Served double blind. Clearly Californian chardonnay. There's a slight hint of lemon on the nose. The palate is racy and crisp with no discernible oak influence nor malolactic fermentation. Nice acidity and freshness, which makes me think this is on the younger side, perhaps 2012?
My 5th, group's 5th. Served double blind. Slightly figgy on the nose, this shows perhaps a little like something from the earlier 90s. There is a little bit of leather on the nose as well, but the fruit profile is clearly Californian. The palate shows fruit that would immediately make you think that this is a fleshier wine, but there's actually a nice acidity and tannin here to provide a skeleton too.
My 7th, group's 6th. Served double blind. A little bit faecal on the nose with some really elevated eucalyptus notes as well. Reminds me of a Heitz that I had a while ago that I couldn't really get through. The palate is certainly more tractable though. It's moderately ripe, and more of a structural wine; the fruit isn't as prominent here. Probably a leaner vintage from the mid 1990s as well.
My 3rd, group's 1st. Served double blind. The palate here shows a little leaner, with a focus on red fruits. This is clearly a younger wine, given its freshness here. The palate, too, veers a bit on the leaner side, and I'm thinking that this is a vintage that isn't too ripe. Nice elegance here, though the tannins are still a little bit unwieldy. Perhaps something like early 2000s?
My 4th, group's 7th. Served double blind. This seems to be a bit of a younger example as well. Some tart plums on the nose. This has really nice acidity and freshness, with a tannic structure that isn't too stern. It's fairly generous now, but there's certainly room for aging. On the back end, the fruit seems to be more plummy than the attack and acidity would indicate. Again, early 2000s?
My 6th, group's 10th. Served double blind. This shows a little bit of oak on the nose. Seems just a wee bit stewy. Relatively shorter finish too. After a repour later in the evening, I concluded this was corked.
My 8th, group's 2nd. Served double blind. Seems a little bit of a ringer here. The nose shows a lot less of the classic cabernet flavours; the palate is a little thinner, with some sweeter fruit. This has a little bit of a sweet and sour character going on here. There's also a lot more red fruit in this wine than many others.
My 9th, group's 8th. Served double blind. Slightly heavy on the oak on the nose. This seems to be a bit of a riper, fuller wine, with a velvety texture. Sweeter fruit, with good balance from the tannins, though the acidity seems to be a little bit light here. Perhaps 1991 or 1994? It's not the most elegant or lifted wine, but it's still quite admirable for its large stature.
My 2nd, group's 9th. Served double blind. Smells like a slightly younger example again, probably from the 90s. The palate's fruit isn't as prominent here and there is great balance with the structural elements -- more so than many of the other wines. This isn't the most dense nor powerful of the wines, but everything seems to sit in the middle of the road. One of my favourites tonight.
My 1st, group's 4th. Served double blind. This seems to have a bit of a more classical take to it. The fruit is really nicely balanced with the acidity here and there's a good earthy structure. This has a moderate bit of age on it, but the freshness here is just outstanding.
My 10th, group's 3rd. Served double blind. Probably one of the youngest wines tonight. Dark in colour. Sweeter fruit, this has a bit of a jamminess that sort of reminds me of younger cabernets these days. The sweetness here isn't really to my liking; this wine just comes off a little bit too ripe and fleshy for my taste.
My 11th, group's 11th. From the colour alone, this is obviously the oldest wine of the bunch. Porty on the nose, kind of like those 60s Bordeaux wines. Sweet, soy, and a touch of mushroom. The palate seems a little bit vinegary too. Older, this bottle seems to be falling apart a bit. From the same lot as the previous bottle -- the most reasonable conclusion is that the entire case was damaged at some point.
From half-bottle. Served double blind. Really pineappley. Seems to have a really nice freshness. There's also a herbal quality, as well as a ton of coconut. Leaner on the palate, with way too much acidity. Waxy and heavy on the alcohol. I guessed some sort of Californian sauternes, but certainly a pale imitation of the real thing.
2014 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Served double blind. Clearly Californian chardonnay. There's a slight hint of lemon on the nose. The palate is racy and crisp with no discernible oak influence nor malolactic fermentation. Nice acidity and freshness, which makes me think this is on the younger side, perhaps 2012?
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1987 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
My 5th, group's 5th. Served double blind. Slightly figgy on the nose, this shows perhaps a little like something from the earlier 90s. There is a little bit of leather on the nose as well, but the fruit profile is clearly Californian. The palate shows fruit that would immediately make you think that this is a fleshier wine, but there's actually a nice acidity and tannin here to provide a skeleton too.
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1989 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 88 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
My 7th, group's 6th. Served double blind. A little bit faecal on the nose with some really elevated eucalyptus notes as well. Reminds me of a Heitz that I had a while ago that I couldn't really get through. The palate is certainly more tractable though. It's moderately ripe, and more of a structural wine; the fruit isn't as prominent here. Probably a leaner vintage from the mid 1990s as well.
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1991 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
My 3rd, group's 1st. Served double blind. The palate here shows a little leaner, with a focus on red fruits. This is clearly a younger wine, given its freshness here. The palate, too, veers a bit on the leaner side, and I'm thinking that this is a vintage that isn't too ripe. Nice elegance here, though the tannins are still a little bit unwieldy. Perhaps something like early 2000s?
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1992 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
My 4th, group's 7th. Served double blind. This seems to be a bit of a younger example as well. Some tart plums on the nose. This has really nice acidity and freshness, with a tannic structure that isn't too stern. It's fairly generous now, but there's certainly room for aging. On the back end, the fruit seems to be more plummy than the attack and acidity would indicate. Again, early 2000s?
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1993 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate Flawed
USA, California, Napa Valley
My 6th, group's 10th. Served double blind. This shows a little bit of oak on the nose. Seems just a wee bit stewy. Relatively shorter finish too. After a repour later in the evening, I concluded this was corked.
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1994 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate Flawed
USA, California, Napa Valley
My 12th, group's 12th. Served double blind. Slightly heat-damaged. Porty and stewy.
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1995 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 88 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
My 8th, group's 2nd. Served double blind. Seems a little bit of a ringer here. The nose shows a lot less of the classic cabernet flavours; the palate is a little thinner, with some sweeter fruit. This has a little bit of a sweet and sour character going on here. There's also a lot more red fruit in this wine than many others.
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1996 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 88 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
My 9th, group's 8th. Served double blind. Slightly heavy on the oak on the nose. This seems to be a bit of a riper, fuller wine, with a velvety texture. Sweeter fruit, with good balance from the tannins, though the acidity seems to be a little bit light here. Perhaps 1991 or 1994? It's not the most elegant or lifted wine, but it's still quite admirable for its large stature.
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1997 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 90 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
My 2nd, group's 9th. Served double blind. Smells like a slightly younger example again, probably from the 90s. The palate's fruit isn't as prominent here and there is great balance with the structural elements -- more so than many of the other wines. This isn't the most dense nor powerful of the wines, but everything seems to sit in the middle of the road. One of my favourites tonight.
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2001 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 93 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
My 1st, group's 4th. Served double blind. This seems to have a bit of a more classical take to it. The fruit is really nicely balanced with the acidity here and there's a good earthy structure. This has a moderate bit of age on it, but the freshness here is just outstanding.
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2003 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate 85 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Calistoga
My 10th, group's 3rd. Served double blind. Probably one of the youngest wines tonight. Dark in colour. Sweeter fruit, this has a bit of a jamminess that sort of reminds me of younger cabernets these days. The sweetness here isn't really to my liking; this wine just comes off a little bit too ripe and fleshy for my taste.
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1994 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate Flawed
USA, California, Napa Valley
My 11th, group's 11th. From the colour alone, this is obviously the oldest wine of the bunch. Porty on the nose, kind of like those 60s Bordeaux wines. Sweet, soy, and a touch of mushroom. The palate seems a little bit vinegary too. Older, this bottle seems to be falling apart a bit. From the same lot as the previous bottle -- the most reasonable conclusion is that the entire case was damaged at some point.
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2009 Chateau Montelena Sauvignon Blanc Late Harvest 80 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Calistoga
From half-bottle. Served double blind. Really pineappley. Seems to have a really nice freshness. There's also a herbal quality, as well as a ton of coconut. Leaner on the palate, with way too much acidity. Waxy and heavy on the alcohol. I guessed some sort of Californian sauternes, but certainly a pale imitation of the real thing.
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