Nose of old cabernet fruit, black berry, earth, and cherry, same on the palate, big body, tasty, definitely tired, mouth filling fruit, Kathy liked it, brings back old memories of a picnic on their island with the wine group, enjoyed over two nights, medium/long finish.
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Old Napa Wines Dinner (Joseph's Place, Wong Chung Hang, Hong Kong): Drank blind in a long line of older Napa reds. Thinning black/red semi-transparent colour. Very muted nose and hard to chase what is there...plum and red cherries. Palate is very thin and sharply tart. Initially seemed just too young because the finish was quite long and resonant but it all soured very quickly. My wine from a 2009 auction where most bottles have disappointed. Too bad because we had lined this up alongside a 1984 bottle which was superlative and I'd hoped for a much closer contest.
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Purchased from the winery and stored in cellar.This one was the best of the best. I see there is a ton of bottle variation- but I scored on this one! Decanted for 1.5 hours and drank over the next 2.5 hours. Initial funk blew off quickly, started off soft and supple and then kept increasing in intensity to near perfection. Started at 94 and closed at 99. Preferred by all over Hobbs BTK 2008. I have 1 more to go, so I'm hoping it's as good as this one.
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Had this with Iggy’s, with Iggy. Wine has definitely aged, with tertiary notes more pronounced than ever. Animalistic, leathery, a little metallic and some damp earth on the nose, which eventually peeled back to reveal notes of aged plums and preserved dark fruits. This is a pretty unique Cab Sav, though not my favorite.
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No deep thoughts - I was suffering from palate fatigue after a number of California wines, but this cab seems to be in great shape and should go on for many more years - would like to try it on its own with a steak
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high fill pristine bottle. Notes of eucalyptus, tobacco and cherry cola. Still has a few years left in it, but drink now. Beautiful representation of old Napa.
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Definitely new world fruit. Again I am surprised that this wine is not quite as muted down with age as one would think. It's still quite bright and young.
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I bought a case as a futures and this was my last bottle. Fill right above neck line but cork came out in two pieces. Lots of bricking evident. Nose of menthol, slight eucalyptus with hint of licorice and cedar. Palate of sweet oak core, small amount of dark fruit and black currants. Prior three bottles had much more fruit but the wine stayed drinkable for two days after opening. Enjoyable with grilled lamb chops and some chocolate brought out the licorice notes near the end. On to 1986!
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Wine Group Tasting of Old Cabernet Sauvignon vintages. (Yan's China Bistro, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Wine Group Tasting of Old Cabernet Sauvignon vintages. Nose of black currants, black berry, and a hint of earth, same on the palate, big body, brooding fruit, opened slightly over three hours, small amount of medium harsh tannins present hurt the mouth filling fruit, might improve with three years of cellar time, and a medium/long finish. My score #4 of 5.
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Color not showing much if any sign of age despite plenty of sediment. Still firm tannins but smooth. Fruit is showing some signs of fading. Eucalyptus on nose and palate keeps wine plenty interesting.
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Château Montelena Vertical: The nose here is unfortunately pruney and oxidized as well, although there is redeeming liquorice, fennel, and eucalyptus detail to dark berry fruit. Considerable volatile acidity. Palate is developed and approachable now with a more cherry character to the fruit.
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Nice enough nose if not especially distinguished; cedary, touch pencil, mellowing blackberry. Medium bodied palate, well enough balanced. Nothing terribly out of place, just not particularly engaging.
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Followed a 1990 Grace and 1992 Angelus. This was the standout and showed youngest, not oldest. Still some soft tannins and the fruit was surprisingly bright. Pretty good showing for 30+ years. Drink.
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750ml; Popped and decanted and followed for about 3 hours. This wine is showing its age with very little fruit (maybe plum) and lots of tobacco, earth, and leather. Tannins still present but well integrated, acidity at a decent level - the main problem is the lack of fruit. Single bottle reference , check your own to gage your stash.
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Nose: Nice nose with dark cherries, chocolate and leather notes. Then a bit of green pepper, perfume of ripe blackberry/licorice. Palate: Ripe black cherry and soft plum notes are accented with cedar, earthy notes and leather. Reminded me of a mature St. Estephe a bit on the palate. Finish: Dense with rich aging fruit notes and a bit of toffee and herbs.
I honestly expected a bit more from this, but I look forward to the 86 which is supposed to be a step up.
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My last bottle. Clearly past its peak, but still a very good bottle of wine. As before, opened and decanted for several hours before drinking. Beautiful color in the glass: a uniform dark red with great clarity. On the nose at the beginning, plum, spice and menthol. Same on the palate, ultimately evolving to show dark cherry and blueberry. The wine continued to open up and improve over about six hours, until there was no more.
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Definitely on its last legs. Decanted for about 2 hours. A touch syrupy and losing complexity. Very drinkable but not the special wine it was. Drink now
From a virtually perfect bottle with a 1.5 cm fill, this wine had a deep red center with orange rims. The medium+ intensity nose displayed forest floor notes, brett, clove and blackberries.
This was a bit fruitier in the mouth. It had rounded tannin, decent acidity, and good length. This was nicely integrated but it was not particularly special.
The brett notes in this wine seemed to dissipate with time. However, it certainly doesn't seem like this wine is going anywhere. Drink up!
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Q3 Tasting - Aged Cali (The Apt): Wine #5: Fruit, alcohol, and spice, but somehow it's missing a subtlety that the other wines with a bit more age seemed to gain. (2 pennies)
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Q3 - 2016 Tasting - Aged California Wines - Pre 2006 (New York, NY): #5 of 20 wines tasted double blind. Color is ruby red with slight bricking. Nose is very restrained. Very easy drinking with some good grip on the finish. Did not seem to have much happening on the palate or the nose, but was pleasant enough to drink - left no real impression. No guess on this one. For me this was middle of the pack. For the the group this tied for 11th place with six other wines with 2 pennies.
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Decanted at 4pm and taken to a friend's house for dinner, drunk through about 9 pm. Light to medium garnet with lots of bricking. Effusive nose of chocolate, lavender, blackberry bramble, vanilla, a touch of eucalyptus and wet earth. Love the bouquet on this wine! Mouth feel is soft, medium weight and a touch austere in an old school Cali Cab sort of way. Fruit mostly gone but there is some plum and blackberry in the mid palate. Finish is a little thin with a shorter aftertaste than usual for Montelena. These notes reflect the wine in its first hour after decanting. Better after 4 hours with a richer and longer finish.
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This was one of several bottles of this wine I'd purchased when it was released in the late 80s, and one of two I had left. Opened it about two hours before consuming, after allowing it to stand all day to settle. Color: dark brick; nose after breathing: dark cherry, plum, black raspberry, menthol, a little cedar. Palate similar, with the addition of some spice: cinnamon? nutmeg? ginger? The wine was a delight! We drank it with roast lamb, and were completely happy. Near the end of the bottle, when we were down to the (very fine) sediment, the wine lost some of its nuances and became a little more monolithic. Still, I expect that I'll decant every bit that I can off the sediment, and (try to) enjoy it to the last drop. A terrific bottle of wine!
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I opened two bottles tonight. Both were purchased from a well known east coast reseller, and allowed to recuperate from travel in temperature-controlled cellar for >6 months. Both were cooked. I am not having much luck in the secondary market. By the way, this was not only my opinion, but that of six seasoned tasters also.
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Last year we (well, mostly she) cooked all day and it was all over in 20 minutes, then took 3 hours to clean up. This year we grilled Kansas City Steak Co. strips - highly recommended. Paired with Betty Crocker twice baked potatoes and asparagus with blender Hollandaise. Much easier. PnP'd the Montelena. Quite bricked and pretty in color. The bouquet alone was worth the price of entry. Just sublime with that dusty cherry thing going on plus some smokiness. A little thin in the mid palate but a long and sweet, lingering aftertaste. Holding on at 30 but I would drink up if we had more. BTW, our "cellar" in the basement is not temperature controlled but never gets above 68-70 degrees. Never had a bottle that we or guests thought was spoiled by not being temp controlled.
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Nose: Blackberry, Cherry, sage and a gorgeous earth and leather note. Palate: Dense on the attack with great black cherry, slight stoney earth component and soft feel. Finish: velvety with red cherry and shaved chocolate, nice herbs as well.
Showed fresher than a 92 Togni served along side. Loved this.
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Starts a little musty but that blows off. Red fruit and earth. Palate has medium body with fruit that's a little tired and even roasted in nature. Not all that complex or compelling a bottle.
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Stored at 55 degrees, humidity controlled since release. Mature cab brickish color. Nice mature cab nose. On the palate, still decent fruit. Quite well-balanced, brawny, dense, quite complex. Notes of chocolate and tobacco and cassis. Tannins soft but evident. Holding up quite well for a 30 year old wine, but would drink within a year.
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Medium dark red-garnet, clouded. Nose of dried cherry, tar, green bell pepper, cow's milk, slightly burned cherry pie filling. On arrival, medium low tannin, slightly lifted acidity. A bit sweet-sour and past its prime drinking condition for my taste, but there's still a lot of enjoyable roasted fruit and truck stop herb farm accents to taste. From my brother's chilly cellar.
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When first opened this wine was not particularly good. But over two or so hours in a decanter it took on weight and was quite good. Fully mature, with notes of lead pencil and star anise.
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Still a completely opaque black currant colour. Nose is graphite, deep cassis, some smoke. Very pure and compelling: linear in the best sense. Palate is quite tertiary.....prunes and very autumnal fruits - very faded compared to the still beautiful nose. A somewhat over-advanced bottle. Disappointing overall. I had better expectations of it. I think it was a heat-tainted bottle because the overall integrity and structure didn't fade a bit over 3 hours from first drinking. Howver, I hadn't been able to prepare the wine in advance - it hadn't been stood for a few days, which may well have improved it.
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NVMLC. Tasted along with Dunn 84'. Really blossomed with time in the glass. A little more rustic in profile. Mushroom, earth and cassis emerge with time. Still dense on the palate but nice black fruits still present. Prime drinking.
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Down to my last 4 bottles from a case. I've read about many bad bottles from 1985,but had never had one. Tonight 2 bad bottles over 2 nights. Thin, acidic, tart, flat nose. Not showing any of the normal Montelena characteristics. Normally these wines need 1-2 hours decanting to hit their sweet spot. Decanting only made these bottles worse. Guess it was bound to happen.
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Old & Rare CA Cabs: Stewed fruits, plums, pot-pouri; cumin, tarragon, oregano dried spices with a subtle touch of integrated sweet oak; lovely sweeter dried floral aspect; soft, balanced tannins, good acidity, excellent palate depth with a nice bouquet consisting of floral, earth, leather and stewed fruits. Fantastic. This is towards the end of its peak drinking window, although I'm sure this will be drinkable for another 3-5 years. 93+ Easily ouclassed the '84.
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If you’re seeking a classic California Cabernet Sauvignon to stack up against upper level Bordeaux in a blind tasting, this is the wine. Still young, fresh, vibrant and fruit filled, the wine is concentrated, balanced, rich, complex and aromatic.
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Comments from MC hit the nail on the head. I was surprised the tannins were as strong as they were after 28 years. This was very good, however, not as good as the 1990 Brunello we had before we popped the Montelena.
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Surprisingly good for its age. Tannin is more present than the fruit, but the fruit is still not bad, holding its cool elements and not fading as quickly as some other notes suggest. It was once better, but still very good. A-
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Medium Garnet. Nose initially was of an OTH old Bordeaux. Over the next hour it opened up somewhat with plums, dried herbs. Taste initially was plums,herbs like oregano. Then it seemed to slowly die over the hour. Nose got better, taste worse. Interesting, but drink up.
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Base neck fill. This wine opened upon fully in short order and didn't fade a bit over the next couple hours. A lovely classic California cab with the recognizable Montelena flavor profile, overripe blackberries, some black cherries and black currant. Dried herbs with sweet Oak. Modest amount of sediment. Extra point for its ageworthiness.
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My personal experience with Ch. Montelena (older vintages) has been disappointing. 2 out of 3 bottles were flawed. I bought the 1985 from my wine store, it was a case of improper storage, I presume.
Cabernet Tasting six wines. Big intense inky nose, opened very slowly but no improvement, lovely, rich cabernet on the palate, soft and sweet fruit, slightly simple, medium body, medium finish. Last place for me.
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Tinge of sherry spoiled the broth but cannot complain. Best years were '04 to '09 but still couldn't match the "84 and '86 (which are still going strong).
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Rust-colored. Fruit has faded quite a bit and the palate was quite muddled. A good wine that is no longer distinctive because it is past its prime. Drink now, or if you have a time machine, 7-8 years ago.
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A lot lighter in color than the '87. Color was a light ruby red.
Very vegetal upon open. Blew off after 10 minutes in the glass. The nose really grew in the glass i got mint, curry spice, berries. Dusty on the palate along with gamy, leather and smoke notes. Smooth tannins with a medium plus finish.
SS 91pts.
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Chateau Montelena Dinner (Beacon Restaurant, NYC): Deep blood, bricked. Nose chock-full of vitamins/fertilizer, but that quickly blows off. Deeeeeep cedar, calm and serene; blackberry; just lovely. Palate full, absolutely jammed, with coffee; cedar, more blackberry; lots of roasty toasty oak, which is likely the source of all that coffee. Lovely polish and balance on the palate. Medium to full body, quite excellent length. A touch on the modern side compared to the rather rustic '84. WOTF
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I agree with comments by fclarity below, but I'd rate it a couple points lower -- about 88/89. Nice wine, with some tart, sweet red cherry, spice and graphite, decent finish. A good wine, but I had hoped for better.
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Initial explosion of sour cherries on the nose and palate was replaced by a softer wine with port like notes;too much port for our taste; we will not wait 26 years to open our next old montelena
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I was at a dinner party so I did not focus my attention as usual. However, the bottle was purchased on release and held in a passive, reasonably constant temperature cellar. The wine had some oranging at the rim and red/purple centers. The nose was classic cab with forest floor, black fruits, and just a hint of herbs.
In the mouth the wine was soft, round, and ripe. it had reasonable acidity and good length. I was hoping for better. It this bottle is representative, it seems like it is time to drink this wine (with 2+ hours of air) even though the color is still rather dark. I would like to try another bottle.
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Interesting, but not as goo as the previous bottle. This bottle appeared to be losing fruit and not as intense or complex as the bottle consumed in April. Still, little or no browning and little in the way of tanins.
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This was a wonderful bottle of Estate Montelena. The wine is still very young with dark red color, no browning, intense black cherries and spicy red plums in the nose and inital flavors. Good mid range and length, acidity is excellent, light tanins. Served at dinner after a 1985 Silver Oak Alexander Valley, which was a very different experience. It would be hard to distinguish the freshness, fruit, and color from a much younger wine. Very nuanced, complex but intense wine.
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Much more Rioja than Cabernet...old world style, definitely some brett / barnyard but also a lot of iron and blood. An interesting bottle. It evolved quite a bit in the decanter and glass. First couple of sips were not good, stinky, musty and almost past prime...with a few hours it came into it's own but you had to close your eyes and not look at it as a California bottle. Which is a success for me, but big oak juice bomb CA lovers should definitely pass this one up. Sell it to me!
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In an ASTONISHING coincidence, the first two bottles at a blind tasting tonight were Montelena Estate 1985. My bottle was brett, brett, brett.Interestingly at first it was milder and almost Cordier-funk intruiging, but it worsened as the wine evolved, and became undrinkable. The second bottle was brett-free, and soft, elegant, sweet, mature with easy tannins. Some noted a varnish sort of note but in a very positive sense of varnish. Undercurrent green notes of a favorable sort. Some guessed 85-86 Lynch-Bages or an 89 Pomerol. 93 point group median score, some thought it would still evolve, some thought peaking.
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There was lots of anticipation followed by total disappointment as this bottle was gone. The nose told the story. Too bad that time has finally caught up with this vintage...although two more bottles remain to try.
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Intense nose of blackurrent laced with graphite and cigarbox. Hints of menthol. In the mouth balance between fuit and minerality is perfect. cigarbox and leather hints add complexity. The wine is still tight and monolithic though, it is a long distance runner. Tannins are powerful but smooth, Finale is long and complex.
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Fill into neck; capsule and cork in excellent condition. Decanted 15 minutes before tasting. Clear deep dark blood-garnet, brickish at the rim. Superb bouquet of bright, boisterous cherries, old leather, wood and spice. Similar on the palate, with wonderful purity, freshness and verve. Others tasted this wine blind and guessed it to be a young, top-flight red zinfandel due to the vitality, spiciness, and exuberant fruit, without the jamminess. To me, the tannic structure was clearly that of a classic California cabernet, but if I tasted it blind, I might not be so sure. Brilliant wine, still improving after 4 hours.
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Drank with dinner at the Hobbit in Orange, CA. Slight funk on the nose right after opening caused some concern, but this blew off pretty quickly. Still drinking well and went perfectly with the peppered sirloin. Very sorry to see this bottle go as finding more will probably not be that easy.
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Nose: Deep leather with earthy notes. Still had rich dark fruit lingering - blackberry and plum. Taste: Smooth and supple, but not overly velvety. Was surprised that tannins still remained giving a strong backbone to support the wine and lending to an overall excellent balance. Good deal of tobacco and cigar box flavors along with leather and earth. Finished with some fruit that was lighter than the nose - maybe black cherry. Could probably sit another year or two and remain at this level, but anymore and you will be pushing your luck. It was very enjoyable - drink it up while it's still great.
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Ch. Montelena 1978,1985 & 1994 (Chez Patrick, Peel Street, Hong Kong): Deep red still semi-opaque colour. Closed and reticent nose of great pencil lead, blackberries and dry box wood. Tart but freshly acidic palate with good structure of bramble fruit. Drying tannins. Nettles on the back end. Not much length. Very dry back end. With extended time in the glass it highlights a very dry cherry stones finish. Hard to see where this is going but I don't think it will improve with more age, which is a tough call when you have just revelled in the 1978....... so I may be wrong. Oops!.....sorry this note is for the 1985 and I'll re-assign it.
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Still drinking well. The alcohol is very obvious when tasted right after the cork is popped, but this bottle mellowed out very nicely in about 15 minutes. Still has nice fruit, earth, currant flavors. Moderate finish.
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Beautiful expression of cabernet, showing some sweet red currant and cherry licorice. Soy and a minerally element also dart in and out over the course of the bottle, which really fleshes out with time. In a perfect place right now, with the fruit and tannin to last another 10 years.
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Opened at a wine tasting with many other great wines including some Chateau Pavie. Chateau Montelena had plenty life, delicious initial taste while a bit short on length. Tasted first then decanted 15 minutes. Everyone enjoyed.
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A big, bold cabernet. Did not come together and show a polished wine. Was rough in the beginning and showed its best after one hour of decanting. My last bottle(9/07) was big, yet smoother than this bottle and showed more character. The 87 Mondavi - Reserve(93) was the winner tonight.
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Tasted this along with the 1984 vintage on successive nights. Both bottles were acquired from a respected source in Napa and appeared to be in pristine shape for their age. This vintage tasted tired. There was some sweet nutmeg and black fruit, but the wine fell apart pretty quickly. The 1984 was much better.
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Wineflock - Montelena Vertical (My House): Group #5, My #5 - Full coffee red color. Medium round spicy red/black fruit nose with notes of coffee. Dusty black fruit with coffee notes and good firm structure. Definite notes of brett. This wine began to oxidize rather quickly and fall apart in the glass. Still structured, but should probably drink up.
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Out of whack. Some said brett, I thought a bit cooked. Mature but overly flabby dark fruit not in sync with the rest of the wine. Not disgusting, but a disappointment.
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Tasting of four Cabernet Sauvignons, fourth place. Subdued, slightly tarry nose with a hint of brett, taste of older cabernet on the palate, dry cork that broke when opened, medium finish, overall pleasant but disappointing.
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Blind 1985 Bordeaux vs. CA (Cabernet) Tasting (Chicago IL): Blind tasting. Funky barnyard character on nose. Meaty, leathery flavors with fruit mostly gone. More acid than anything else left on finish. Very surprised to see Montelena when unveiled.
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Dinner II with Lou & BettyLu (My place.): The last few bottles I’ve had of this old favorite have shown the wine to be in pretty steady decline over the past few years. The wine starts off with a nice aged Cal Cab nose of aged cassis, soft ‘n spicy cedar with light dusty notes. However, on the palate it lacks the fruit it once had and is hollow. There’s a nice burst of it’s old self upfront, but it fades quickly. I hear some say they’ve had excellent recent experiences with the wine, but I haven’t had a good one since about ’00-’01. Drink up. B/B-.
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1985 California Cab Tasting: Strange wine. Sweet attack followed by raisiny, port-like mid-palate that has dense, fruity and leathery character going on. On the nose, a strange smell of curry just convinced me that this bottle must be off.
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Wine Olympics (Picasso Restaurant, Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada): Mature nose with apple skins, a little port-like on the palate, very tannic and backward, old style, minerally and a touch astringent on the finish, high acid and a bit narrow. Maybe Ausone? (Group = 82.5)
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Tasting of five Cabernet Sauvignons, fourth place. Very dusty, earthy nose of dark fruit, more of the same on the palate, subdued tasting, medium body with soft medium amount of tannins present, long finish. Disappointing showing given its peers.
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drank with steak at home. Still could use a few years in the bottle - I was concerned drinking too late, but would give next bottle more time - still evolving.
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Red Carpet: More pure earth (than ’84), straight forward; med. bod, med. t’s, elegant, smth, acidic cherries--hi a’s fin.; great, but lighter and easier than ’84.
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Tasting. Black plum and cherry aromas give a fresh start. Similar on palate with balanced tannins but oddly assertive acidity in the middle. Everything comes back into better balance on finish.
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Tasted at vertical Chateau Montelena tasting at the home of Amy Weinberg. Oily disc. Opaque garnet with red/orange rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense plum, earth, coffee, chocolate and leather. Medium-bodied on the palate, with melted tannins and slightly hot alcohol. Similar flavors as for the nose. Long, slightly hot finish.
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Dark red, no bricking, black berry nose, blackcurrant and plum fruits on the palate with some grassy veggies, nicely integrated, nicely resolved tannins & some oak, very long finish.
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1985 Cabernet Sauvignon vs 1985 Bordeaux (Lafayette, Ca.): Lovely mint and earth on the nose, rich fruit, chewy fruit almost chalky taste, great intensity, lovely, rich fruit, lingering finish, needs 5 years to peak. My #1 tied of 7, Group #4 of 7.
Dense dark purple color, intense black berry nose, blackcurrant and plum fruits on the palate with hints of chocolate, mint, and green beans (?), moderate tannins & some oak, very long finish. Should continue to develop.
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At Singer & Foy survey of Château Montelena. Extremely dark ruby color; nearly opaque. Nose is almost volcanic, with rich and earthy black fruit. Red ones too. Palate is really EXCELLENT, with great richness and depth. Monumental wine. Wow! 5-12-17-8: 92/100.
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With MPL and BLR at S&F survey of '85 Cabs. Brilliant medium-dark ruby color. Nose is much more open than before, showing good fruit, chocolate. Tastes even more exciting--a rich, full mouthful of Cabernet. Slightly minty. Impeccable balance, with all components in perfect harmony. Lasts and lasts. Drinkable now, it should last for years and years. A cut above. 5-11-17-8: 91/100.
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With MPL and BLR at Singer & Foy survey of "killer Cabs." Very dark ruby; attractive. Vanilla bean nose. (Plus matchstick?) A bit shy. Reminds me of the '86 Livingston. On the palate, its got dark chocolate flavors, lingering fruit. Lasts on the palate. Hint of mint and tobacco. Can be drunk now or put away. Very good, but not the best today. 5-10-16-7: 88/100.
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With MPL and BLR at lunch at MacArthur Park. Very dark ruby, quite pretty. Deep, rich Cabernet fruit in the nose. On the palate, has lots of oaky fruit flavors, but needs time to resolve firm tannins. 5-11-15-8: 89/100.
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At Singer & Foy survey of new Californians. Medium-dark ruby. Very rich, ripe nose emphasizes fruit. On the palate, big-bodied and tannic, but with good fruit underneath. Not too pleasant to taste right now. Licorice. 5-12-14-8: 89/100.
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12/26/2022 - Dickdoc49 wrote:
Old and tired
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8/8/2022 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of old cabernet fruit, black berry, earth, and cherry, same on the palate, big body, tasty, definitely tired, mouth filling fruit, Kathy liked it, brings back old memories of a picnic on their island with the wine group, enjoyed over two nights, medium/long finish.
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6/18/2022 - Boone's Farm Likes this wine: 89 Points
Not as good as the 1987.
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5/29/2022 - levicn Likes this wine: 93 Points
盲品,中石榴红色,酒液有些浑浊,闻香有淡淡皮毛味,肉鲜,话梅和橄榄的香气,淡淡青椒气息,入口酸度高,通透明亮,单宁紧致,有点抓人,口中是石墨,青椒,雪松混合着酸梅的气息,后段香料感,余味橡木桶充分陈年融合后的胭脂香料味。一款结构非常漂亮的赤霞珠混酿,有着非常古典的气质又带着一丝异域气息。我猜它是一款超级托斯卡纳。
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10/30/2020 - Goldstone wrote: flawed
Old Napa Wines Dinner (Joseph's Place, Wong Chung Hang, Hong Kong): Drank blind in a long line of older Napa reds. Thinning black/red semi-transparent colour. Very muted nose and hard to chase what is there...plum and red cherries. Palate is very thin and sharply tart. Initially seemed just too young because the finish was quite long and resonant but it all soured very quickly. My wine from a 2009 auction where most bottles have disappointed. Too bad because we had lined this up alongside a 1984 bottle which was superlative and I'd hoped for a much closer contest.
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9/8/2020 - daved Likes this wine: 97 Points
Purchased from the winery and stored in cellar.This one was the best of the best. I see there is a ton of bottle variation- but I scored on this one! Decanted for 1.5 hours and drank over the next 2.5 hours. Initial funk blew off quickly, started off soft and supple and then kept increasing in intensity to near perfection. Started at 94 and closed at 99. Preferred by all over Hobbs BTK 2008. I have 1 more to go, so I'm hoping it's as good as this one.
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4/11/2020 - Lessthanzero wrote: flawed
Over the hill. Only Madeira left...
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3/20/2020 - Gabsby Likes this wine: 89 Points
Had this with Iggy’s, with Iggy. Wine has definitely aged, with tertiary notes more pronounced than ever. Animalistic, leathery, a little metallic and some damp earth on the nose, which eventually peeled back to reveal notes of aged plums and preserved dark fruits. This is a pretty unique Cab Sav, though not my favorite.
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11/17/2019 - vindictive wrote:
No deep thoughts - I was suffering from palate fatigue after a number of California wines, but this cab seems to be in great shape and should go on for many more years - would like to try it on its own with a steak
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8/13/2019 - TEKinsider wrote: 95 Points
high fill pristine bottle. Notes of eucalyptus, tobacco and cherry cola. Still has a few years left in it, but drink now. Beautiful representation of old Napa.
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6/15/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Definitely new world fruit. Again I am surprised that this wine is not quite as muted down with age as one would think. It's still quite bright and young.
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2/3/2019 - ElAzul Likes this wine: 89 Points
I bought a case as a futures and this was my last bottle. Fill right above neck line but cork came out in two pieces. Lots of bricking evident. Nose of menthol, slight eucalyptus with hint of licorice and cedar. Palate of sweet oak core, small amount of dark fruit and black currants. Prior three bottles had much more fruit but the wine stayed drinkable for two days after opening. Enjoyable with grilled lamb chops and some chocolate brought out the licorice notes near the end. On to 1986!
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10/29/2018 - mbodzy@gmail.com Likes this wine: 84 Points
A bit flat/short and past its prime. Probably would have been fantastic 5 years ago
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6/23/2018 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wine Group Tasting of Old Cabernet Sauvignon vintages. (Yan's China Bistro, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Wine Group Tasting of Old Cabernet Sauvignon vintages. Nose of black currants, black berry, and a hint of earth, same on the palate, big body, brooding fruit, opened slightly over three hours, small amount of medium harsh tannins present hurt the mouth filling fruit, might improve with three years of cellar time, and a medium/long finish. My score #4 of 5.
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3/17/2018 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Color not showing much if any sign of age despite plenty of sediment. Still firm tannins but smooth. Fruit is showing some signs of fading. Eucalyptus on nose and palate keeps wine plenty interesting.
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3/13/2018 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 89 Points
Château Montelena Vertical: The nose here is unfortunately pruney and oxidized as well, although there is redeeming liquorice, fennel, and eucalyptus detail to dark berry fruit. Considerable volatile acidity. Palate is developed and approachable now with a more cherry character to the fruit.
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1/1/2018 - englishman's claret wrote: 90 Points
Nice enough nose if not especially distinguished; cedary, touch pencil, mellowing blackberry. Medium bodied palate, well enough balanced. Nothing terribly out of place, just not particularly engaging.
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12/27/2017 - JimN wrote: 90 Points
Followed a 1990 Grace and 1992 Angelus. This was the standout and showed youngest, not oldest. Still some soft tannins and the fruit was surprisingly bright. Pretty good showing for 30+ years. Drink.
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11/4/2017 - jdesimone4 wrote: 86 Points
Past its prime. Ok to drink but a shadow of what it was. Lots of raisin
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6/11/2017 - BornToRhone wrote: 88 Points
750ml; Popped and decanted and followed for about 3 hours. This wine is showing its age with very little fruit (maybe plum) and lots of tobacco, earth, and leather. Tannins still present but well integrated, acidity at a decent level - the main problem is the lack of fruit. Single bottle reference , check your own to gage your stash.
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6/5/2017 - RockinCabs wrote: 91 Points
Nose: Nice nose with dark cherries, chocolate and leather notes. Then a bit of green pepper, perfume of ripe blackberry/licorice. Palate: Ripe black cherry and soft plum notes are accented with cedar, earthy notes and leather. Reminded me of a mature St. Estephe a bit on the palate. Finish: Dense with rich aging fruit notes and a bit of toffee and herbs.
I honestly expected a bit more from this, but I look forward to the 86 which is supposed to be a step up.
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2/19/2017 - newkid wrote: 91 Points
My last bottle. Clearly past its peak, but still a very good bottle of wine. As before, opened and decanted for several hours before drinking. Beautiful color in the glass: a uniform dark red with great clarity. On the nose at the beginning, plum, spice and menthol. Same on the palate, ultimately evolving to show dark cherry and blueberry. The wine continued to open up and improve over about six hours, until there was no more.
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1/28/2017 - jdesimone4 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Definitely on its last legs. Decanted for about 2 hours. A touch syrupy and losing complexity. Very drinkable but not the special wine it was. Drink now
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1/14/2017 - rsrolland wrote:
X
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9/25/2016 - fclarity wrote: 89 Points
From a virtually perfect bottle with a 1.5 cm fill, this wine had a deep red center with orange rims. The medium+ intensity nose displayed forest floor notes, brett, clove and blackberries.
This was a bit fruitier in the mouth. It had rounded tannin, decent acidity, and good length. This was nicely integrated but it was not particularly special.
The brett notes in this wine seemed to dissipate with time. However, it certainly doesn't seem like this wine is going anywhere. Drink up!
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9/10/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Q3 Tasting - Aged Cali (The Apt): Wine #5: Fruit, alcohol, and spice, but somehow it's missing a subtlety that the other wines with a bit more age seemed to gain. (2 pennies)
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9/10/2016 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
Q3 - 2016 Tasting - Aged California Wines - Pre 2006 (New York, NY): #5 of 20 wines tasted double blind. Color is ruby red with slight bricking. Nose is very restrained. Very easy drinking with some good grip on the finish. Did not seem to have much happening on the palate or the nose, but was pleasant enough to drink - left no real impression. No guess on this one. For me this was middle of the pack. For the the group this tied for 11th place with six other wines with 2 pennies.
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9/8/2016 - BradE wrote:
A bit of a dud.
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7/23/2016 - barrytaylor Likes this wine: 93 Points
decanted +30 min. deep color. fully resolved. long finish. still fresh
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4/2/2016 - oldwines Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted at 4pm and taken to a friend's house for dinner, drunk through about 9 pm. Light to medium garnet with lots of bricking. Effusive nose of chocolate, lavender, blackberry bramble, vanilla, a touch of eucalyptus and wet earth. Love the bouquet on this wine! Mouth feel is soft, medium weight and a touch austere in an old school Cali Cab sort of way. Fruit mostly gone but there is some plum and blackberry in the mid palate. Finish is a little thin with a shorter aftertaste than usual for Montelena. These notes reflect the wine in its first hour after decanting. Better after 4 hours with a richer and longer finish.
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3/28/2016 - newkid wrote: 93 Points
This was one of several bottles of this wine I'd purchased when it was released in the late 80s, and one of two I had left. Opened it about two hours before consuming, after allowing it to stand all day to settle. Color: dark brick; nose after breathing: dark cherry, plum, black raspberry, menthol, a little cedar. Palate similar, with the addition of some spice: cinnamon? nutmeg? ginger? The wine was a delight! We drank it with roast lamb, and were completely happy. Near the end of the bottle, when we were down to the (very fine) sediment, the wine lost some of its nuances and became a little more monolithic. Still, I expect that I'll decant every bit that I can off the sediment, and (try to) enjoy it to the last drop. A terrific bottle of wine!
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2/9/2016 - oncocyte wrote:
I opened two bottles tonight. Both were purchased from a well known east coast reseller, and allowed to recuperate from travel in temperature-controlled cellar for >6 months. Both were cooked. I am not having much luck in the secondary market. By the way, this was not only my opinion, but that of six seasoned tasters also.
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11/30/2015 - ifishtoo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Last year we (well, mostly she) cooked all day and it was all over in 20 minutes, then took 3 hours to clean up. This year we grilled Kansas City Steak Co. strips - highly recommended. Paired with Betty Crocker twice baked potatoes and asparagus with blender Hollandaise. Much easier. PnP'd the Montelena. Quite bricked and pretty in color. The bouquet alone was worth the price of entry. Just sublime with that dusty cherry thing going on plus some smokiness. A little thin in the mid palate but a long and sweet, lingering aftertaste. Holding on at 30 but I would drink up if we had more. BTW, our "cellar" in the basement is not temperature controlled but never gets above 68-70 degrees. Never had a bottle that we or guests thought was spoiled by not being temp controlled.
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11/22/2015 - RockinCabs wrote: 92 Points
Nose: Blackberry, Cherry, sage and a gorgeous earth and leather note. Palate: Dense on the attack with great black cherry, slight stoney earth component and soft feel. Finish: velvety with red cherry and shaved chocolate, nice herbs as well.
Showed fresher than a 92 Togni served along side. Loved this.
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10/24/2015 - Nanda wrote: 86 Points
Starts a little musty but that blows off. Red fruit and earth. Palate has medium body with fruit that's a little tired and even roasted in nature. Not all that complex or compelling a bottle.
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6/6/2015 - Dennis Graves wrote: 92 Points
Stored at 55 degrees, humidity controlled since release.
Mature cab brickish color. Nice mature cab nose.
On the palate, still decent fruit. Quite well-balanced, brawny, dense, quite complex. Notes of chocolate and tobacco and cassis. Tannins soft but evident.
Holding up quite well for a 30 year old wine, but would drink within a year.
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5/27/2015 - Hodby wrote: 90 Points
Medium dark red-garnet, clouded. Nose of dried cherry, tar, green bell pepper, cow's milk, slightly burned cherry pie filling. On arrival, medium low tannin, slightly lifted acidity. A bit sweet-sour and past its prime drinking condition for my taste, but there's still a lot of enjoyable roasted fruit and truck stop herb farm accents to taste. From my brother's chilly cellar.
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3/23/2015 - M DU VIN wrote: 88 Points
Deep garnet color, but a bit funky on the nose. Holding on, but clearly past its prime.
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3/8/2015 - coremill wrote: flawed
30th Birthday Party (Amali): Off. Volatile and chemical. Something wrong here.
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12/7/2014 - M DU VIN Likes this wine: 92 Points
When first opened this wine was not particularly good. But over two or so hours in a decanter it took on weight and was quite good. Fully mature, with notes of lead pencil and star anise.
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6/14/2014 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still a completely opaque black currant colour. Nose is graphite, deep cassis, some smoke. Very pure and compelling: linear in the best sense. Palate is quite tertiary.....prunes and very autumnal fruits - very faded compared to the still beautiful nose. A somewhat over-advanced bottle. Disappointing overall. I had better expectations of it. I think it was a heat-tainted bottle because the overall integrity and structure didn't fade a bit over 3 hours from first drinking. Howver, I hadn't been able to prepare the wine in advance - it hadn't been stood for a few days, which may well have improved it.
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6/1/2014 - fournet wrote: 92 Points
Really nice. Balanced, nice fruit, unnoticeable alcohol.
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4/19/2014 - jdesimone4 Does not like this wine: 75 Points
past its prime; corked
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11/21/2013 - fdub Likes this wine: 92 Points
NVMLC. Tasted along with Dunn 84'. Really blossomed with time in the glass. A little more rustic in profile. Mushroom, earth and cassis emerge with time. Still dense on the palate but nice black fruits still present. Prime drinking.
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11/13/2013 - gharter wrote:
Down to my last 4 bottles from a case. I've read about many bad bottles from 1985,but had never had one. Tonight 2 bad bottles over 2 nights.
Thin, acidic, tart, flat nose. Not showing any of the normal Montelena characteristics. Normally these wines need 1-2 hours decanting to hit their sweet spot. Decanting only made these bottles worse. Guess it was bound to happen.
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9/7/2013 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Old & Rare CA Cabs: Stewed fruits, plums, pot-pouri; cumin, tarragon, oregano dried spices with a subtle touch of integrated sweet oak; lovely sweeter dried floral aspect; soft, balanced tannins, good acidity, excellent palate depth with a nice bouquet consisting of floral, earth, leather and stewed fruits. Fantastic. This is towards the end of its peak drinking window, although I'm sure this will be drinkable for another 3-5 years. 93+ Easily ouclassed the '84.
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6/28/2013 - crmasson wrote: 92 Points
Still going strong. Good structure and fruit even after 28 years.
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5/22/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
If you’re seeking a classic California Cabernet Sauvignon to stack up against upper level Bordeaux in a blind tasting, this is the wine. Still young, fresh, vibrant and fruit filled, the wine is concentrated, balanced, rich, complex and aromatic.
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5/20/2013 - The Bossman wrote:
Comments from MC hit the nail on the head. I was surprised the tannins were as strong as they were after 28 years. This was very good, however, not as good as the 1990 Brunello we had before we popped the Montelena.
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5/9/2013 - MC wrote:
Surprisingly good for its age. Tannin is more present than the fruit, but the fruit is still not bad, holding its cool elements and not fading as quickly as some other notes suggest. It was once better, but still very good. A-
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4/3/2013 - Harry Cantrell Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium Garnet. Nose initially was of an OTH old Bordeaux. Over the next hour it opened up somewhat with plums, dried herbs. Taste initially was plums,herbs like oregano. Then it seemed to slowly die over the hour. Nose got better, taste worse. Interesting, but drink up.
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3/25/2013 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Base neck fill. This wine opened upon fully in short order and didn't fade a bit over the next couple hours. A lovely classic California cab with the recognizable Montelena flavor profile, overripe blackberries, some black cherries and black currant. Dried herbs with sweet Oak. Modest amount of sediment. Extra point for its ageworthiness.
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3/24/2013 - depdoc Likes this wine: 91 Points
With an aroma of dark fruit,the taste has Black currant
and Blackberry. The body is Medium/Full. No signs of being over the hill.
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2/12/2013 - ToySanAba wrote: flawed
My personal experience with Ch. Montelena (older vintages) has been disappointing. 2 out of 3 bottles were flawed. I bought the 1985 from my wine store, it was a case of improper storage, I presume.
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2/9/2013 - ToySanAba wrote: flawed
Disappointing as this is the 2nd bottle that went bad on me.
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11/18/2012 - lesz wrote: 90 Points
still vg Tasting HWS
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10/28/2012 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cabernet Tasting six wines. Big intense inky nose, opened very slowly but no improvement, lovely, rich cabernet on the palate, soft and sweet fruit, slightly simple, medium body, medium finish. Last place for me.
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8/16/2012 - lastone wrote: flawed
Tinge of sherry spoiled the broth but cannot complain. Best years were '04 to '09 but still couldn't match the "84 and '86 (which are still going strong).
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6/13/2012 - CMN wrote: flawed
Rust-colored. Fruit has faded quite a bit and the palate was quite muddled. A good wine that is no longer distinctive because it is past its prime. Drink now, or if you have a time machine, 7-8 years ago.
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5/25/2012 - jdlee1232 wrote: 88 Points
not over the hill, but just not a lot of depth or complexity -- a pleasant but simple wine. Was that Dr. Pepper on the finish?
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5/3/2012 - IWineAlot wrote: 91 Points
A lot lighter in color than the '87. Color was a light ruby red.
Very vegetal upon open. Blew off after 10 minutes in the glass. The nose really grew in the glass i got mint, curry spice, berries. Dusty on the palate along with gamy, leather and smoke notes. Smooth tannins with a medium plus finish.
SS 91pts.
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3/13/2012 - Matt Neel wrote:
Chateau Montelena Dinner (Beacon Restaurant, NYC): Deep blood, bricked. Nose chock-full of vitamins/fertilizer, but that quickly blows off. Deeeeeep cedar, calm and serene; blackberry; just lovely. Palate full, absolutely jammed, with coffee; cedar, more blackberry; lots of roasty toasty oak, which is likely the source of all that coffee. Lovely polish and balance on the palate. Medium to full body, quite excellent length. A touch on the modern side compared to the rather rustic '84. WOTF
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12/25/2011 - no leashes wrote: 88 Points
I agree with comments by fclarity below, but I'd rate it a couple points lower -- about 88/89. Nice wine, with some tart, sweet red cherry, spice and graphite, decent finish. A good wine, but I had hoped for better.
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9/24/2011 - bugdoced wrote: 84 Points
Initial explosion of sour cherries on the nose and palate was replaced by a softer wine with port like notes;too much port for our taste; we will not wait 26 years to open our next old montelena
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7/16/2011 - fclarity wrote: 90 Points
I was at a dinner party so I did not focus my attention as usual. However, the bottle was purchased on release and held in a passive, reasonably constant temperature cellar. The wine had some oranging at the rim and red/purple centers. The nose was classic cab with forest floor, black fruits, and just a hint of herbs.
In the mouth the wine was soft, round, and ripe. it had reasonable acidity and good length. I was hoping for better. It this bottle is representative, it seems like it is time to drink this wine (with 2+ hours of air) even though the color is still rather dark. I would like to try another bottle.
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6/30/2011 - Ken332 wrote: 89 Points
Interesting, but not as goo as the previous bottle. This bottle appeared to be losing fruit and not as intense or complex as the bottle consumed in April. Still, little or no browning and little in the way of tanins.
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6/9/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs (Two Chefs): Barry's wine.
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5/31/2011 - EMichels wrote:
Flat nose - musty; Palatte is tight; Acidic; Tart
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4/23/2011 - Ken332 wrote: 94 Points
This was a wonderful bottle of Estate Montelena. The wine is still very young with dark red color, no browning, intense black cherries and spicy red plums in the nose and inital flavors. Good mid range and length, acidity is excellent, light tanins. Served at dinner after a 1985 Silver Oak Alexander Valley, which was a very different experience. It would be hard to distinguish the freshness, fruit, and color from a much younger wine. Very nuanced, complex but intense wine.
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2/23/2011 - mwanasheria wrote: flawed
This bottle was badly oxidised.
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2/7/2011 - xtenson wrote: 89 Points
Much more Rioja than Cabernet...old world style, definitely some brett / barnyard but also a lot of iron and blood. An interesting bottle. It evolved quite a bit in the decanter and glass. First couple of sips were not good, stinky, musty and almost past prime...with a few hours it came into it's own but you had to close your eyes and not look at it as a California bottle. Which is a success for me, but big oak juice bomb CA lovers should definitely pass this one up. Sell it to me!
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12/13/2010 - oncocyte wrote: 93 Points
In an ASTONISHING coincidence, the first two bottles at a blind tasting tonight were Montelena Estate 1985. My bottle was brett, brett, brett.Interestingly at first it was milder and almost Cordier-funk intruiging, but it worsened as the wine evolved, and became undrinkable. The second bottle was brett-free, and soft, elegant, sweet, mature with easy tannins. Some noted a varnish sort of note but in a very positive sense of varnish. Undercurrent green notes of a favorable sort. Some guessed 85-86 Lynch-Bages or an 89 Pomerol. 93 point group median score, some thought it would still evolve, some thought peaking.
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12/4/2010 - bibendumrrb wrote:
Lots of earthy 'barnyard' in the nose. The fruit was almost all gone.
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11/29/2010 - tgkswine wrote: flawed
There was lots of anticipation followed by total disappointment as this bottle was gone. The nose told the story. Too bad that time has finally caught up with this vintage...although two more bottles remain to try.
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10/17/2010 - jamscreator wrote: flawed
What a pisser. Corked beyond belief. Ugh.
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10/6/2010 - Goldstone wrote: 91 Points
Group de Degustation Diner, Octobre 2010 (Chez Patrick, 26 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong): Served blind with no indication of age or country of origin. Last wine of 11 and I was a bit tired. My short note was that it was very good but a bit thin......but my wine of the night. I guessed it was Ch. Haut Brion 1983.
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10/6/2010 - jpijg wrote: 91 Points
Intense nose of blackurrent laced with graphite and cigarbox. Hints of menthol. In the mouth balance between fuit and minerality is perfect. cigarbox and leather hints add complexity. The wine is still tight and monolithic though, it is a long distance runner. Tannins are powerful but smooth, Finale is long and complex.
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7/6/2010 - Javachip wrote: 95 Points
Fill into neck; capsule and cork in excellent condition. Decanted 15 minutes before tasting. Clear deep dark blood-garnet, brickish at the rim. Superb bouquet of bright, boisterous cherries, old leather, wood and spice. Similar on the palate, with wonderful purity, freshness and verve. Others tasted this wine blind and guessed it to be a young, top-flight red zinfandel due to the vitality, spiciness, and exuberant fruit, without the jamminess. To me, the tannic structure was clearly that of a classic California cabernet, but if I tasted it blind, I might not be so sure. Brilliant wine, still improving after 4 hours.
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4/13/2010 - windover99 wrote: 94 Points
Let open for 3 hours, rich and deep
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3/14/2010 - msu wrote: 92 Points
Drank with dinner at the Hobbit in Orange, CA. Slight funk on the nose right after opening caused some concern, but this blew off pretty quickly. Still drinking well and went perfectly with the peppered sirloin. Very sorry to see this bottle go as finding more will probably not be that easy.
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3/6/2010 - parsetdx wrote: 92 Points
Nose: Deep leather with earthy notes. Still had rich dark fruit lingering - blackberry and plum. Taste: Smooth and supple, but not overly velvety. Was surprised that tannins still remained giving a strong backbone to support the wine and lending to an overall excellent balance. Good deal of tobacco and cigar box flavors along with leather and earth. Finished with some fruit that was lighter than the nose - maybe black cherry. Could probably sit another year or two and remain at this level, but anymore and you will be pushing your luck. It was very enjoyable - drink it up while it's still great.
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10/10/2009 - Goldstone wrote: 88 Points
Ch. Montelena 1978,1985 & 1994 (Chez Patrick, Peel Street, Hong Kong): Deep red still semi-opaque colour. Closed and reticent nose of great pencil lead, blackberries and dry box wood. Tart but freshly acidic palate with good structure of bramble fruit. Drying tannins. Nettles on the back end. Not much length. Very dry back end. With extended time in the glass it highlights a very dry cherry stones finish. Hard to see where this is going but I don't think it will improve with more age, which is a tough call when you have just revelled in the 1978....... so I may be wrong. Oops!.....sorry this note is for the 1985 and I'll re-assign it.
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8/30/2009 - msu wrote: 92 Points
Still drinking well. The alcohol is very obvious when tasted right after the cork is popped, but this bottle mellowed out very nicely in about 15 minutes. Still has nice fruit, earth, currant flavors. Moderate finish.
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7/28/2009 - spacewrangler wrote:
Beautiful expression of cabernet, showing some sweet red currant and cherry licorice. Soy and a minerally element also dart in and out over the course of the bottle, which really fleshes out with time. In a perfect place right now, with the fruit and tannin to last another 10 years.
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7/18/2009 - David S wrote: 93 Points
Excellent - not sure what others found lacking - this wine is not your typical CA fruit bomb but a great complex wine
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6/14/2009 - ljl wrote: 82 Points
Seemed flat and dried out when first decanted. Opened up somewhat after time. Severely disappointing.
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5/12/2009 - dccc wrote: 92 Points
Opened at a wine tasting with many other great wines including some Chateau Pavie. Chateau Montelena had plenty life, delicious initial taste while a bit short on length. Tasted first then decanted 15 minutes. Everyone enjoyed.
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4/26/2009 - Ki Punwar wrote: 92 Points
Full bodied and still very bold, this one is 24 yrs old and can last much longer. Classic Montelena-cedar, cassis and dark balckberry.
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3/10/2009 - jlemerond wrote: 91 Points
Always very good, though interestingly this bottle showed as MUCH younger than one from the same lot consumed in december
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8/1/2008 - Wine, Of Course! wrote: 88 Points
Time to consume getting over the hill
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1/26/2008 - curtr wrote: 90 Points
A big, bold cabernet. Did not come together and show a polished wine. Was rough in the beginning and showed its best after one hour of decanting. My last bottle(9/07) was big, yet smoother than this bottle and showed more character. The 87 Mondavi - Reserve(93) was the winner tonight.
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10/30/2007 - M DU VIN wrote: 85 Points
This bottle was quite lean and a real disappointment. Time to drink up.
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10/18/2007 - Giladog wrote: 87 Points
Tasted this along with the 1984 vintage on successive nights. Both bottles were acquired from a respected source in Napa and appeared to be in pristine shape for their age. This vintage tasted tired. There was some sweet nutmeg and black fruit, but the wine fell apart pretty quickly. The 1984 was much better.
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5/1/2007 - winefool wrote: 90 Points
Wineflock - Montelena Vertical (My House): Group #5, My #5 - Full coffee red color. Medium round spicy red/black fruit nose with notes of coffee. Dusty black fruit with coffee notes and good firm structure. Definite notes of brett. This wine began to oxidize rather quickly and fall apart in the glass. Still structured, but should probably drink up.
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4/6/2007 - psmith wrote:
Out of whack. Some said brett, I thought a bit cooked. Mature but overly flabby dark fruit not in sync with the rest of the wine. Not disgusting, but a disappointment.
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3/3/2007 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 86 Points
Tasting of four Cabernet Sauvignons, fourth place. Subdued, slightly tarry nose with a hint of brett, taste of older cabernet on the palate, dry cork that broke when opened, medium finish, overall pleasant but disappointing.
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5/3/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
Blind 1985 Bordeaux vs. CA (Cabernet) Tasting (Chicago IL): Blind tasting. Funky barnyard character on nose. Meaty, leathery flavors with fruit mostly gone. More acid than anything else left on finish. Very surprised to see Montelena when unveiled.
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10/15/2005 - BradKNYC wrote:
Dinner II with Lou & BettyLu (My place.): The last few bottles I’ve had of this old favorite have shown the wine to be in pretty steady decline over the past few years. The wine starts off with a nice aged Cal Cab nose of aged cassis, soft ‘n spicy cedar with light dusty notes. However, on the palate it lacks the fruit it once had and is hollow. There’s a nice burst of it’s old self upfront, but it fades quickly. I hear some say they’ve had excellent recent experiences with the wine, but I haven’t had a good one since about ’00-’01. Drink up. B/B-.
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9/27/2005 - PaulH wrote: 92 Points
Offline for Alex and Adam at Zuppa (San Francisco, California USA): Lighter in color than '86 tasted at the same time. Very tannic with a steel structure. Not as balanced or lush as the 1986.
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5/14/2005 - JasonD wrote: flawed
corked
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5/14/2005 - Jason wrote: flawed
4 Decades, 21 Bottles, 1 Producer- Chateau Montelena (Daniel's Broiler, Bellevue , WA): Corked
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5/14/2005 - Eric wrote: flawed
Chateau Montelena vertical (1973-2002) (Bellevue, WA): Corked.
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3/4/2005 - steffenpelz wrote: 69 Points
1985 California Cab Tasting: Strange wine. Sweet attack followed by raisiny, port-like mid-palate that has dense, fruity and leathery character going on. On the nose, a strange smell of curry just convinced me that this bottle must be off.
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1/7/2005 - Blair Curtis wrote: 84 Points
Wine Olympics (Picasso Restaurant, Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada): Mature nose with apple skins, a little port-like on the palate, very tannic and backward, old style, minerally and a touch astringent on the finish, high acid and a bit narrow. Maybe Ausone? (Group = 82.5)
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12/17/2004 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 89 Points
Tasting of five Cabernet Sauvignons, fourth place. Very dusty, earthy nose of dark fruit, more of the same on the palate, subdued tasting, medium body with soft medium amount of tannins present, long finish. Disappointing showing given its peers.
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10/4/2004 - bheller wrote:
drank with steak at home.
Still could use a few years in the bottle - I was concerned drinking too late, but would give next bottle more time - still evolving.
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8/29/2004 - dbg wrote:
excellent
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3/5/2004 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Red Carpet: More pure earth (than ’84), straight forward; med. bod, med. t’s, elegant, smth, acidic cherries--hi a’s fin.; great, but lighter and easier than ’84.
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5/3/2003 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Tasting. Black plum and cherry aromas give a fresh start. Similar on palate with balanced tannins but oddly assertive acidity in the middle. Everything comes back into better balance on finish.
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11/3/2002 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 92 Points
Tasted at vertical Chateau Montelena tasting at the home of Amy Weinberg. Oily disc. Opaque garnet with red/orange rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense plum, earth, coffee, chocolate and leather. Medium-bodied on the palate, with melted tannins and slightly hot alcohol. Similar flavors as for the nose. Long, slightly hot finish.
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8/1/2000 - dbg wrote:
Dark red, no bricking, black berry nose, blackcurrant
and plum fruits on the palate with some grassy veggies, nicely
integrated, nicely resolved tannins & some oak, very long finish.
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1/27/2000 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 88 Points
1985 Vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon-10 Tasting Notes (Walnut Creek, Ca.): Lovely, rich fruit on the nose, feminine, elegant, fruity tasting on the palate, needs 3 yeas to peak, long finish with small amount of medium tannins. My #7 of 10.
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11/5/1998 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
1985 Cabernet Sauvignon vs 1985 Bordeaux (Lafayette, Ca.): Lovely mint and earth on the nose, rich fruit, chewy fruit almost chalky taste, great intensity, lovely, rich fruit, lingering finish, needs 5 years to peak. My #1 tied of 7, Group #4 of 7.
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5/10/1997 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 89 Points
1985 Tasting of 15 Cabernet Sauvignons (Walnut Creek, Ca.): Lovely, rich, fruity nose, lovely, berry fruit, shows good development, good acid, long finish. My #7 tied.
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7/17/1993 - dbg wrote:
Dense dark purple color, intense black berry nose, blackcurrant
and plum fruits on the palate with hints of chocolate, mint, and
green beans (?), moderate tannins & some oak, very long finish.
Should continue to develop.
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12/13/1991 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 92 Points
At Singer & Foy survey of Château Montelena. Extremely dark ruby color; nearly opaque. Nose is almost volcanic, with rich and earthy black fruit. Red ones too. Palate is really EXCELLENT, with great richness and depth. Monumental wine. Wow! 5-12-17-8: 92/100.
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9/21/1991 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
1985-1988 CABERNET SAUVIGNONS with 4 CHATEAU MONTELENAS (Walnut Creek, Ca.): Rich, big, intense nose, ripe, berry fruit, nice balance, light/medium body, huge finish with lots of very soft tannins.
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4/13/1991 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 91 Points
With MPL and BLR at S&F survey of '85 Cabs. Brilliant medium-dark ruby color. Nose is much more open than before, showing good fruit, chocolate. Tastes even more exciting--a rich, full mouthful of Cabernet. Slightly minty. Impeccable balance, with all components in perfect harmony. Lasts and lasts. Drinkable now, it should last for years and years. A cut above. 5-11-17-8: 91/100.
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6/22/1990 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 88 Points
With MPL and BLR at Singer & Foy survey of "killer Cabs." Very dark ruby; attractive. Vanilla bean nose. (Plus matchstick?) A bit shy. Reminds me of the '86 Livingston. On the palate, its got dark chocolate flavors, lingering fruit. Lasts on the palate. Hint of mint and tobacco. Can be drunk now or put away. Very good, but not the best today. 5-10-16-7: 88/100.
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1/24/1990 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 89 Points
With MPL and BLR at lunch at MacArthur Park. Very dark ruby, quite pretty. Deep, rich Cabernet fruit in the nose. On the palate, has lots of oaky fruit flavors, but needs time to resolve firm tannins. 5-11-15-8: 89/100.
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9/29/1989 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 89 Points
At Singer & Foy survey of new Californians. Medium-dark ruby. Very rich, ripe nose emphasizes fruit. On the palate, big-bodied and tannic, but with good fruit underneath. Not too pleasant to taste right now. Licorice. 5-12-14-8: 89/100.
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