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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.5 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 165 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by AllRed on 2/16/2024 & rated 93 points: Euchre night (R&D's): After a run of either flawed or disappointing bottles we have finally found a winner. Double decanted off its sediment about ninety minutes earlier. The bouquet shows black currant, plum, chocolate and leather aromas. Full-bodied with softened tannins and flavors of currants, plum and cedar. Coming back to it three hours after it was opened has brought out more of the cedar and chocolate notes but also hints of tobacco. The dark plummy fruit remains. Plush, mouth-filling texture. In a very nice place right now and should hold at this level for a while. We have three bottles remaining which I'll spread out and open through 2028. (225 views) | | | Tasted by CellarWu on 6/23/2023 & rated 80 points: Smooth but not very full body. Does not contain much off oak flavor or chocolate, easy going wine. (521 views) | | | Tasted by AllRed on 4/22/2023 flawed bottle: Corked. (687 views) | | | Tasted by AllRed on 6/18/2022: Dinner with Friends (Gen Hoe): Double decanted off its sediment nine hours prior to ending up in the flight, served double blind to the group. As it was on opening, quite reserved and a bit four square. Shows a bit of black currant on the nose and palate but there’s not much else. I wonder if perhaps there is some very low level TCA here. (1058 views) | | | Tasted by JeffaC on 6/15/2021 & rated 90 points: Still in fine shape. Slight clearness at the edge, no bricking, dark red, violet. Still some black fruit on the nose, soft cedar aroma. Nice acidity balancing remaining fruit. Soft tannins. Medium minus taste length. Enjoyable. (1573 views) | | | Tasted by atbarbar on 8/7/2020 & rated 90 points: Dark garnet. Some black fruit but also tertiary notes. Somewhat thick juice. Very smooth tannins, it still has the acidity to make it interesting. I agree with some previous tasting notes: the wine is fully integrated and it drinks very well. (1928 views) | | | Tasted by Katscheker on 6/23/2020: pepper and earthy (1921 views) | | | Tasted by Tim in VA on 4/18/2020 & rated 95 points: Fantastic. Definitely peaking now. Just finished our last bottle :( (1910 views) | | | Tasted by Don Roberto on 3/14/2020 & rated 92 points: Classic Cab. Integrated tannins. Peaking now. (1780 views) | | | Tasted by Rbtrage on 11/24/2019 & rated 92 points: Initially a bit closed but opened up nicely on day 2. 90 on day 1 and 92 on day 2. Had a 1/5 bottle kept in the wine fridge to drink later and completely forgot about it until day 5. It was surprisingly the best glass for this bottle. (1776 views) | | | Tasted by Don Roberto on 9/14/2019 & rated 90 points: Tannins seemed fully integrated and wine is now at peak. (1570 views) | | | Tasted by akpace on 8/27/2019 & rated 91 points: Earthy, red berries, strawberry, raspberry, with a hint of chocolate and vanilla. It is rather thin (1302 views) | | | Tasted by CheviotCellar on 11/3/2018 & rated 88 points: Purchased at Montelena. 1-2 hr decant. Disappointing, muted fruits, chocolate and acidic. Lacking secondary flavors. Really just a boring vintage of this wine. Not worth the USD $50 we paid (2067 views) | | | Tasted by Goldinger32 on 9/14/2018 & rated 90 points: 9/14/18 enjoyed after hour decant Very approachable (2119 views) | | | Tasted by fmiskolc on 8/3/2018 & rated 94 points: Excellent. A wine to look forward to drinking again.
86% Cabernet Sauvignon 12% Merlot 2% Cabernet Franc 10 yrs. 13.8 ABV
Napa Valley / North Coast / California
PC $$$ WVR 23.03 | Reasonably priced for the category. (531 views) | | | Tasted by Tahlequahdave1972 on 3/26/2018 & rated 91 points: We finished the last bottle of Napa Valley cabernet and found this bottle much more to our liking than the last. More balanced and presenting abundant fruit, this wine was more what we have come to expect from Chateau Montelena. Really good cuvee for binge watching a Showtime original. (2602 views) | | | Tasted by Tahlequahdave1972 on 3/19/2018 & rated 89 points: This was one of the very few "underwhelming" wines we have experienced from this winery. Some amber when pouring into the decanter but fully dark red/garnet red in the decanter. Let stand for two plus hours before pouring. Nose tended toward earthiness, cedar and wood. Fruit flavors of dark cherry and dark fruits were evident but only in the background, with herbs, pencil shavings, vanilla and tobacco being front and center. Not the balanced flavor profile we have come to expect from this producer. Medium mouthfeel with a smooth, pleasant texture and a soft, if not one-dimensional, finish. My initial impression was that the wine was past its' prime drinking window. Purchased at the winery and properly stored since the purchase. (2417 views) | | | Tasted by comlaw on 11/4/2017 & rated 92 points: Decanted for 30 minutes. Drinking very well right now. Fruit forward cabernet with black and red cherry and red raspberry. Medium bodied with soft tannins. (3331 views) | | | Tasted by Cancan12 on 10/1/2017 & rated 100 points: 5 star. Full bodied. Aromas of violet, chocolate and earth. Well balanced. Smooth and long finish. (2782 views) | | | Tasted by bestdamncab on 9/7/2017 & rated 90 points: Kathy and I tasted this wine at the Chateau Montelena Store in the Westin St. Francis San Francisco this evening, nose of red and black cherry fruit, and allspice, same on the palate, tasty, fairly fruit forward, at its best, easy to sip and enjoy, and a long finish. (2851 views) | | | Tasted by bestdamncab on 8/30/2017 & rated 90 points: Tasted at the Westin St. Francis Chateau Montelena Tasting Room in Downtown San Francisco, this was a real treat, blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.5% Cabernet Franc, 1.5% Petit Verdot, nose of ripe black cherry, ripe red cherry, black berry, fresh fruit, and a touch of tar, same on the palate, big body, mouth filling, slightly brooding due to presence of small amount of soft tannins, and a long, flavorful finish, probably better in 2 years. (2230 views) | | | Tasted by waywardsailor on 7/21/2017 & rated 89 points: fruity nose. well balanced palate albeit short finish. easy drinking wine. (2388 views) | | | Tasted by Mike Kopanski on 7/16/2017 & rated 92 points: What a treat. A friend who is a member of the wine club has kept this in close to pristine condition since it's release. One of those Cabernet's with a natural bit of eucalyptus on the nose and palate. A really wonderful, expressive, well made red wine that is only medium plus bodied. The fruit on the nose and palate is almost as much red as dark, especially some red raspberry. Now, almost 9 years off the vine things have integrated, especially the oak. All kinds of enhancing secondary flavors like orange peel, pine bark, sandalwood, American oak and lanolin. The acid, oak and alcohol have integrated, but this one may could use another couple of years for optimum drinking, though it is swell now. (1217 views) | | | Tasted by AllRed on 6/11/2017 & rated 88 points: Second Sunday Group: Chateau Montelena Cabernet (Non-Estate) Vertical, 2005-2012 (Our house): Opens with notes of citrusy red plum, vanilla and currants. Develops dark fruit and herb notes as it sits in the glass. Nice fruit on the palate, primarily red, along with vanilla and oak spices. Medium tannins. Vanilla and currant in the finish.
My #6, Domino's #2
Group #1, 30 pts (2389 views) | | | Tasted by jzebrack on 4/21/2017 & rated 90 points: Ready to drink.
Opened without decanting. Had a very nice finish. More of a medium body. Certainly not big and bold. Was also very good on second day (1881 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2011, IWC Issue #156
(Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2010, IWC Issue #150
(Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga Cuvee Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (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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