Vinexpo 2015: Chateau Montrose hosts Fête de la Fleur for 200th anniversary
Saint Estephe second growth Chateau Montrose has hosted the traditional Fete de la Fleur gala dinner to close Vinexpo 2015, with nearly 1,700 guests attending. Read Jane Anson's report of the evening here.
Hosted by owners Martin and Melissa Bouygues, 1,680 guests attended the evening after the final day of Vinexpo 2015.
Once at Montrose, they were greeted with aperitif wines of Château de Rayne Vigneau 2010, Château Olivier 2012, Château Beaumont 2009 and Bollinger champagne.
The evening began with an induction ceremony into the Commanderie de Bontemps de Medoc, Graves, Sauternes et Barsac. New Commandeurs included Chinese actress Carina Lau, Alistair Viner of Hedonism Wines in London and Coravin founder Greg Lambrecht.
Guests at the evening included French senator Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Bordeaux mayor Alain Juppé and a host of well-known faces from the world of wine including First Growth owners from Philippe Sereys de Rothschild with his partner Carole Bouquet to Corinne Mentzelopolous and Prince Robert of Luxembourg.
Over dinner, the wines continued with Château Tronquoy Lalande white 2012, Chateau Tronquoy Lalande red 2010, Chateau Malartic Lagravière 2005, Grand Puy Lacoste 2000, Chateau Montrose 1986 in magnum, served with aged Comte and Mimolette cheese, and Château Rieussec 2007.
Dinner was provided by three-star Michelin chef Christian Le Squer of Le Cinq restaurant, hotel Georges V in Paris and was kicked off with a Caviar de Montrose, produced by sturgeon owned by Martin Bouygues himself.
Martin Bouygues bought Montrose with his brother Olivier in 2006 for €140 million. They have recently completed a €20 million investment programme that has turned the estate, as Melissa Bouygues told guests over dinner last night into a ‘showcase of sustainable development’, where they will soon be producing more electricity that they consume.
Heading up the property are two ex-First Growth directors; Haut-Brion’s Jean-Bernard Delmas, who is now semi-retired and works as a consultant for Montrose, and Hervé Berland formerly of Mouton Rothschild.
