1998 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate

Community Tasting Note

aerosol Likes this wine:

91 Points

Friday, January 26, 2018 - Opened at a restaurant for 20th anniversary. Cork cane out soft and this was stored in a vinotech at 54 F. The initial nose was earthy and a hint of must. The mouth was full of dark cranberry, cooked cherry, and soft silky tannins. The wine popped with steak and was enjoyable through the 2 hour window and opened up a little better at the end. I would have thought this to be a left bank Bordeaux and not at all from California. This is a wine going past its prime and should have been drunk a few years past. If you have this, then don't push it into a few more years!

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6 comments have been posted

Comment posted by oldwines:

1/26/2018 7:48:00 PM - If you don't mind a comment...I have probably drunk nearly every vintage of Montelena Estate Cab since the 1974... They need extensive breathing to reach their full potential. As you noted it tasted best at the end after 2 hours...I suggest that this is because it was only starting to open up. I have found through experience that they often need 4-8 hours to breathe in a decanter. This wine is by no means past prime but does need the air. It's not the best vintage but the additional breathing gives the wine added depth and breadth of flavor as well as a rich mouthfeel that just isn't there just after opening. I realize that in a restaurant setting this is hard to deal with, but if you or anyone has this in your cellar, if you drink it now you will need to breathe it for several hours at least to really appreciate its potential!

Cheers!

"oldwines" aka Dave
www.dtpwineadvisors.com
Comment posted by aerosol:

1/27/2018 9:19:00 AM - I couldn't agree with you more about your observation. I do like my wines a little younger, but this had some cooked fruit notes to it that may have needed more time to breathe in order to resolve, and that swayed my opinion towards a 'drink now' rating. We all felt that we got to this wine just in time, but it was a massive effort that reminded me of Bordeaux. Another wine in this category would be Dunn Cabernet. Chateau Montelena is a classic wine with a big style and your comment was probably quite accurate. I have some 2000 Bordeaux that I still won't consider opening yet.
Comment posted by oldwines:

1/27/2018 12:03:00 PM - Agreed on the best of Bordeaux and Cali in terms of breathing and aging. I recently saw a note on a 1986 Ch. Mouton Rothschild that was PnP and I couldn't believe someone would treat that classic and tightly wound, near perfect wine that way. It's a shame to miss the potential... As a general rule I have found that if properly cellared great wines last a lot longer than most people realize and depending of preferences give great joy in their secondary and tertiary flavors, especially with equally good food!
Comment posted by Eye Drink Reds:

4/4/2018 10:44:00 AM - Hi Oldwines, question for you. I have 1998 and 1999 Montelena Estate cabs in my cellar that I was thinking about drinking soon. How much long do you think they have? Do you think that in another year or two they will drink better with a shorter (1 hour) decant? I typically drink these older Napa cabs in restaurants (steakhouses) and as you mentioned, long decanting is tougher to do before hand unless I do it at home before going to restaurant.
As side note, I really do like the 'cooler' Napa vintages (1998, 1999, 2010) because they typically have better potential for longevity and naunce development. I recently had a 1998 Sterling Reserve Cab (from Calistoga region, same as Montelena) and it was great. That too needed 30 min- 1hr decant before it opened up.
Comment posted by oldwines:

4/4/2018 7:02:00 PM - Reply for Eye Drink Reds.... I would decant before taking to the restaurant, give it at least a couple hours in the decanter and pour back into the cleaned out bottle. I do this often... But as a general rule I decant Montelena Estate Cabs for 3-5 hours whenever I can, some great vintages need even more time to open up. Best of luck!

Cheers
Comment posted by Eye Drink Reds:

4/5/2018 9:56:00 AM - Great, thanks for the info. Cheers.