4th Saturday Brown Bagger (EBCC): Double blind. Dominant sour dark fruit follow through on the palate. Has some length to the finish. This was a complete surprise when unveiled as this is nothing like what I expect from Montelena’s zin. Presumably this was an off bottle. (J&L)
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Medium bodied, ruby color. Red fruit and vanilla on the nose. Tasting blind, I would not have guessed Zinfandel. It tastes more like a generic Cali red blend, with tart cherry, wild strawberry, some blue fruit, medium tannins and acidity and a bit of a burn on the finish. It's OK, but there isn't much going on, and it doesn't have the plump, fruity, smokey Zin notes that I'm looking for. 89 points.
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Really unique Zin. Not as big or hot as a normal zin. Very nice finish but not that long. Also not as spicy. Could go with a grill out but would want more chicken and grilled beef vs sausages.
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Decanted about three hours, this is really rounding into form. Aromas of raspberry, blueberry, rose hip, violet and something meaty. Flavors of red plum, baked raspberry and baking spices.
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Virtual tasting with Chateau Montelena with cheese & salami pairings: We haven't had one of their Zinfandels and quite some time. We really enjoyed this bottle, it was quite elegant and went great with the age gouda in the salamis.
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Probably drank too soon. Decanted for an hour plus and consumed over two hours. Nice cherry aroma. Good fruit flavors with some obvious tannins. Not yet integrated or balanced. Fell pretty flat in hour two. Needs a couple of years to round into shape.
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Beautiful bouquet when sitting next to it as it opened up. But taste was not indicative of the aromas. Just seemed a bit off,a bit sour.Short finish, medium acidity and medium tannins. This may be an one-off and I don’t remember the rest of the case being so bad.
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I opened this wine for a lunch of spicy udon noodles. Hit the spot. Brought out the flavors of the food well. Light bodied, short finish,good nose, absence of tannins that I would expect of this wine, but overall good. Maybe not the best value,but worthy of drinking. Definitely not a wine to cellar. Enjoy with most any food except a big juicy steak. Would go well with a Big Mac.
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9/23/2023 - AllRed wrote:
4th Saturday Brown Bagger (EBCC): Double blind. Dominant sour dark fruit follow through on the palate. Has some length to the finish. This was a complete surprise when unveiled as this is nothing like what I expect from Montelena’s zin. Presumably this was an off bottle. (J&L)
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9/6/2023 - dlduchon wrote: 86 Points
Flabby, lacks acidity and tannin. Weird finish for a Zin. Quite disappointing. Short, clipped finish.
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10/7/2022 - gjetson wrote: 89 Points
Medium bodied, ruby color. Red fruit and vanilla on the nose. Tasting blind, I would not have guessed Zinfandel. It tastes more like a generic Cali red blend, with tart cherry, wild strawberry, some blue fruit, medium tannins and acidity and a bit of a burn on the finish. It's OK, but there isn't much going on, and it doesn't have the plump, fruity, smokey Zin notes that I'm looking for. 89 points.
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9/30/2022 - Wisco Mel Likes this wine:
Cherries and baking spice. Smooth tannins. Soft and lighter side Zin
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9/30/2022 - kitkat4 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Best on day 2. Pleasant mix of dark and red fruits with a hint of spice.
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6/11/2022 - treznor Likes this wine:
Fairly light, nice fruit, fills up your mouth, light tannins but present
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2/9/2022 - Leemay Cellars Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cathy and I both liked it. Lighter than normal alcohol
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8/22/2021 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
Family Winemakers Tasting 2021, nose of black cherry, big body, tasty, touch simple, needs 2 years to peak, medium/long finish, $39.
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5/23/2021 - tadams66 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really unique Zin. Not as big or hot as a normal zin. Very nice finish but not that long. Also not as spicy. Could go with a grill out but would want more chicken and grilled beef vs sausages.
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2/12/2021 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Decanted about three hours, this is really rounding into form. Aromas of raspberry, blueberry, rose hip, violet and something meaty. Flavors of red plum, baked raspberry and baking spices.
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2/12/2021 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 91 Points
Virtual tasting with Chateau Montelena with cheese & salami pairings: We haven't had one of their Zinfandels and quite some time. We really enjoyed this bottle, it was quite elegant and went great with the age gouda in the salamis.
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12/4/2020 - Tahlequahdave1972 wrote: 88 Points
Probably drank too soon. Decanted for an hour plus and consumed over two hours. Nice cherry aroma. Good fruit flavors with some obvious tannins. Not yet integrated or balanced. Fell pretty flat in hour two. Needs a couple of years to round into shape.
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11/28/2020 - Saltiecroc Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Beautiful bouquet when sitting next to it as it opened up. But taste was not indicative of the aromas. Just seemed a bit off,a bit sour.Short finish, medium acidity and medium tannins. This may be an one-off and I don’t remember the rest of the case being so bad.
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10/12/2020 - whudock Likes this wine: 93 Points
strong fruit, vanilla and cardamom spice, layered and nuanced.
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10/6/2020 - Saltiecroc Likes this wine: 89 Points
I opened this wine for a lunch of spicy udon noodles. Hit the spot. Brought out the flavors of the food well. Light bodied, short finish,good nose, absence of tannins that I would expect of this wine, but overall good. Maybe not the best value,but worthy of drinking. Definitely not a wine to cellar. Enjoy with most any food except a big juicy steak. Would go well with a Big Mac.
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5/12/2020 - jrhonda160 Likes this wine: 85 Points
Pretty plain and a little dry. Warms the chest on the way down, dont know if that is good or bad. Definitely needs food. Very good with cheese.
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