Is my Montana dead?

[noarguments]

Clematis Montana - only planted last year (early summer I think), grew well over sunny wall. Has now gone completely brown and dead looking right down to the ground.
I know it buds on last year's growth, but will it really bud on dead looking branches? Do I leave it to do its thing or cut it right back so it concentrates on rejuvenating itself from the roots?
Thanks oh wise ones.

Too early to condemn it! Clematis is often quite late to bud. Many have been dug up by gardeners who didn't wait!

Scrape the stems with your fingernail - if you can see green underneath it's not dead! Best time to prune is after flowering, thin out the stems so it doesn't become a tangled mess. (I should follow my own advice, had to butcher a lovely dark-leaved one that had become too overgrown. No flowers last last year but looking forward to this spring...)

Good tip re the finger nail. Will try when its not tipping it down!
Thanks both.