2016 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate
Community Tasting Note
davidandrose Likes this wine:
Saturday, September 17, 2022 - Purchased from the winery and held in my walk-in since release. Notes begin after a 4 hr decant, followed in Sommelier stems as these added depth to the finish bs our regular Reidels.
Relatively light coloring with a good grip on the stems. Red fruit and black tea on the nose. Tasted blind Mrs Davidandrose took this as an aged merlot. I beleive this follows the house style and see it as more of an aged Bordeaux blend rather than a cab, though I'd take it to be much older than it is and would be hard-pressed to disagree with my bride if tasted blind.
I called the winery when I saw the composite cork, which has apparently been used since the 2014 vintage, though I don't recall recall this from the earlier vintages I've opened.
As others note I too am struggling w Montys QPR, esp after the latest price increase from $105 to 150 as a 20 year member of their futures program. I just cut the cord w Shafer after a similar post buy-sell increase, and I have a much longer a personal relationship w Shafer as it's our wedding wine and the wine that opened our eyes (and wallet) to wine appreciation and collection.
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Comment posted by WineGuyDelMar:
9/17/2022 7:34:00 PM - Napa Wineries are shooting themselves in the foot with their ridiculous price increases. I quit buying Napa wines awhile ago. Bordeaux offers same quality at much lower prices. I have lost interest in CA wines.
Comment posted by davidandrose:
9/18/2022 7:55:00 AM - Definitely agree on the self-inflicted damage. While we're far from cutting off Napa, we're actively expanding our understanding (and holdings) of other Regions; just back from two weeks in Burgundy/Rhone and last year did our first trip to Tuscany and a 3rd trip to Bordeaux, with a few days in Cahors and eventually Lyon.
To me, much of Napa's insanity is a direct correlation to new/old $$ and "people you'd have a beer with" vs those as interested in making a name for themselves as making wine. IMO, the many wines with value generally share long land ownership, some vertical integration/farming/winemaker
background like Lewelling/Wight family, Foley, Kenefick, Keenan, Dunn, Peterson, etc....older family operations often in the hillsides above the Valley floor.
There are lots of folks we like who don't own their dirt and are really pressed with fruit pricing - I feel for them, on top of CA's insane cost of operations.
I understand why new (Korean) ownership tries to recoup their investment in Shafer, or the pricing behind expensive, relatively recent purchases like Alpha Omega, Darioush, etc. But i just can't understand Monty's 45% increase, or once-solid wines like Caymus that diluted quality while raising prices. I guess its the difference of just running business vs a business that also a passion?
Comment posted by jimyeni:
9/19/2022 8:39:00 PM - For what it’s worth I dropped out this year as well after 10 years. I like the wine, it ages well but they are getting into a price point where there is stiff competition.
Comment posted by sfwinelover1:
9/21/2022 12:29:00 PM - Good note on this. I’ve had tastes at the Montelena tasting room in SF—a big part of the reason why I’ve been a member—but not cracked one of my bottles. Although CM has been progressively making these more friendly to drink at earlier ages, I still think that they don’t really hit their best stride until age 12, 15, sometimes later, then hold it for quite some time, particularly in good vintages, as this should be.
That said, completely agree with you and others on pricing. This was a solid buy at a little over $100–even if you had to commit 2+ years in advance—but no way, no how at $150; it will absolutely be available for less in the secondary market. It’s not clear I’ll even be drinking wine when current vintages hit their peak, and with that and the price increase in mind, I’m out on the futures. And while I’ll miss my occasional visits to that tasting room, I’m quite sure I can put my wine spend to better purposes. Cheers!
Comment posted by jimyeni:
9/22/2022 10:10:00 PM - Yes, completely agree sfwinelover - the secondary market point is a really good one. It takes a couple of years to come down but it's pretty easy to find in the $130 range. I have no doubt the pricing will sustain but I'm guessing CM will take a hit before they recover.