1997 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate
Community Tasting Note
oldwines Likes this wine:
95 Points
Sunday, April 9, 2017 - Decanted at 4:30 pm and also run through a venturi once before pouring back into the bottle and tasted from about 5pm through 10 pm. The last pours were the best ones. Medium garnet color with little if any bricking. Extremely elegant. Nose of leather, earth, anise, eucalyptus and red and black fruit. Very soft mouth feel. On the palate the leather cedar and earth are balanced with cassis, blackberry and black cherry in deep layers of flavor. Finish is long, 45+ seconds. So elegant and classic. Please let this breathe in a decanter for several hours at least, it makes a world of difference! This is feminine in style and old world/classic Cali but needs the air to bring out its full potential.
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3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (4,030 views)
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (4,030 views)
Comment posted by Old Vino:
4/10/2017 5:34:00 AM - Many critics believe the California '97 vintage may not last long and therefore recommend to drink up sooner than later. Sounds like this Montelena bottle argues against that.
Comment posted by oldwines:
4/10/2017 12:21:00 PM - My assessment is that these may be some of the ;art really old school Cali Cabs made and they need more time in the decanter than most people give them. They are by no means fragile and will stand up to the air.