April 20, 2024 - Opened a 3 liter for a friend’s dinner party. PNP no decanting. Had the opportunity to drink some prior at a Montelena spring release event at the Westin from a magnum. My friends and I at the event concluded that it was time to drink the 3 liter I had in cellar.
Beautiful dark ruby color, no visible bricking (this was stored in a very cold 52 deg cellar). Bouquet was mild roses and dark cherry. Mild acidity and mature cab flavor yet not at all declining in this format. Had good dark fruit flavors. Totally resolved tannin with no hard edges at all. Delicate and silky mouth feel. Medium length on a delicious finish. Bo Barrett, made this 98% cab and 2% Cab Franc blend according to Montelena’s website. Paired with prime rib my buddy cooked to perfection. Wine at its peak can’t see it improving from here.
November 5, 2023 - still good
October 28, 2023 - The thinnest of thin rims sheds some cranberry hues, but almost immediately is gobbled by opaque the plum of the core as the eye moves from the rim to the center of the glass. No change since opening a bottle of this 4 months ago. The licorice may be more dominate, but it still delivers rather satisfying flavors of “plum, cassis, mint, leather, graphite and cedar with a finish of vanilla and licorice wrapped in a silky mouthfeel,” as I noted then. But side by side with the Cade Howell Mountain Cab, this didn’t perform as well. It is not as seamless as the Cade. The table was unanimous on that. Some but not a lot of angular sediment. Decanted. 13.9% alc. With grilled (beef) ribeyes from the Meating Place. 10.28.23. Highly Recommended.
October 1, 2023 - I’ve had a few of these over the years and they always strike me as really elegant wines with fresh acidity, soft, mouth coating tannins and harmonious flavors.
This one tastes fully mature, with aroma and tastes of oak, leather and truffles dominating the black fruits, which linger in the background with some savoury vegetal flavors (asparagus). This was more the case on day 2 and I’d probably drink this all on day one for my last bottle.
July 8, 2023 - Found a half bottle presumed lost or opened and not recorded. Slow ox from bottle for 75 mins. Was much more elegant from a Sommelier vs std Reidel stem.
Fragrant nose shows dark, but mostly ripe red fruit, with leather when you get deep in the glass. Wine crosses the palate with minerals, coffee and modest fruit that's really well-balanced, and a satisfyingly mature finish that lingers for quite some time.
This bottle has done well with multiple cross-country moves. I suspect it's peaking in this format and shows better than the 750 I popped 3 months ago. Will mark my remaining 375 to drink by 2025; standard bottles will probably make it to 2030 or beyond. Impressive and rewarding.
July 4, 2023 - Very good. Buy again
June 24, 2023 - A deep, opaque plum color emanates from its core that shades to a wide circle of oxblood at the rim. The near seamless transition from nose to palate delivers plum, cassis, mint, leather, graphite and cedar with a finish of vanilla and licorice wrapped in a silky mouthfeel. Some clumps of sediment. 13.9% alc. With grilled (beef) strip steaks from Buffalo Creek Farm. 06.24.23. Highly Recommended.
April 9, 2023 - 2.6 hrs slow ox, followed in Somm stems. Light claret coloring throughout, Bordeaux nose of red fruit, really old leather and earth. Soft red fruit dominates with more old leather, cigar, and dirt; tannins/structure have faded considerably.
Don't foresee this improving, but I will confess that several cross country moves could have impacted the wine.
Glad I didn't decant as this has softened considerably since my initial sample when pulling the cork, and based on this evening will mark remaining bottles with a drop dead of 2027. Will pop my remaining 375 w minimal air.
While rating this 92-3, there's an old elegance that's comforting to this. While I will likely drop out of Monty's futures program after 20+ years as they're eliminating any financial benefit, with futures pricing that's in line w retail at many chains, this evenings experience gives me pause, even if there are better QPR's @ the $150 revised future.
February 18, 2023 - Well made in a classic California Cabernet style - true to its tradition, less powerful than the new school makers.
December 31, 2022 - This certainly needed some air! I'm not sure it lasted long enough to fully open up, but there was plenty of earth, mint, herbs, anise, and some underlying dark fruit. Medium finish. Very nice pairing with well aged Flannery.