Community Tasting Note

• gharter wrote: flawed

  August 3, 2019 - A clearly off bottle, the 7th of a case purchased at release. When it was decanted, there was no sediment (i've never seen a 13 year old Montelena with NO sediment. while it improved with the 2 hour decant, it just never got to the fruit, full body that an older Montelena does. Lacking the complexity that previous bottles showed. Stayed on the acidic side. Not sure what the flaw was as it ws not Bret, didn't seem corked, but just not right. No hurry to open the other 5.

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2 Comments

• oldwines commented:

  8/4/19, 12:38 PM - If I may suggest, it is possible this just needed more air...perhaps a lot more. I have been drinking Montelena Estate since the 1978 vintage and sometimes they need 8 hours to fully open up. Many have been better the second day. I usually open them in the morning for a dinner at 8...I have rarely been disappointed. That being said I think the 2006 is a tough vintage to judge and so far the one bottle I have opened fell a little short of expectations, though by no means flawed. I agree with you it probably needs more age in a good cellar and will likely come around in due course. Cheers!
  
  “oldwines” aka Dave
  www.dtpwineadvisors.com

• gharter commented:

  8/4/19, 1:48 PM - I would have thought that, except this was totally different from the other bottles I've opened in the last few years. I agree about them needing time. I love the 1978 estate and it needs at least 3 to hours or more to really show well. I'm glad I have a few bottles left as it is still one of the greatest wines I've had.

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