, rather than a broth consistency as this, and gumbo I’ve had, looks.
@jmdavidson1 @klezman @mew5280 @pmarin I think that may be stretching it a little. I mean, both are stews, with various meats, they do have that in common, but to say that either one is a version of the other doesn’t sound quite right to me.
@InFrom @jmdavidson1 @klezman @mew5280 yeah, well, a couple of hundred years and few thousand miles will affect things. But I do know there is quite a relation of the Creole to France, as they were the original inhabitants. (and I’m willing to take some punishment for not knowing the distinction between Cajun and Creole, but I’m sure there is one). But the idea of “throw what you have into a pot with magically good seasoning and rice, beans, vegetable into a pot, as long as it’s not moving, but actually if it is, you know it’s fresh” so in the end it’s all good.
@InFrom @klezman @mew5280 @pmarin This was a thick stew (at least that is how I make it). Some basic diff’s between this and gumbo. This has the holy 3 (celery, onions, carrots), as well as duck, lamb, pork and cannelini beans. Gumbo has the southern 3 (celery, bell pepper, onion), as well as seafood, such as shrimp. Both are stewy and have andouille, but are very different IMHO. This I eat with sour dough bread, while gumbo is served over rice. Also, no okra in cassoulet.
@InFrom @jmdavidson1 @klezman @mew5280 That is cool to know. I never noticed there was duo of trinities! But of course that makes sense, along with the okra thing. But the concept is still, yeah, basically good stuff, in a pot for a while, with whatever you have that doesn’t fight you too much as you put it in the pot.
@InFrom @klezman @mew5280 @pmarin Bottom line…both are delicious!!! But not to be left out: etoufee, shrimp and grits and jambalaya. Yummm!
@InFrom @jmdavidson1 @klezman @mew5280 @pmarin
Simple way too guess the difference: Count the ingredients, and look for tomatoes. Creole recipes tend to be more complex than Cajun, and more likely to have tomatoes.
I was told that the Creoles were more likely to have servants toiling over the recipes and that tomatoes were on the pricey side, way back when.
I’ve been a Casemates customer, but I’m a new local Lab Rat and I can’t lie I’m excited to be here!
First, those that know me know that I LOVE side by side tastings. It’s such a great comparative experience. So, I was very excited to taste the two Chateau Montfollet wines together. I opened the wines about 2 hours before I planned to taste (or drink ; ) them.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I had a preconceived idea that I would have a slight preference for the Altus, but I gave both wines equal love and attention.
I didn’t find a huge difference on the nose of these wines. Both were lovely with a certain depth of black fruit and spice. The color on both also presented similarly with, as expected, a beautiful velvety hue. Upon first taste the Altus tasted more complex than I expected given the predominance of Merlot, and the Le Valentin tasted more balanced than I expected, given a higher percentage of Malbec. I enjoyed both from the start, but I loved how both wines continued to open up in the glass!
When I tasted the wines with dinner (it was a last minute plan so dinner was a gourmet fennel sausage pizza) I loved how both wines took on expanded personalities with food - even if the food wasn’t exactly what I would have matched with them. And it was hard to choose a favorite.
In summary – I super enjoyed both wines! Did my slight preconceived preference for Altus hold true? It did. But my husband had a strong preference for Le Valentin. So, I guess it’s good they are offering these as a set.
@mk22 awesome! I love side-by-side tastings, too.
POPSOCKETS! COURT DOCKETS! FOLK ROCK HITS! AWESOME!
@mk22 Great pics. Thank for the report.
2 positive Rattings + Bordeaux = Buy
Buy / Full Closet = Angry Wife
Angry Wife + Good wine = Happy Wife
Sold
@mikepav
Full closet + sleeping on a bed of wine boxes = angry back
@kawichris650 @mikepav
Open them all and have a “water”bed?
@mikepav my husband scowls when more wine arrives at the door of our small home, but I remind him what a great deal we got
. Sorry Not Sorry
@kawichris650 @pseudogourmet98 I may have to buy more than a case to fill a water bed:)
@kawichris650 They ship them in foam. I wish it was memory foam!
@kawichris650 @mikepav @winedavid49
Do we have styro for summer shipping this year, or just 2-day service?
@kawichris650 @mikepav @rjquillin Styro
@kawichris650 @mikepav @rjquillin @Winedavid49 Like the styro for temp moderation but hate it for disposal/recycling. Wanted to point out to any Portland/PDX people that a company here called Agilyx will glady let you drop off styrofoam 24 hrs a day at a facility near downtown Tigard. They have a patented process they are trying expand across the country. In most other cities it’s hard to find recycling for styrofoam. Many regular collection events had been suspended during Covid and are only slowly coming back. Maybe we need a forum board for people to post what they found in their areas.
@kawichris650 @mikepav @rjquillin @Winedavid49 also remember when we used to get those little clear frozen “ketchup packets” in Summer? Maybe that was the other site. I never thought they really could help much but for whatever reason I still have a large plastic jar full of them that I kept them in.
@kawichris650 @mikepav @pmarin @Winedavid49 window dressing…
2020 Château Montfollet Le Valentin, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux
Quick Labrat here as we just received the wine and were able to cool for an hour before pouring due to the difficulties that casemates had in procuring the rat bottles.
Very dark initial pour. Smell of alcohol and bright berries. Cannot overstate how dark this was, it was really surprising. First sip was much lighter on the palette than I would have guessed. Very tight and alcohol forward.
Let it decant for 30 mins and had a full pour. The wine has started to very nicely open up. Lot of bright cherries, can really taste the Merlot with the Malbec kind of creeping around. Over time the wine continues to open in the glass. Much better than I had expected. Definitely recommend.
Palate. (Take the night off, @ddeuddeg.)