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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.9 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 312 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by rgawlowski on 2/23/2024 & rated 92 points: It’s a lovely wine; still with life; nice, dark fruit, broken tannins; great nose and finish. (514 views) | | | Tasted by Redteeth on 12/31/2023: I carefully removed the cork with an Ah-So, it was in decent shape but was fragile. The wine was decanted about five hours before serving. The wine was dark in color and had a modest nose. There was modest sediment in the bottle. It was nice to drink and has held up very well for 25 years. (517 views) | | | Tasted by Matt.dubois9 on 11/18/2023: Great tasting wine after decanting for a long time (744 views) | | | Tasted by Rieslingfan on 8/11/2023: Like the 1998 Insignia I had a few weeks ago, this Montelena dispels the common opinion of 1998 as a poor vintage in Napa Cabernet. It just wasn’t 1997. Still plenty of deep black cherry fruit, along with a dash of vanilla, and some emerging cedar and leather elements. Moderate tannic structure, so that with the fruit there is still ample life, and enjoyment left in an underrated vintage of this Napa stalwart. Drink now and for many years to come. (1199 views) | | | Tasted by Nothung on 7/3/2023 & rated 91 points: Consistent with prior note (a good, not great Montelena). Still drinking well; in a good place. Opened about 7 hours before, not decanted. Probably would have benefited a bit from a short decant before serving. (997 views) | | | Tasted by Margaux Bro on 6/6/2023 & rated 94 points: From a magnum - still plenty of life. Very classic napa and quite enjoyable. If you're holding large format, there is still plenty of life left here. (1017 views) | | | Tasted by Rightbankrefreshment on 1/15/2023 & rated 93 points: Still has some life left. PnP. Drank over 2 hrs. (1500 views) | | | Tasted by Chazwine18 on 8/27/2022 & rated 93 points: Bought a case from auction, decanted 1 hour and tasted every 15 min. Amazing to taste the change from neutral to a full bodied party on the palate and everything one would expect from CM. It is not past its prine (2073 views) | | | Tasted by Geaux Tigers on 5/15/2022 flawed bottle: Bad bottle? Bad vintage? Past prime? I know this was stored well since purchase, so that wasn’t it. This is no way reflects my usual experience with aged Montelena. I’m marking this as flawed but no wet cardboard. Earth, green olive, touch of medicinal cherry that faded completely after 30 min. Had to move to plan B for dinner. (2647 views) | | | Tasted by jamesabdavis on 5/7/2022: Rather intriguing nose with a sort of peachy fruit and white flower personality. Not very Cabernet!
Mid-weight palate, under-ripe and lean for a Cali cab. Leafy flavours.
Finish is again lacking a bit in richness but balanced.
A delicious wine, very elegant, not at all what I was expecting. (2174 views) | | | Tasted by Nothung on 3/22/2022 & rated 91 points: A good, not great Montelena. (2356 views) | | | Tasted by llink on 11/4/2021 & rated 91 points: Popped and poured, a lot of sediment, could have used a couple of hours in a decanter. Dry cork, broke in half, use the Durand next time. Deep nose, shows tobacco, coffee grinds, blackberries and some cedar. Very deep palate, Bordeaux-like, medium weight, medium tannins with an austere finish. (2545 views) | | | Tasted by AlanM68 on 10/31/2021 flawed bottle: Sadly corked. (1937 views) | | | Tasted by DennisYoung on 10/24/2021: Smooth, very drinkable. Notes of blackberry (1669 views) | | | Tasted by mkparker on 9/4/2021: na (2011 views) | | | Tasted by Cote d'Or on 6/11/2021: Decanted, tasted over 3 hrs, bottle from secondary market
-dark red purple mild bricking
-mature nose
-med acidity, faint core of dusty fruit and mature elements, med tannins
-this bottle not dead but not particularly interesting right now either (2303 views) | | | Tasted by Charlie C on 5/7/2021 & rated 94 points: Dark red in color with some fading at the rim. Bright cherry nose with tobacco notes. Precise, bright fruit on the palate, cherries, raspberries, tobacco. Beautifully resolved tannins, good acidity, great balance. Throwing some light sediment. Finishes bright and lingering. A smooth, elegant wine at 23 years old. I think this will drink well for at least another 3 to 5 years. I stood this upright for a few hours but did not decant it, nor do I think it needed decanting. (2062 views) | | | Tasted by Mdb1982 on 5/6/2021 & rated 95 points: This wine was fantastic, very enjoyable wine. I wish I had more than just the one bottle. (2017 views) | | | Tasted by ShadowIII on 4/5/2021 & rated 93 points: Dark purple, still with loads of currant, cassis, some plum and dark fruit notes, developed layers of complexity over time in the glass, pencil lead, cedar, tobacco, leather, 2 bottles from the same cellar at dinner for 4. (2269 views) | | | Tasted by pkouchu on 1/27/2021 & rated 92 points: black currant, blackberries, leather, funky earth, mushroom, and anise.
slight brett, the wine is more or less smoothed out, definitely declining. nice acidity though. (2745 views) | | | Tasted by Ridgerunner on 8/25/2020 & rated 96 points: Simply an incredible wine drinking extremely well right now! (3501 views) | | | Tasted by hsacks on 7/3/2020 & rated 92 points: Medium red color. Aromas of black currants, leather, cola and wood spices. Medium-bodied nicely structured fruit in the mouth with very good depth and length. Still very fresh with ample tannins in the finish. This was a fine effort for a 22 year Cab from a mediocre vintage. (3510 views) | | | Tasted by no leashes on 5/10/2020 & rated 91 points: Delicious dark fruit, chocolate and a hint of pepper. Smooth and mouth coating. Even out of .375 this wine is still alive and beautiful. (4152 views) | | | Tasted by grapenomad on 1/19/2020 & rated 86 points: The first Montelena Cab I've tried. Feels like the first time I tasted Latour - disappointing. Deep garnet in the glass. Muted nose with a few aromas of dried black fruit, fig and cedar scattered across the board. Mind you, this is after a 3.5-hour decant. Palate is soft and already disjointed. None of that ripe concentration you would expect from a Cab. Not much depth either. Past its prime, so if you still have this in your cellar, better drink it today. (6027 views) | | | Tasted by Dalex on 10/20/2019 & rated 87 points: Third bottle I’ve consumed in 2 years. This was disappointing. Potentially poorly stored. I’ll nevwr know.
Thin, diluted, slightly acidic. Mediocre fruit. Completely one dimensional. (5792 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, Chateau Montelena Cabernet Estate: 1977-2010 (May 2019) (5/1/2019)
(Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Montelena Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/12/2002)
(Chateau Montelena, Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2001, IWC Issue #96
(Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (3/5/2004)
(Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate) Black cherry color; nice cherry, cappuccino, berry nose; coffee, toast, berries palate; medium finish 91+ pts. 91 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Chateau Montelena Producer website
Very DETAILED history of the property
From winery:
What’s not to like about the weather in 2018? The late spring rains in March and April were very productive and the vines responded with plentiful growth into summer. Unusually low nighttime temperatures coupled with warm to hot days magnified the acidity in the fruit, creating elegant structure for extending aging, rather than overtly jammy flavor. Harvest was slow and methodical as subtle variations in soil and sun exposure magnified the typically nuanced differences in ripening and maturation.
NOSE PALATE FINISH
Fresh and lively, the wine opens effusively with raspberry, mint and plum sauce. The baking spices soon follow, leaning clove initially but with plenty of cedar and vanilla. Still subtle, the ripe fruit elements, mostly cassis and fig at this stage, lurk beneath the surface along with beautiful hints of graphite and toasted sage, awaiting additional time in glass.
HARVEST DATES
September 20 – October 25
ALCOHOL
14.2%
BLEND
98% Cabernet Sauvignon 1.5% Petit Verdot 0.5% Cabernet Franc
Still very tightly wound, it’s the texture and mouthfeel that drive the palate initially. The tannins in particular are somewhat coarse but not so angular to overshadow the abundant dark fruit. The dynamic tension on the midpalate serves to focus and magnify the layers of black cherry, cocoa powder, and black pepper, before turning slightly earthy and dusty. The structure is pronounced, but still harmonious and well defined.
Technical Information
BARREL AGING
22 months in 100% French oak, 40% new
BOTTLING DATE
August 2020
It’s in the transition to the finish that the acidity materializes in almost candy-like fashion, a beautiful contrast to the supple tannins. Here the wine’s density shines elegantly, well balanced between smoky, espresso bean and delicate, dried blackberry. It’s the latter that defines the finish at this moment, persistent in length and depth.
WINEMAKER
Matt Crafton
Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
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