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1997 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate |
| Vintage | 1997 |  Label 1 of 33   | |
| Type | Red | ||
| Producer | Chateau Montelena (web) | ||
| Variety | Cabernet Sauvignon | ||
| Designation | The Montelena Estate | ||
| Vineyard | n/a | ||
| Country | USA | ||
| Region | California | ||
| SubRegion | Napa Valley | ||
| Appellation | Napa Valley | ||
| UPC Code | 006691000060 |
| Community Tasting History |
Community Tasting Notes (average 93.4 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 128 notes) | |
| Tasted by skwid on 2/7/2010 flawed bottle: This wine was very slightly corked. NR (257 views) | |
| Tasted by ebergan on 2/5/2010 & rated 95 points: What a difference 18 months has made! Wine was tight right after pulling the cork, but opened up very nicely 15 minutes later, and continued to evolve. Great brick color. Complex nose of dark fruit balanced with earthiness. Tanins were nicely under control, and overall it went great with a grilled steak. A great CA cab! (301 views) | |
| Tasted by sandwich on 2/2/2010 & rated 96 points: Wine critics, wine tasters, wine drinkers, wine lovers and alcoholics alike, will all agree that Mr. and Mrs. Montelena have cemented their places in the "Glorious Grape Hall of Fame" with their 1997 estate offering. Cabernet Sauvignon, occassionaly referred to as the majestic grape, is the heart and soul of this wine. With aromas of cabernet, this wine offers a subtle yet balanced taste of acidic grape and some mellow tannins. I would drink this wine as frequently as a benevelent friend will bestow one upon me as a gift. This is cleary the WOTN whenevener opened beside no other. I rate this a 96 because a 95 wouldn't do it justice. (774 views) | |
| Tasted by ken-yyz on 1/30/2010 & rated 95 points: This is such a wonderfully stereotypical CA cab… A brooding nose rich with cassis and dark red fruits - nothing that would suggest anywhere other than CA. The palate is lush but not over the top - great fruit density, nice ripe tannins and some bracing acidity. The finish is even a little tight still suggesting that it will be even better over the next 3 or 4 years. Stunning. Delicious. Glad to have another bottle. (477 views) | |
| Tasted by the godfather on 1/24/2010: pretty tasty (634 views) | |
| Tasted by otisabdul on 1/16/2010 & rated 92 points: Tasted next to a '97 Insignia, which was a much more flamboyant and rich wine. The Monty was more understated and Bdx-like. It picked up steam after 60 minutes of air and the last sip was the best one. Earthy black currant, a silky mouth feel, and non-obvious oak (unlike the Insignia). The metaphor we used was that the Monty was like an elegant and refined woman, while the Insignia was fun-loving California girl. Both wines are certainly open for business, but could still be held. (557 views) | |
| Tasted by DonWinspear on 1/16/2010 & rated 95 points: A 3.0 L that was poured at a very special dinner with friends. The wine was decanted about 6 hours before serving. The nose was a delight - floral, very mild hint of coffee, delicate, hinting of the wonderous wine to come. Upon tasting, the wine revealed a wonderous balance of red berries, cherry, currant. I picked up very delicate undertones of graphite, a hint of terroir. There is mild acidity, but the 12+ years of aging have sucessfully relaxed the tannins resulting in a beauriful silky palate. The wine is a consumate expression of why 1997 is heralded. (652 views) | |
| Tasted by Sausalito on 12/29/2009: "lovely" was a great drink with tapas including a sliced up NY steak (oven roasted before searing) had a nice chocolate feel to it. Opened nicely as it went. Great holiday drink. (919 views) | |
| Tasted by Rustyca on 12/25/2009 & rated 95 points: (502 views) | |
| Tasted by KHILL on 12/19/2009 & rated 97 points: (747 views) | |
| Tasted by gutt22 on 12/10/2009: 14.0% alcohol. A baby still, but a delightful, concentrated, tasty baby at that. Dark red/purple in the glass. Tremendously complex bouquet of black berry fruit with that typical Napa warmth about it, cedar, spice box, tobacco, and earth. In the mouth, it would be bone-crushing if it weren't so damn refined and balanced. Great concentration. Extremely complex. The picture of the finest Napa has to offer, with many years of pleasure left ahead. A (1355 views) | |
| Tasted by JScott on 12/4/2009 & rated 94 points: Wow! This bottle was absolutely singing from the outset. Filled the room with mulberry and cassis and an undertone of tobacco and earth. The structure is buried in a tidal wave of fruit giving this a plush texture. Best showing yet for me. (1396 views) | |
| Tasted by AlexHop on 11/24/2009 & rated 97 points: I've had a number of disappointing 1997s recently but this one lives up to the hype of the vintage. Sweet nose, sweet tannins, very elegant. The fruit has mellowed a bit, but the wine still feels powerful with a very long finish that keeps showing off different aspects of this complex wine. From a split (and kudos to Montelena for making splits available without charging much extra). (1600 views) | |
| Tasted by AlexHop on 11/24/2009 & rated 98 points: One of the few wines that I've had lately that have lived up to the hype of the 1997 vintage, this one was amazing. Tasted from a split. (1321 views) | |
| Tasted by Anonymous on 11/7/2009: This one had a good hour in the decanter. Dark color, cool fruit on the nose - still not giving up a lot. This was better than the last few, making me believe time is working in the favor of this wine - which has always been hard to figure out. I'm feeling more positive about its future than I did a couple of years ago. A- (1644 views) | |
| Tasted by davidandrose on 10/25/2009 & rated 93 points: Winery tasting; poured from a magnum that had been opened and sealed several days earlier, using a closed gassing system. An excellent wine in great form, far more bordeaux in style than most calicabs. Faint nose showed only a little fruit, but the flavor profile had this in near-perfect balance. Some cigar, cedar and mature fruit. I'd drink remaining bottles up over the coming 3-5 years max. (1773 views) | |
| Tasted by ldorf on 10/16/2009 & rated 91 points: (1399 views) | |
| Tasted by jsfleener on 9/9/2009 & rated 93 points: (1729 views) | |
| Tasted by phenricsson on 8/31/2009 & rated 92 points: A bit of a disappointment. Very ripe, almost pruny. Nothing seriously wrong with it but it felt a bit tired, lacking freshness and intensity. I have never been a great fan of this wine (from 97) but it does not seem to get any better. (2621 views) | |
| Tasted by matro on 8/29/2009 & rated 94 points: (1680 views) | |
| Tasted by JJA on 8/8/2009 & rated 95 points: No need to give this too many adjectives other than stunning. Too bad there's none left in the cellar! (2606 views) | |
| Tasted by mdrwineman on 6/16/2009 & rated 95 points: Fantastic wine! Decanted and poured....just kept getting better over time. Has everything: power, depth and finesse. (3256 views) | |
| Tasted by Kdawg on 6/13/2009 & rated 93 points: judgment of chicago-California Cabs vs Bordeaux (Chicago IL, Ward's): nose: very perfumed nose with good tones of red currants, dark red cherries, cedar, cranberries, and spice box tones. There is a good lushness to this that is very alluring taste: great balance with plush tones of roasted herbs, black and red currants, dark red cherries, cedar and bits of ripe cranberries. Good tannins that are still a presence, but they aren't unbearable right now overall: A more ripe classically styled cabernet. Good fruit that comes across well and in balance that add a bit of flash to the wine. Certainly has a way to go and should be a lot of fun when it's fully mature (3322 views) | |
| Tasted by vinojones on 6/5/2009 & rated 95 points: Black/red color with dark brick edges; rich dark berry nose, undertones of chocolate/mocha coffee, complex, changing with time in glass, later very sl hint of VA; rich flavors of blackkberries, blueberries, and drk overripe bing cherries, very balanced fruit with great definition without being overly extracted, good acidity, mature soft tannins; very long finish with no sense of heaviness or alc. (3188 views) | |
| Tasted by halfred on 5/24/2009 & rated 90 points: Still slightly tight, plenty of tanins left in this one. Unsure of it's storage history, it was brought to a dinner by a fried. Drinks almost like a Bordeaux from the same year wil pencil box, "French" fruit. Tasted against a 06 Pride Merlot, the Pride overshadowed this wine unfairly. (3362 views) | |
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About red wine Varietal character (Appellation America) [Requires a subscription payment for information.] WineAmerica (National Association of American Wineries) | Free the Grapes! California Wines (Wine Institute of California) California is one of the most diverse wine regions in the world, with almost 100 grape varieties grown in almost 10 viticultural areas, including dozens of different microclimates and soil types, as well as a very individualistic set of winemakers, many with international experience, which adds to and deepens that diversity. Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners) | Article in CellarTracker Napa Valley AVA |
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