A wonderful wine. Stewed fruits, spices, very nice balance drinking very well. Enjoyed every sip. And here is the interesting part. I had bought my first Coravin at the end 0f 2015 when I was desperately looking for something that would preserve my wine, so I did not have to drink the entire, or most of the, bottle. As a test I sampled several wines in early 2016 (I did not record the dates) using Coravin and put them away to taste after a year. And they all tasted great, one to two years later. Except I buried this one back in my very small cellar and forgot about it and did not notice it until a few days ago when I was re-organizing. I had poured half in 2016 and today had the other half. Wow.
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Decanted about an hour before drinking. Opened up nicely in the glass. In a great place. A classic, wonderful Montelena. No rush but don’t think it will get any better with more age.
Dinner at Foliage (San Francisco): Pretty nose with dark fruit, black cherries, a bit of spices, leather, cedar, and underwood. Good acidity on the palate with similar flavor profile. Nice finish. A lovely wine that is drinking really well. It's youthful and has a lot of fruit left, yet there's a tertiary character that is starting to emerge.
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Dinner with Herwig (Foliage, SF): Deep ruby, excellent color; blackberry, good complexity, some bell pepper; complex palate but with a bitterness on the midpalate which I don’t recall from last bottles. 92 1 hour later: opening up with air. Really fantastic, closer to my last bottle. 95 Day 2: Still lovely! This has held up nicely, which combined with the airtime it needed yesterday to get going suggests it has more time ahead of it for drinking. Unfortunately my last bottle though.
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Just an absolute beautiful wine. Drinking every bit of 98+ points. Beautiful berry, cherry fruit, earth, kirsh with just a hint of cranberry. The most amazing part of this wine is the perfection of balance. So smooth and the Tannins resolved. The perfect example of why you want to have a cellar.
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Allowed to breathe in glass 1 hour. Clear deep dark garnet. Notes of mixed black fruits and their liqueurs; damp earth, pipe tobacco, sage, bay leaf, cardamom, hints of dried meat and teriyaki. Full body, seamless, nice balance. Outstanding.
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Fantastic stuff, savory salts, black fruit, fennel. It is still a vigorous wine but fully mature and possibly at a point where drinking in the near term, over the next few years, is a safe approach. Of the 8 left I feel like 7 need to be consumed within the next 3 or 4 years, maybe — maybe — holding one back to see if it’s a 40 year wine.
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An Epic Summer Wine Weekend - Year 2; 6/30/2023-7/2/2023 (Muskoka, Ontario, Canada): [From Magnum] This pours medium to dark ruby in the glass with light bricking. The nose is just rocking from first pour. Aromas are of sweet cedar, eucalyptus, sweet pipe tobacco, ripe plum, ripe dark cherry, and earthy wet soil. The palate enters on the deep and rich fruit of the nose with sleek medium minus velvety tannin and medium minus acid. The finish is long replaying much of the nose. Everything an old world leaning wine drinker wants a Napa Cab to be, yet still remaining true to the ripe climate. I don't think I'd quite blind this as Bordeaux, but its clearly going to appeal to traditionalists. Drinking fabulously right now with steak, and not going anywhere. Just a wonderful showing.
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Decanted 2 hours and it needed it. Strangely, this one threw nearly no sediment. Drinking as a beautifully mature Cabernet. Black fruits, tobacco, cassis, leather, earth, and a hint of herbal on the nose. Similar flavors with more blackberry, earth, leather dominating. Very soft tannins in the long silky finish. Will easily go at least another decade +. Everything I expect in a mature Montelena.
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Spectacular California cabernet, fully integrated oak, black cherry, black raspberry, velvet finish, at the divine intersection of youthful and mature. Purchased on release, stored until recently in temperature controlled storage. Decanted and enjoyed with a magnificent dry-aged bone-in strip steak from Pino's Prime Meats on Sullivan Street, shiitake mushrooms and fresh sugar snap peas.
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Took two hours to open open. Went from Brussel Sprouts herbal notes to a classic California Cab at it’s peak. Gorgeous!! Balanced world class. Great length. Elegant. Beat vintage ever of Montelena!
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2 Hour Decant - drank next to the'09. Absolutely great!
Bordeaux-like nose with bright dark red and blue fruit, graphite shavings, tobacco, and mint. The palate is dense and inviting, with great length, acidity, and texture with bright dark fruit. Long finish which tickles the tongue. In the window but no rush with good provenance. Likely for me the best Montelena of last 25 years. 94-95
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Pnp'd tableside for tonight's tasting......a bit balsamic to start but over the course of 3-4 hours this hits a sweet spot that really shows why it's one of the world's great wines. Guessed Bdx by many at the table. Leather and mushroom, orange rind, balanced acidity, resolved tannins, a touch of raisin to the fruit that moves into younger territory with more air time. Make no mistake.....if you drink this one early on, it tastes much older and scores much lower, maybe a 92? But if given 3-4 hours of air, it deepens......it gains layers of class, etc. Hence, my score. What a beautiful, classy Old Napa wine!
Blind. I thought this was a brunello along with the behringer. It's dark food in a hint of sweetness very fine tannins with a nice acid base for a very balanced wine. The color is shockingly dark for the age. Excellent wine.
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Dinner at McKendrick’s. Bone-in rib eye. Fantastic showing. Seems to be at peak. Savory, pencil shavings, rich leather, black fruits. Drinks like classed growth Bordeaux. Should be just fine for a few more years, but I don’t intend to press my luck.
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Well cared for bottle purchased on release. Just an hour of air (no decanter), but it showed very well from first sip. Silky on entry, but with just a bit of bite on the finish, it was easy to drink. Aromas showed more tobacco and cedar up front than I expected, but with cassis and black cherry emerging over time. Good acidity made for a fresh mouthfeel, and the fruit and cedar elements lingered long after each sip. Nothing overdone or overripe here. Classic Cabernet with a touch of extra richness from the vintage.
Decanted and drank over a few hours. A little funky on the nose which blew off after an hour or so. Plenty of black currant, spice, leather and earth. Some sweetness on the palate as well. Good acidity, tannins resolved, but present.
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PnP and followed for several hours. Beautiful mature tastes and smells of plums, red and black cherries, blackberries, leather, damp forest, earth, and a touch of barnyard. Good acidity, resolving but present tannins, long delicious finish. Medium-full body. What's great is the balance, power, and roundness against its mature notes. Dang, this is the way that wines should age.
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Coravin a good size glass. Needed time to open. Ate with Tri meat burger. Solid fruit, great palate and long finish. Can’t wait to finish the btl game n a couple of months. Drink
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Classic Cabernet nose of cassis, dark cherry, blackberry, and leather. The palate is really lovely with good balance and nice acidity along with sweet dark fruit, dark cherries, forest floor, and more leather notes. Long finish. Very good wine. Compared to the 97 Spottswoode from a few days ago, this was a bit prettier and more elegant, but maybe not quite as complex and powerful.
Classic Napa cab, dark berry fruit, blackberry, currants, spice, tobacco notes, well integrated tannins, long finish, on a still youthful plateau, still has many years ahead
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Cork was definitely on life support. Typical color for 25 years. Got to admit, I opened this last bottle a few years too late. Still nice, traditional CM, but a little past its prime. Had with a filet and enjoyed this last of my 97's.
25 years old, this is a beauty. Probably another 5 years if well stored, complex, evolved, lengthy, marvelous finish. Served to a Francophile friend blinded, loved the look on his face when we stripped the cover off. I enjoyed my first taste of Montelena with the gift of the 84 estate; glad I signed on as a Cellarmaster. Yes, I let that go, didn’t need that much every year as I got older, the same refrain, how much wine do I want to leave to my kids. But I’m sure glad I kept this one around a while.
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Drinking as a beautifully mature Cabernet. Decanted 2 hours, throwing a lot of sediment. Black fruits, tobacco, cassis, leather, earth, and a hint of herbal on the nose. Similar flavors with more blackberry, earth, leather dominating. The tannins have softened in the long finish. Sitting well in its drinking window for at least another decade +.
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Still going strong with its layers of ripe blackberries, herbs, tobacco leaf, and black cherries. Full-bodied, rich, round, and packed with fruit, this is a great showing that has at least another 15 or more years in the tank, if well stored.
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Farewell Patra (La Trompette, London): Ripe and rounded on the nose. Lovely. A richness on the mid palate too along with a sense of sun on terracotta tiles. Some mint too. A cool elegance alongside the warmth. ****
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Ready to go with dark black fruit, cassis, nice soft earthiness, resolved tannins, gorgeous acidic structure and weight. Medium plus finish and just delicious. Great now and will hold for a while
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Celebrating our 24th anniv on 9-20-21...a wine I bought futures on when I knew this would be our wedding year wine. All bottles have been pretty much perfect! Glad I decanted at home before dinner, as I had a fight with the cork...it shredded into pieces as it was glued to the neck of the sediment caked bottle...should have used the Durand! Decanted, and brought to the restaurant...the wine was in amazing shape! So dark and youthful...silky smooth seamlessness...loaded with rich and pure dark berry fruits...SO integrated and extracted like an oozing chocolate brownie! Has wonderful dusty graphite dryness of tannins...plenty of structure for a long long life...amazing complexities of mint tobacco, herbs, walnut, rich mineral soil, leather, cigar box...went perfectly with an italian herb chimichurri grilled ribeye! Glad to see this wine still going strong as ever after 24yrs...just like us! Of course...always 97pts.
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Okay, so this is/was a birth year wine and my first venture into truly aged wine. I somehow misplaced my ah-so and went with a waiters key, bad move as the cork crumbled in the middle. Managed to take it out with very little cork in the wine, so I decided to decant. It was delicious, I’d gladly have it again. It evolved over a few hours and had its stages.
Pnp- hour 2: quite a bit of bretty, barnyard funk. Was also more primary than I expected. Still plenty of punchy fruit. Tannins were definitely present but balanced.
Hour 2-3: kind of went into a dumb phase. There was still fruit and barnyard but the funk started to wear off. There was also a juicy blackberry/blueberry note in here, as well and some mint and herb. Super fresh. But that was about it.
Hour 3-5: this is when I think it was at the top. Slight funk but in a way I enjoyed it the most, although I love it to begin with. Tannins were present but even more resolved, acid kept me coming back for another sip once the minute + long finish ended. Here I also had a musty note that I couldn’t fully place but I would almost call it leather belt or dried suede on a shoe after rain?
It’s amazing that this is drinking this way after 24 years, and probably needs some more time borderline of being great, but in my amateur opinion not quite there.
Exudes pure class — sweet (red and black fruits), savory (soy sauce, earthy mushrooms) and long. Fully mature, going nowhere soon. Napa Cab Aristocracy and showing its pedigree.
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Flint, ash, deep raspberry flavors with blackberry, light earth and licorice. Lovely texture, perfect weight & balance and incredible structure. Can easily understand why this is considered a first growth of CA. Really drinking spot on after almost 25 years - extremely impressed.
Big wine, still has all its fruit, currants, dark berries, has not developed much in the way of secondary character, delicious, long finish, well integrated tannins, years to go
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Decanted around 6pm. Glorious nose of ripe red currants, chocolate, and spice. Juicy and tannic up front. Long finish of red fruit. Still quite young. Needs air. 10pm: Still intense and tight, but opens up beautifully with brisket. This brilliant wine should continue to improve for at least another decade, probably two.
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Having with penne pasta and red sauce, caprese salad, and some wonderful leftovers. I prefer more fruit forward but at almost 24 years young would not expect that.
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Zoom tasting with the wine group - Bordeaux vs. Cali Cabs (Zoom): Medium-deep ruby with age-appropriate bricking; aromatic, forest floor initially with strong core of black fruit, slight minerality, capsicum, slight menthol, all elegantly restrained on the nose but with presence; palate is medium-full bodied with black fruits, minerals, slight tertiary forest floor, medium-plus acidity and great freshness, medium-plus alcohol (14%) but holds it very well without any heat, fruit driven but with plenty of non-fruit complexity and always feels composed rather than showy; finish is medium-long. 95-96 Day 2: The last half-glass held up well, maybe even improved.
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Mature left bank bdx nose with strong herbal and flower flavors, smoke, cassis, and minty tones. Great tension on the medium bodied palate with mature tannins, balanced acidity and young, lush and entirely attractive mature red fruit. Finish is long minus but perfectly suitable for this wine. Excellent juice and fully mature but with many years ahead of it.
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PnP. Aromatics consist of soy, dusty earth, dark figs as this continued to evolve on the palate at one point showing a slight juicy blackberry note but always remained balanced and focused, comfortable like an old glove. A refined Napa Cab in the beginning of its old age.
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Rich, delicious dark full-bodied black cherry fruit with earth and tobacco box flavors, excellent structure, slightly fading, wine seemed a little past its prime
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At Mike S's for July 4th. Pretty much my WOTN besting a Schrader, a 2005 Laurent Clos St Denis, and another cab I'm blanking on. Now fully mature, resolved tannins, smooth as silk, easy drinking but a sneaky persistence on the finish and classic Montelena flavor profile. I've got 1 750 and 2 mags left and will find occasions in the next 5 years for the 750, 10 for the mags to drink.
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From half bottle, pristine cork, deep ruby, slight bricked rim, complex nose of barn yard, mushrooms, cassis, tobacco, leather, anise, menthol, mocha. Spicy, peppery finish, still tannic. A monster that is at its peak drinking from half bottles. Will easily hold a decade. Incredibly well made.
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Most perfumed bottle of wine I've ever opened (out of many, many). Couldn't get over the nose. Taste was dark fruit as many have noted, with a good balance of ripe tannin (no surprise from '97) and even a touch of acid. Delicious by itself -- pairing with food not necessary.
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Decanted for 90 minutes, and it followed the '94 Mondavi Reserve. The Montelena has slightly more bold and ripe black fruits than the Mondavi, which I liked and the finish was a little longer. Also nearly silky smooth. The is some sweet vanilla Oak in the background, along with dried herbs, some cedar and hints of graphite.
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Decanted 90 minutes. Old world style. Plum, cassis, baking spice, cedar and mint. Very good. Acidity still bright but tannins have mellowed. Wonderful wine
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Charleston V - the wooden anniversary; 11/6/2019-11/10/2019 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): Wine #1 in our blind. This was all fresh and fruity. Darker berries. A bit of sweetness. This came across as quite young. The balance in the wine seems to come from the tannin though which balances the fruit reasonably well. Drinking nicely. It's definitely new world fruit, but it has a more old world style to it.
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Decanted 3+ hours. Starts with mature red fruits, spice, decaying flowers, soil, old mints left in your pocket, very elegant old school style, integrated tannins with that ever so faint mint note providing a freshness to the finish.
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95 points again, same as last bottle a couple years ago. Drank with Dirkes at their house with rack of lamb. Really nice drinking as both cocktail and with chops, big nose upon opening, good, middle-of-fairway flavors (nothing exotic) and tannin soft without flabby prune textures. Not likely to get any better and maybe slightly on the downhill, so don't wait if you have it.
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Decanted 4 hours and would not hesitate to go longer. Even better than the last bottle. Blackberry, cassis, anise, leather, earth, tobacco, and a hint of herbal all lead to a beatufull balanced wine with a long finish. Tannins are still there, but have really softened. Just really starting to hit its window. Should be amazing for another decade plus.
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Decanted 1 hour. Deep garnet. Deep, rich fruit, vegetal cabernet flavor. Spices, licorice. Started off bold and young, opened up and developed more elegantly over a couple hours. Definitely recommend 3 hour decanting or so at this time.
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Could very easily pass for a wine within its first decade of life. Black fruits and soy sauce framed by firm tannins. Had this with filets tonight—would be even better with lamb or ribeyes. Looking forward to following this over another decade or two.
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Perfect, extraordinary Napa Valley Bordeaux blend at its best! Nose of blackberries, blueberries, baking spices, coffee/mocha and tobacco leaf, overtone of minerality throughout. Intoxicating to enjoy. Full bodied yet incredibly balanced on the palate, sweet tannins yet possessing layers upon layers of fruit and joy. Delightful finish that my friends commented lasted at least a minute. While always sad to kill one of these bottles, I'm thankful there was sufficient production that the 1997 is still available. Large format bottle best yet, a notch better than the 750ml's. Wow.
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Fantastic left bank Bordeaux nose with pencil shavings, black refined fruit, tobacco, menthol, and anise. Wonderful balanced structure and acidity with red jammy fruit shining through and great length. Quite an enjoyable finish with mature tannins that provide great grip.
Prime drinking window with room to continue to develop and soften.
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Ruby red in color. 14% ABV. Breathtaking nose of red fruits, leather, pencil shavings and cedar. Old school, rustic Cabernet Sauvignon. Powerful, lean and somewhat tannic. Concentrated and chewy. Dried cherries, currants, cassis and minerals on the palate. The finish is exceptionally long with a shroud of gritty tannins. This wine is the complete package. An iconic vintage for Montelena that rivals some of their classics from that era including the '87, '91 and '94. This will surely cruise to 30 years of age and I will keep the few bottles I have left to verify this.
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Good but perhaps not as good asI had expected Opened about one hour before dinner probably needed more time Still has plenty of body Had a bit of musty old wine smell on opening decided to eventually decant We enjoyed the bottle eventually over dinner. I have six more bottles of this wine so will try a longer period of opening prior to dinner
Superb. Dark ruby red, with ever so slight bricking. Opened for an hour. Vanilla, floral notes, earth, grass. A beautifully aged wine without any rough edges. Core of cabernet fruit with notes of vanilla, cocoa, leather. Amazingly smooth finish. In a perfect place now.
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Very pleasant to drink. Ruby, tons of tobacco on the nose, and a pleasant taste of sweet & tart black cherry with an aftertaste of almonds. It still has a strong structure with good acidity, but everything is nicely integrated. Needs some decanting (~1.5 hour). It’s totally cool to drink now but with its structure it can go for many more years. Nice and honest wine
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This was a great bottle! Birth year wine for daughter ("it's good"). Cork was fine, decanted 2 hours, it has an open nose of cassis, black plum, earth / loam, and mint. Some spice, stone, and cigar peek through as well. Great balance and fully resolved. Maybe it was closed/dumb when I gave it 90 pts. eleven years ago! Now-2022.
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Still a youngster. Decanted 2 hours and it needed it. Blackberry, cassis, cedar, tobacco and earth on the nose and similar flavors. Started out a little acidic, but smoothed out with time. Long lingering finish with smooth tannins and a hint of earth and tobacco. Very good now, but has years ahead of it.
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2nite this wine was more balanced than the last time I tasted. It still a big cab with lots of tannins, however it drank very nicely paired with veal shank...
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California BYOB #8: brown/red color. Surprisingly developed with some oxidative notes. Mature nose with cedar, wet leafs, mushrooms, bay leafs and damp cellar. Calm, smooth and slim mouthfeel, low on fruit, slightly dry. 1 BV.
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750ml. Give this a little time to open up and show itself. Left in glass for 30 minutes and improved over the next 30 minutes- no decanter. Everything improved: nose, complexity, fruit, balance, finish. Wonderfully complex. Well balanced with nuance to remain very interesting. Showing age but drinking very well. Approaching the downward trend, if not there already.
A much better bottle compared to my previous one. Flavors of currant and cassis, mingling with menthol, tobacco and green herbs, which grew more noticeable as it opened up, with a little molasses sneaking in on the finish. Still firm and juicy, it was nonetheless mellow and silky. A very nice older Montelena that obviously came from a vintage resulting in bigger wines.
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Allowed to breathe in glass 1 hour before tasting. Clear deep dark inky garnet color. Classic Napa cab bouquet of black cherries, blackberries, black currants and their liqueurs, eucalyptus, sandalwood, bourbon vanilla, forest floor, fennel, mocha, baking spices. Similar on the palate, excellent structure, balance, full body. However this seemed a bit lackluster compared to a previous bottle a few years ago.
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My last 750, and after significant bottle variation it was nice to finish with a winner. Good dark fruit on the open and with air it improved a bit more. Enjoyable, but would be drinking now. A-
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Château Montelena Vertical: This is a warm nose with great soil influence in the rustic red berry fruit. Mild brett, but mostly nice mineral soil. Underneath there is lush blackberry and currant fruit. On the palate this has delicious black and blue fruit with some pleasant sweetness and a pronounced texture. This is drinking like it is at its peak development and expression, and is terrific right now, but based on this bottle uncertain as to longevity from here.
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After a great bottle late last year, I opened one that was DOA, and then another that was reasonable at open and better after an hour in the decanter - but short of the bottle from last year (all from the same case). Not that I have much left, but expecting some bottle variation as I drink this up. B+/A- for the second bottle.
At 20 years this wine is now starting to show itself. Not flashy. Just wonderfully structured with nice edges. Earth, dark fruits, pencil and tobacco. With a nice balance of citrus running throughout.
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Stunning, tobacco, some old oak, well integrated, hazelnut, coffee grounds; I loved the elegance, silky smooth, very Bordeaux like, beautiful. 10 years on dinner at Conrads.
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Vinetasters: Montelena (1987-2003) (Skokie, IL): My 2nd, group's 9th. Served double blind. Smells like a slightly younger example again, probably from the 90s. The palate's fruit isn't as prominent here and there is great balance with the structural elements -- more so than many of the other wines. This isn't the most dense nor powerful of the wines, but everything seems to sit in the middle of the road. One of my favourites tonight.
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Two hour decant. Light ruby color. No particular signs of age other than lightness. Nose very much plum and black cherry, and that eucalyptus. Palate has tar, plum, black fruit. I think Graves here a bit. Relatively light and soft on the palate, tannins very much softened. Really nice. Lovely. Drink, I feel this is down from here.
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I have to say I am a French/Italian snob. With an occasional Oregon Pinot noir tossed in for giggles. Most high end California Cabernets leave me cold, flat, bored, and ready to catch the next train home. Like a bad conversation with an ignorant drunk who is not aware he is either.
The ‘97 Montelena Estate, however... easy company all the way. Friendly, very well knit and understated. No sharp or rough edges. The crappy Chinese food threatened to overwhelm it... but we solved that problem by tossing it in the rubbish and focusing on the delicious redness... hints of roast meats, sharp acidity, pine tar and slight eucalyptus... grapefruit. Tamari. Papaya and creole sauce. Big raspberry bouquet.
When it works, it works, which is why we best check our prejudices at the door, in wine and nearly all other matters. I am the lucky owner of one more bottle of this tastiness, and I am perfectly comfortable drinking my way through more urgent cellar matters before cracking it.
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Tasted blind in a flight of 1997 new world Cabs and blends. The supposed headliner was my 7/10. Started with black fruit on the nose that quickly got hidden by far too much Brett and none of the power and intensity of a half bottle and full bottle I had a few years ago. Palate was also weak and bretty. My review seems to concur with a few recent others. There is bottle variation due to storage, aging, or manufacture. I’ve personally found Montelenas to age rather inconsistently.
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This is an outstanding Montelena from an excellent vintage year. Drinking at its best, gracefully aged and possibly the most Bordeaux-like Napa Cabernet I have tasted. Opened for 2 hours and drunk for anniversary dinner, it did not disappoint. I'm sure it would happily have lasted another 5-10 years.
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Not as good as prior bottles. PnP and drank over 2 hrs. Cherries, eucalyptus, cherry cough medicine, and heavy old barn, forest floor and musty notes. Significant bricking on the edges that I don't remember from prior bottles.
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Drank from 375 ml bottle. Dark red; black cherry, blackberry, dark chocolate on the nose; very classic Montelena. Fine tannins balanced by great flavour intensity; great acidity and again all in balance; still has many years to go. Try again in five years.
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Popped and poured. Finally in the zone, this wine is drinking really well right now. All enjoyed - probably the wine of the night. Should hold for a while. Glad I stayed with this one all these years. A-
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Deep, dark reddish-purple garnet in color with very slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & dark currants with classic cigar box overtones of cedar & tobacco, leather, some floral & herbal notes, loam, earthy/dusty, coffee grounds & dark cocoa, minerals, spices & a slight hint of mint in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, plush & seamless, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & cassis with cocoa, herbs, minerals, earthy, spices &, toasty oak in the background. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but even at 20 years of age, it should continue with its present plateau of development for several years longer if cellared properly although any further development may be minimal. The cork was crumbly upon opening but fill was mid-neck.
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An exquisite cabernet. A great vintage from a supreme wine maker. After 20 years this wine marches on, although I believe it's time to enjoy the fruits of patience and fine cellaring. I double decanted and filtered for sediment and found quite a bit. But that posed no problem with the overall experience. Deep garnet and purple with a nice rich mouthfeel. Not a long finish, but softer than I would have expected. I also found that about 2 hours was needed after decanting, indeed indicating the time necessary for the complex flavors to develop fully. Although lacking somewhat in tannic structure at this point, it is still a great, full bodied and amply structured cabernet. I will enjoy it as it is my last '97 Montelena Reserve Cabernet. I rate it a solid 92 points. Cheers!
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Drinking beautifully, in its prime. Outstanding Cabernet exhibiting the classic aroma and flavor characteristics associated with top flight Napa Cabernets. Beautiful balance of rich, dark fruit, anise, soft tannins, and acidity. Not showing any signs of diminishing fruit. Try again in 3 or 4 years. Paired perfectly with prime beef fillet with cabernet wine reduction.
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From Magnum, served blind against a Magnum of 1995 Mission Haut Brion. Half the table got it wrong which one the Bordeaux was. I spotted this easily as California for its sweetness in the mid palate and for the aromatic profile with more scorched earth. I have to say though, having visited Napa six month during a Robert Parker Master Class, I had a bit of an advantage due to extensive, recent memory. A very convincing Chateau Montelena, albeit a bit too sweet for my palate. Score higher if you don't mind that. What a great, Judgement of Paris style, comparison my friend staged here.
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Decanted an hour this showed really well. Smooth, balanced, nice finish. Fruit still there but mellow and nice with food but also stands well on its own. In a great spot right now. A-/A
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Perfect fill and cork. Popped and poured. Needs about 30 minutes of air, but drinking very well and very good with food. Solid wine that seems to be in as good a place as I can remember, and holding up well - but I would start drinking up. A-
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Allowed to breathe in glass 2 hours before tasting. Clear deep dark garnet - blood red. Classic bouquet of black cherries, black currants, boysenberries, and their liqueurs; nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, cedar chips, lilacs, roses. Initially there were some notes of asphalt, coffee, and savory soy sauce, but these blew off after a few hours. On the palate, this was beautifully balanced with generous ripe fruit along with polished tannins and acidity providing great structure; seamless, elegant, with full body, long finish. Improved with extended aeration, held up fine under vacuum stopper in refrigerator, showed best on day four.
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.
Similar notes as before but just not the same wow factor as bottle 1. Cork shattered again, requiring surgery and filtering. True to CM Estate standards, this was still delicious. Went well with grilled flank steak.
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The last bottle of these - I lingered over the last bit. This wine is so elegant and expressive, and so aged Bordeaux-like in character. Soft aromatics of leather and pipe tobacco with an undercurrent of cassis. Not what I think of as a Napa nose. Soft, smooth and round in the mouth - black currant, smoke and leather. Perfectly integrated tannins. A wonderful experience - happy to share it with friends.
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PnP. Cork shattered on open. After some surgery and a makeshift Durand, cork was out and we were rockin. 14% AC according to the bottle. No bricking even though this is now almost 20 yrs old. A bit of must on open that quickly blew off. Nose and palate were consistent with each other, scorched earth, charcoal, forrest floor, bing cherries with a nicely integrated hint of oak. Black olives showed up every now and then. Tannins were gone. This went quickly and seamlessly. A great bottle of wine...and a nice mix up from the typical over extracted Napa wines I really like. I hope the others I have are just as good.
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Drank first night back from Bayfield. Really nice over two nights; balance, nose, fruit, finish. Right down the middle of the fairway flavor-wise. Not sure this will get any better, so why wait, but not going anywhere either. Enjoy.
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Non-Blind Very Nice Reds (St. Genevieve): I'm marking this flawed due to brett, even though it was still quite enjoyable. An old school California cabernet that has more in common with Bordeaux than most current napa cab. Even with the brett, I could give this 92+ easy.
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Rich, delicious, full-bodied black cherry fruit, raisony flavors, chewy, muscular, excellent structure, ample tannins, slightly short finish, front palate drinking, flavor profile was a little eccentric
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Celebrated my 74th birthday at Chambar with friends who are wine producers and connoisseurs from Austria, Italy, London and Boston. This magnum was enjoyed by all. I consider this my best bottle yet. Quite Bordeaux in style yet with ample California fruit remaining. Exceptional nose with noticeable anise and cassis on the palate. Quite elegant. 97
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It amazes me reading through other's tasting notes on this wine and the fundamental lack of understanding of what they're tasting. This wine contains Brett. Like it, love it, or hate it, it's one off the textbook characteristics of this estate from this era. They purged and bleached their cellars not long after. Too bad...
Decanted one hour- I type this while drinking a bottle in a small restaurant in Tahoe that was bestowed with this, and other back vintages, by the owner of the estate. Providence of the wine is spectacular. It's just now starting to blossom. Fruit is still the driving force and the Brett is adding the "funk" and barnyard it's known for. It's not an overwhelming presence, but more of an accessory. (Like a diamond solitare necklace on a buxom blonde.) Stop focusing on the necklace!
Sweet black currents, earthy loam, damp underbrush, and hints of vanilla still whispering. Great harmony can be found here with a long finish where the black currants transition to crunchy red. Impressive acidity for what's otherwise considered a very ripe vintage losing steam. Not THIS bottle. Not THIS day.
The perennial Cali Cab drinker is probably best to leave this alone. This is not your wheelhouse nor flavor profile. Bordeaux drinkers looking for a ringer to bring to your next brown bag- this is for you. You'll have em guessing 2000 left bank.
Poured by Alex Yan and served with a Bison Steak-thank you Alex for a terrific evening of food and wine, nose of cabernet, cassis, and a touch of wood, more of the same on the palate, already decanted for an hour and it opened slowly but steadily, big body, one dimensional but tasty and superbly paired with the Bison Steak, long, long finish.
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corked all alcohol and vinegar taste musky smell waited 3 hours hoping it might open, but nope. I have a second hopefully not corked going to give it a month.
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Decanted 1 hour. Poured nice and dark with a little bricking on the edges.
Certainly a bit funky on the nose. The muskiness never really blew off over the 3 hours we were drinking this. Full body, caramel tones. I would say this tasted like a second growth Bordeaux with its minerality.
I believe this bottle was flawed. After 3 hours it had massive mint, eucalyptus, and spearmint notes that dominated the experience. It also had an off flavor on the finish.
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Dark, murky red-purple color. Cork fell apart. Intense and savory nose, tar, graphite oil, eucalyptus leaf, bay leaf, olives, cherry, spearmint. Medium tannin, medium-low acidity. On arrival, deep burned cherry and spearmint, medium intensity. Medium finish, a little disappointing. Kept this in the glass for several hours and it never budged towards shut-down or a more full release. Bottle #2 of two.
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Grilled a steak with my son and opened the third bottle of a case. Beautiful dark garnet color, with a complex Napa nose. All tannins are dissolved and the wine is smooth as silk... delicious. We talked about how good the wine was... and what makes a perfect wine. I'd scored my first bottle 92, the 2nd 94, now this one at 96. That tells you that, as with all Montelenas, their wines age beautifully... older is better. Maybe it deserves a better score... maybe next bottle?
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[Decanted for 30 minutes.] Amy liked this so much when I opened one for the tasting on Thursday that I opened another for our anniversary dinner. Smokin' right out of the bottle. Dark black fruit. The essence of Napa Cab. Juicy, ripe. A great wine with a long future still ahead.
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WCC 1990s California Cabernet Blind Tasting (Dorato's Resturant, Guilderland, NY): [Double decanted for 2 hours at 4:30.] Tasted non-blind after 1 hour in decanter: Nose of tar, licorice and black fruit. Intensely structured on the palate. Riveting finish lasts for minutes. Simply amazing wine. Still very young. As part of the blind tasting: Muted black fruit nose. Juicy red fruit in the mouth. Complex, but still very young. Licorice in the finish. Should continue to improve for 5-10 years.
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Decanted 1 hour. Big yet restrained, acidity just starting to give way. Lots of exotic coffee bean and graphite. Great mouthfeel, high quality red currant fruit, straddling between youth and maturity, but the overall package has at least 8-10 more years of development. Drink now-2028.
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4/16/15 Outstanding wine - not even sure it has reached its full potential. Probably good for another 10/15 years. Needed to decant almost 5 hours before fully opening up. Best with food - lamb chops?
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Dinner at Commander's Palace. Great California Cabernet. Dark berries on the nose. Great Purity of Cassis fruit, nice minerality - full bodied but not heavy with a beautiful long finish. WOTN was a 90 Montrose but this stood up very well. 95+ points
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one of my all time favorites. Been drinking for a number of years. Alas, this was my last bottle. Still had structure to last a few more years. About as good as an 18 year old Napa Cab could be. Sorry to see this one go.
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The cork crumbled on this bottle. We decanted it as there was a bit of funk initially. The wine improved over the next couple hours and the left over was better the next day. the wine is showing its age, but was nice once the funk blew off. I don't se improvement with further age.
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My first return to this wine in 7-8 years. Though still a very good cab that is aging well (and will for quite a while longer) and has much going for it, it seems to have lost the excitement that pleased me so much more a number of years ago. Still vibrant and well balanced but seems to have lost the layered complexities of its younger years. Perhaps it is time to wait on my remaining couple bottles of my case for the wine's next stage - hopefully similar to what some of the better 70s Montelenas turned into.
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A Christmas Limerick (It sucks to waste 325 bucks) A magnum of Estate Montelena Would go great with my Navidad cena, But my guests' hopes were humbled, When the rotten cork crumbled, And the skunked wine went right down the drain-a.
This is a outstanding wine. Beautiful aroma on the nose, medium to full-bodied with long finish. Cherries on the mid-palate with a hint of graphite on the finish. I made the mistake of serving this too soon after opening, but after an hour or so in the glass the wine really came on strong. Decant this for a few hours. It is so compelling to drink a California Cabernet of this age and quality. Gorgeous.
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jordgubbar , kola och cassis är mina anteckningar. Vid vin nr 7 börjar min skärpa försvinna och jag blandar ihop dofter, är ganska säker på att detta är ett Bolgheri-vin med massa cab i och att det har en ålder. Helt ok gissning kan jag tycka i efterhand. väldigt gott och alltid kul att prova äldre napa-cab.
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Blind, and had as a new world (Cali.?) cab. Nose showed some herbs, sweet dark fruit, with typical Cabernet Sauvignon profile. Alcohol heat, some unpleasant glue, acetone and solvent. (Not the fine Piemontese Nebbiolo type of glue and acetone, but much more industrial and chemical) On the palate this feels slightly unbalanced, but still fine taste of cassis, black currant, darker fruit, with alcohol heat and high viscosity. Rather mature, with a medium finish. Not completely in balance, with the alcohol taking overhand. (88 – 90 P)
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Purchased 2 six packs on release and have had two prior to this one. Still bright ruby with only the slightest browning on the edge. The nose has developed the musty dark fruit nose that makes Montelena worth the weight. The wine is round, soft and complex. I'd say there is no hurry here and you have a beautiful wine to look forward to.
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decanted one hour (big chunk!). out of the gate, a sweet, ripe black-fruited nose, in no way candied or cooked, just pure black berry & the blackest cherry, followed by minerally iron & soil aroma; med+ weight, not nearly as viscous as some of its vintage brethren, balanced palate feel; restrained yet purely fruited on tasting, really pliant & seamless, showing a cherry & currant elixir profile, subtle iron ore & totally smooth & integrated tannins. one of the best examples of this bottle & showing well.
grilled 2" ribeye on wild-foraged oyster mushrooms w/shallots & thyme; garlicky escarole w/grilled corno di toro peppers & sherry vinegar
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Brought to dinner with the So FL crowd in Aventura Decanted for about 1 hr. Elegant in a very nice spot, plenty of fruit with some tertiary aromas. Didn't take notes but this was a 96+ wine
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Decanted 45 minutes. This is very good, and a nice wine with food. Not sure it will every reach some of the lofty scores, but overall a fine wine an possible it will improve a bit. A-
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this particular bottle--my last--had faded a lot. Brick red, some gritty sediment, sharp acid dominated what fruit was left. Last year's bottle fared much better.
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this bottle was not decanted but it was allowed to stand open for a while. The cork was in decent shape and there was no sign of TCA. The wine was mature but very polished and quite enjoyable.
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Rich, full bodied and intense, with polished tannins, lift, purity of fruit and freshness, the wine moves from blackberry to dark cherry and back to black fruits again in the finish. This is good now and will keep getting better with age.
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Balance, intensity, complexity, purity and length. This bottle of 97 Montelena is the best I’ve had yet. Just now coming into a drinking window, it will last another decade at least. Did not decant. It needed about two hours to open up. The nose opened up at about three hours. Gosh this is good. May be the best ever Montelena. 96 points!
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Wine was properly stored from purchase upon release at the winery. Good color. Extremely well balanced. Fruit upon opening. Becomes dark berries and cherries, plums, peaches, with a touch of mango and citrus. Perfume adds to the mix. Honey, vanilla. Dark Cherries are dominant. Lovely bouquet, layers, full of fruit. Tannin is resolved, luscious mouth feel. Mouthwatering.
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Great wine drinking very well, a little bricking, but has years left. Saddle leather and gravel on the nose at opening. Let sit open 3 plus hours before drinking. Plummy fruit emerged with the earthier elements taking a back seat. Not as dry as I had expected, beautiful length with a medium-full body. A fantastic bottle of wine!
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Opened a 375ml to accompany our Christmas dinner. It was just me and Mrs Haggis today, as our daughters decided to stay on the mainland rather than enjoy the tropical bliss, not to mention our company )). Yes, we did drink other wines, so it was not just this little bottle, ok? Wow...this is in such a good place now. Some slight bricking, but great color. Loads of plum, earth, leather, herbs, and that little bit of tart acidity to pull things together. Very Bordeaux-like, as are many Montelenas. I imagine that this is about peak for these 375's, but that 750's still have the bulk to age nicely for at least another 7-10 yrs. but, why wait? Delicious.
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San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 11/9/2013 (Nine-Ten Restaurant, La Jolla, California): Decanted 30 minutes before tasting. Clear dark garnet. Glorious bouquet of blackberries, black cherries, black currant liqueur, toast, cloves, espresso, nutmeg, cocoa, forest floor. Similar on the palate, full body, rich and generous, excellent balance and structure, with long finish. Seaquam and I agreed that this was more open and mature than the 1991 Heitz MV. Cheers to SD-Wineaux for my #1 tonight. My first experience with this wine, glad I have some in the cellar.
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11/9/13 Pure cassis with anise on the nose; beautiful dark fruit up front with velvety texture; more cassis and anise on the mid-palate; finishing with great balance and soft tannins. Remarkably youthful. Should drink well for many more years.
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Still in its youth, this had a strong tannic backbone and will be stellar for at least another decade. Intense, well-balanced fruit/tannin/acid, with a medium-long finish. Matched great with filet and Wagyu hangar steak, and blew away an '01 Mouton at the dinner.
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Football & Domestic Cabs @ Howard's 2013 (Old Greenwich, CT): This was an odd wine, in that is showed depth, elegance and a complex, Bordeaux-like character early on. Dried herbs, leather and well-resolved tannins. When I revisited it later in the night it seemed to have deteriorated quite a bit. Not rated.
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Old & Rare CA Cabs: Lovely darker mixed berries, sweet pipe tobacco, wet earth, dried herbs, dried cassis; medium body, lower tannins, medium acidity, fine dry more ample tannins that the '85 or '84, but less tertiary notes and more straight forward. Slightly less complex and darker. Good but without the class and complexity of the '85. 90-91
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Yet another wonderful bottle of the '97 Estate Cab. I love this wine. I did think that my other bottle was even better but still a great wine, hitting its stride after 16 years. This wine is perfect from the nose to the fruit and tannins in beautiful balance to the long finish.
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Excellent. I believe this is at it's peak. There is time - but it is not going to get any better than it is showing now (unless you just like a real old tasting wine). I have been guilty of holding wines too long just to say/know that I still had one from that vintage in the cellar. Not anymore. At this point on my wine journey, I like wine that has settled down and is more in balance, but yet that still retains a little of its youthful spunk, fruit and character - before it turns into just another old wine that used to be good. This is the PERFECT window to consume this vintage of this wine IMHO.
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Double decanted 2 hours before, this was drinking well and right there with the 97 Catena as the best of the group. Enjoyable, but still short of the lofty scores on release for my palate. A-
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Not quite as good as out of a magnum but still fantastic. Amazing nose right out of the bottle with a deep red color. Nice mix of fruit and aged character as well. This estate is my favorite and this vintage is well worth seeking out specifically. You can't go wrong. With cult Napa cabs fetching $500 and up a bottle, Montelena Estate at $125 or less is a great value for what you get.
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Tasted non blind with dinner. Opened and served immediately.
Dark garnet color in the glass, fairly clear looking. Nose of Kirsch, sandalwood, pepper and currants. Flavors of black cherries, currants, plums and berries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold. No rush. Might even improve a little more in bottle.
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BLACK CHERRIES, CURRANTS, LEATHER, AND CHOCOLATE IN THE NOSE WITH BLACKCURRANTS, BLACKBERRIES, AND LICORICE IN THE FLAVOR. ELEGANT WINE WITH NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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Daughter is returning to the UK next weekend, so I thought I would bring out the 'big guns'. For a 16 years old wine, it looks superb in the glass. Virtually no visible signs of aging. Its dark, almost impenetrable to the eye. On the nose, signs of age are evident. Raisins are apparent, but still very pleasing. On the palette, lead pencil, black autumn fruits with a hint of white pepper and cinnamon. Pleasing and well balanced.
In my humble opinion, past its prime. This was my last bottle of a case. If you have these in your cellar, go get em!!!
:0)
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Decanted roughly 1 hour and consumed over the following 2 hours. Virtually black red-garnet color with only a hint of maturing at the rim. An exhuberant nose of crushed berries, tar, tobacco, baking spice, leather, and cedar almost explodes from the glass. The fragrance filled the room almost from the moment the cork was pulled. Interestingly the aroma didn't change over the course of two hours. On the palate the wine is densely fruited yet beautifully balanced. The tannins are a bit more forward than expected but they are ripe. All in all the wine is almost succulent on the palate yet elegant. The finish is very long and never looses balance. Superb.
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Drinking beautifully right now, no decant required. Reminiscent of a smokey Saint Estephe or a very good Bordeaux Superior. I normally rate wine solely on its own, but this bottle amplified the smoked meats we ate and made the meal. I tend to think the 1997 Montelena could be on its way down, because a certain complexity of flavors was missing, so would drink additional bottles by the end of 2013.
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Fruit was rich without being "jammy". Tannins well integrated. Showing the balance and fullness of maturity. Not a show-stopper, but a very nice bottle. Expensive for what it is, however. From magnum.
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WCC 1997 California Cabernet Blind Tasting (Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY): [Doubled decanted around 5pm. Drunk around 9pm.] Smoky black fruit nose. Stunning in the mouth. Like most of the other wines in this tasting, this has rich smooth black fruit and a long finish, but this one takes up another notch. An ethereal quality that I can't quite put my finger on and an expansiveness in the mouth. My WOTN. Kinda nice that it turned out to be the wine I brought (and that I have more!).
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Dark color, nose opened up after about an hour. This is rich and concentrated, but needs an hour in the decanter to open. It shows well, but there is a hint of drying tannin at the back end. A-/?
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I was expecting more from this wine. It seems like it has already peaked. I bought these as futures and they have been well kept in my cellar, but when I visited the Chateau in December 2012 they suggested I drink up. I agree.
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Dark ruby red; rich nose of red currant, cherry, red raspberry, light cedar and dark choc/coffee; rich mouthfeel, ripe red cherry, raspberry fruit and pomegranate,currants, soft cedar tannins; in between primary fruit and final tertiary flavors-- an awkward "teenager" will make great old bones
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This was an incredible bottle. The fruit was solid but fully integrated with solid tannins, but extremely smooth and balanced. This is what you get when you wait. Yummy!
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Wafting aromas of deep black fruit as soon as the cork is pulled and as the wine is decanted. Pop and pour: Deep ruby colored; nose of black cherry, sour cherry, some blackcurrant, slight cola; palate is full bodied, ripe but structured tannins that still taste a bit young, some juicy black fruits but the fruits seem somewhat hidden right now; finish is medium length. This is an exceptional wine already, and I've opened it up three hours before our event based on others' notes to allow for substantial decanting time. At this stage, the wine still tastes young but approachable. 95-96 30 minutes: The aromas waft out of the glass and pleasantly hit my nose. It's quite incredible. 3.5 hr decant: The nose has picked up more of a brambly quality (almost like an aromatic burgundy) that adds complexity; the palate continues to have big tannins, now more balanced by primary black fruit and transitioning into a medium-long finish. This is very young and has a long life ahead. 96.
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Must must let this open in the glass. Opened. Decanted after an hour and still was a bit closed. After pouring and letting it sit a bit, it blossomed I to a truly terrific wine. Some graphite, earthy and smoother by the minute.
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Opaque purple color, hard to get much of a nose on this wine. Balanced, good acidity, moderate tannins, medium body, makes back sides of mouth pucker, decent finish.
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This took some coaxing. At three hours decanting and just a few degrees above cellar temperature, it was nothing special. As it warmed and opened, it became a gorgeous Bordeaux-like wine. Very masculine in flavor profile but with an elegant, balanced feel and a very pleasing band of red fruit. Lovely. Far from the standard Napa cabernet.
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At Bouchon Beverly Hills for T birthday: good but too tart; decanted 2 hours mellowed out somewhat but still needs time in bottle. Have a bunch of .375s, looking forward to see progression over the years, hopefully will get better.
Decanted and poured after about 30 mins. Terrific nose with earthy and floral tones blending nicely. Early tasting was a bit hollow-a bit tannic and leathery without a lot of fruit. Filled in very well over time, almost to the point wher the fruit was a little too strong. Look forward to drinking more over the next couple of years.
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Opened a .375 split of the 1997 Montelena that I had purchased upon release. This bottle was over the hill. After an hour, it was not very good. It just tasted over the hill but not corked. The color was like a wine twice its age. Not sure what happened on this bottle. Cork was perfect and tight and it was stored perfectly. I hope my remaining 750's are still good.
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I have not always been the biggest fan of Montelena. While the wines are always well made, for my palate, they have been lacking in character. Popped and poured at the end of the night, I was blown away by the quality of this wine! Everything about it rocked starting with the deep color. The pungent aromatics packed with cassis, earth, tobacco and truffle were a pleasure to experience. But the thick, plush, palate coating texture was where the fireworks took off. The wine has great intensity, purity, complexity and length, and it's still young! This is the vintage to buy of Montelena. If it was this good just popped and poured, with time and air, this is a serious Cabernet Sauvignon for the cellar.
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(From magnum) This wine is a bit perplexing. The nose at this juncture shows obvious brett, which put some tasters off. The palate remains forbiddingly tannic...doesn't help when the format is a magnum. There is a core of excellent and elegant fruit. But the wine is closed down and the tannins rule. There is a nice pencil lead element to this wine. To me, it shows quite Bdx-like for a Napa wine. Some others at the table felt the 1997 Karl Lawrence served beside it was more Bdx-like...this mystified me, as I found the KL to be unmistakably, unabashedly 100% California cabernet (with super-ripe fruit roaring from the glass...not sure what Bdx that would resemble other than Pavie...). Anyhow, back to the Montelena - as it remained in the glass, it did begin to open up somewhat...just a little...so if you are going to disturb this wine, a good decant is recommended. But frankly, this wine could use a lot more cellar time. I just hope the brett does not get worse...it does seem to have come to the front more over the years with this wine.
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Magnum Madness (Salade de Fruits): From magnum. This was shy and somewhat bretty on the nose with a musty profile giving hints of red fruits and spice. On the palate the fruit seemed muted although the structure was fully out to play with firm tannins dominating. It did open up a tad after 30min in the glass showing some nice red and cherry fruit and more Bordeaux-like notes, but ultimately this needs more time, especially in magnum. Judgment reserved.
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Beautiful and drinking at is prime. Shows an almost European elegance but with still a core of the classic Napa Cabernet character. Opened at the WA Wine Auction.
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Decanted roughly 3 hours and consumed over 2 hours. Virtually opaque red-garnet color. The nose is best described, to my nose, as sumptuous - loaded with rich cassis, tea, tobacco, herbs, and red clay so deep and heady that I just want to bury my face in it. The fragrance kept that pace throughout the evening. On the palate the wine is deep and intensely fruited, yet still moderately tannic and the balance is impeccable. This wine is hitting on all cylinders right now and if it gains complexity with more age it will be truly profound! Purchased from the winery on release and stored in my cellar since then.
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Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Good aromatics start with nuanced elements including plum, cassis, espresso, licorice, mint and mushroom. A bit simpler and straightforward on the palate, but well balanced and very easy to enjoy. Plenty of life going forward. Roughly an equal number of tasters thought this Old World as New World.
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Chicago Disorderly Afternoon (Phil's House): Lovely bottle with dark fruit, cedar and smoke on the nose. The palate is powerful and balanced with violets, dark fruit, spices, and truffle tones. This has a lot of life left - no rush drinking this baby.
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initially tight with a fair bit of Iodine smell, and the palate, even at 15 years was a bit tighter than i expected. It settled down quickly with about 45 minutes of air time and was classic Montelena, cassis, black cherry and well-integrated tannins. A really nice, well-balanced wine. Next time decant it for 45 minutes (there was also a fair bit of sediment).
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From magnum. Unfortunately back to the inconsistency of previous bottles. This had 2 hours to open up, but still showed lean and just off in general. It certainly has plenty of structure, but the fruit just seems off with odd aromas and thin overall. Unlike any other vintage of their wine, here have been a couple of good ones, but also a couple of not so good ones as I have tasted through this vintage on Montelena. Is it just in need of a lot of time? B+/?
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By chance, a re-match with QC, this time a 99 bottle. This time did not use the decanter but drank from the bottle after 1 hour of opening. We drank mostly QC first as that wine opened up sooner. The 97 needed about 1.5 hours before fully opened, still very young and powerful, this one will last for many more years. This round I would say a draw as both were excellent with the QC more elegant and Montelena more powerful.
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Was expecting better, seems to have peaked abruptly since my last bottle. Had with steak, decanted for about an hour. Perhaps it just wasn't in a good stage right now. Will try another in 6 months or so.
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First of a case. Opened, decanted (not too much sediment), aerated and drank with a grilled steak. The aeration softened the slight edge, and the wine opened up as an outstanding Montelena. And, as a typical Montelena, it will only get better with age. Drink or save. 94 points.
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Hadn't sampled a cab in quite a while. Paired with T-bones. Purple in color with some bricking at the edges. Decanted for about an hour. From the get-go the nose exuded lovely smells of cassis, red currants, camphor, pine forest, cedar. Wonderfully balanced on the palate with excellent structure underlying layers of currant fruit, plum, menthol, and a bit of soy. Acidity was just right, providing verve and energy. Sweet grip and moderate, fine-grained tannins on the long, plum-infused finish. This wine is in a beautiful place right now, with years of pleasurable drinking ahead.
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Last of my bottles. Took 3 hours to really open up in decanter and glass. Starting to lighten just a little in colour. The nose was muted at first, but then violet and chocolate. Really smooth, medium-full bodied. Tannins mostly gone. Nice last bottle.
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This gem was generously provided to our Vintage Wines, Ltd. Friday tasting group by Mike Christensen. It was tasted in double-blind fashion, and "wowed" from the get-go. The robe is deep-to-opaque garnet and the complex nose is full-throttle, with aromas of plums, cocoa, sage, mint and pickling spice. Full-bodied on the palate, with low-to-medium acidity and medium residual tannins. The flavors are complex and mirror the nose. The solid middle leads to a smooth finish which goes on and on (and on). Stunning now, but with the right elements to age gracefully. Drink now-12/25.
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To celebrate our 14th....opened in bottle for 3hrs, then took to dinner. This wine is in such PERFECT balance right now, it is simply amazing. Still dark purple color, with bottle coating sediment. Silky smooth tannins, rich and pure dark berry fruit(currants,plum,black cherry), warm earth, cigar box, leather, dried tobacco spice. The rich fruit gives it away as Cali...but it is so well balanced and silky that you would be second guessing 1st growth. Should age even longer, but SO good right now!
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Drank alongside '96 Montelena. I slightly preferred style of 96, Bob the reverse. This was more classic Cali cab, with bright, clean fruit. A wonderful wine, I just liked the BDX style of the '96 a bit better.
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Drank as 3rd bottle of the night as a last minute decision, about 30min in the bottle and started pouring. Normally would be a great pleasure to drink this but it was after the 98 Quilceda Creek which was performing so well tonight it outshined the Montelena, a pity. Still, very well balanced body with soft tannins and nose of complex black fruit + floral.
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Upon opening, muted chocolate flavors. However, after 24 hours of breathing in the bottle, huge chocolate flavors. Very well structure and complex finish.
Let this one breathe.
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Drank with Gutting. Had a few other '97s as well. This one just got off the plane with me so it was a little shook up. Not show a lot right now. Probably could have used more airtime. Secondary flavors are just starting to peek through. My last bottle will remain sleeping.
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14.0% alcohol. Still extremely youthful, with a dark red-purple color. Terrific nose of brooding black fruit, leather, earth, and tobacco. In the mouth, a powerful wine that nevertheless retains a sense of restraint, allowing each element of the flavor profile to show in its place. A cool-fruited Cabernet, with wonderful earthiness and spice intermingling with high-toned tobacco and spice notes. Strongly structured on the back end. This is just a baby. More time needed, but it's a winner all around. A-/A
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This is a great wine but difficult to decribe - at first the wine was a little hot but afetr 20 minutes it came togheter quit nicely. The word for me is Black - taste and color with a sense of soy souce. It end it tasting great and balance. Score ..mmm 92 to 94
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cork broke on extraction. just filtered and decanted over 2-3 hrs. Never really showed much fruit, though had god structure and very smotth feeling. Left me kinda feeling eh......perhaps not the best example.
Drank from Magnum, purchased direct from the winery and stored under perfect conditions. I agree with rdfech. This wine is past it's prime. Pleasant but not much body or fruit.
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Wow!! This wine was ridiculous. I've had some Montelena cab reserve's in the past, but this one was on another level. It was new world fruit forward with tantalizing raspberry and blackcurrant with an old world peppery finish that cut right through your olfactory taste buds. This wine was absurdly good and had an unbelievable finish. I have tasted some great wines in my days. This is in the top 10.
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From magnum. Incredibly youthful, full of primary cassis and dark berried fruit tinged with gentle tobacco, cedar and herbal notes. There's a sense of restraint and finesse here I rarely find in Napa Cabernet with outstanding balance, depth and the stuffing and structure to age a long time.
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Cab's at the Capital Grille (Minneapolis): This wine has it all. great nose of earth, a bit of funk, floral elements, cassis, black fruits abound, impeccable balance of fruit, acid, tannins, layer upon layer reveals itself, very complex and pure joy. Very long finish. 95-96pts. My WOTN.
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Cabs at Capital Grill (Minneapolis): Nose: Incredible, inky, orchid nose with black fruits. Palate: Black fruits with dense inky qualities. Unreal depth and my WOTN.
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No detailed note, but a terrific combination of complex nose, smoothe palate and lingering finish. Still plenty of life left but I doubt this will get much better.
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This wine was close to perfect. The nose was pure aged Cab and the taste lingered forever in your mouth. This wine was drunk from a magnum, which may have helped a little.
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From memory, this bottle was rockin'! Fantastic earthy and cassis driven on the nose, multi-dimensional cabernet, dark fruit flavors, earthy, plums, truffles and cassis. Long, deep, great finish. Open for business but should drink well for a long time. Only sad note is that this was my only bottle.
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i've never been a montelena fan, but this was a good bottle of this vintage, which i will attribute to superb bottle prep by the campanile somm. it's still a bit harsh for my desires in a napa cab. if this were a 96, i'd cut it some slack. still too young you say? of course you do.
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Decanted 3 hours. Very tight and closed down when first opened, the wine opened up to a wonderfully complex Cabernet with moderate fruit notes, firm tannins and a long finish. This wine has many good years left but is drinking very well now after two or three hours in the decanter.
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Such a beauty. The 1997 Montelena Estate Cab is still going strong. Very dark with only the slightest hue change towards the edge. On the nose the wine is dramatic and complex displaying eucalyptus (ala Heitz Martha's) cassis, licorice, gravel, and thankfully last, the oak which sits so nicely in the background. One of the reasons I opened this was that I was told most of the Napa cabs from 1997 were starting to unwind and even fall apart. That may be true of others but the Montelena has hardly reached middle age, yet to exhibit much of the tobacco I know this is hiding for now. The tannins are soft and beautiful but what is really holding it all together is the beautifully integrated backbone of acid. Another ten years and I think all the elements here will intertwine into near perfection and finally be able to display everything it has to offer. At least five years from peaking.
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I decanted 2 hours 15 minutes, but the wine did not begin to open significantly until 3 more hours in the glass. Drank it in a side-by-side with a 1994 Ch. Montelena Estate. Wish I had decanted the 1997 at least 5+ hours, as it began to show its elegance. At that point, the softer 1994 began to fall apart.
As far as taste, very similar to the 1994 but a little more muted and austere (Pronounced vanilla and cherries. Moderate tannins. Beautfully structured.)
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Incredible balance, this is still a fabulous wine. Should be good for another year or two and perhaps more. Still lots of flavor, especially anise and black cherry. Wish I had more of this. The wine looks Garnet colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Cherry, and Mushroom. The body is Medium/Full. The wine is textured Polished. The wine finishes Long.
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Deep cranberry-blueberry color tinged with purple. Initially very bitter and acidic, this showed best after 2 hours in the decanter. Lots of fine sediment that required filtering. Earthy, mineral nose. Simple and very fruity palate. Plenty of acidity, considerable smooth but bitter tannins, very warm alcohol. Although the refined Montelena style shone through just a bit, this never lost its bitter edge. Possible upside in 4 to 6 years, but I won't buy more at the current price.
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The wine was allowed to breathe for 2 hours, but did not decant. Color displays slight rust around the edges, indicating some maturity. The nose is subtle, but classic Cali cab. Dark berries, cassis, a hint of spice, leather. I think this wine is absolutely humming. The tannins have relaxed to reveal a wonderful cabernet with a subtle hint of bordeaux terroir. I detected some mocha, a hint of oak. The acidity is balanced, the mouthfeel is smooth. Delicious.
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This began with spice box, black cherry and smokey aromatics. Soft, elegant and full bodied, the wine seemed like it was still holding a lot in reserve.
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Decanted for 4 hours and tasted at a dinner party with super rich foods and amazing wines - I am hoping the Montelena is still in its slumber b/c it tasted disjointed, no bordeaux taste that older Montelenas from the early 90s still taste like. The 97s were supposed to be monsters, and if the early and mid 90 Monties still taste amazing, this guy must still not be ready to open yet. Needs a few more years still.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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"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.
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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
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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.
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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).
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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-
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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A drop dead stunning Cabernet. Delightfully supple, complex and layered, this is intense while caressing, with mouth watering pure currant, blackberry, tar, pain grille, and some subtle bell pepper. The fruit is powerful and potent, yet graceful and refined. This blew my mind. – JD98
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Classic style California cab. Opened for about an hour. A bit disjointed at first -- tannic, somewhat green, cedar box and tobacco. Really came together over time -- bell pepper, earthy, Bordeaux-like profile. Smooth finish and even the wife enjoyed it.
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'80s and '90s California Cab Tasting w/ Bob Macdonald (Our House): A faint whiff of brett on the nose that quickly blew off. On the palate this is concentrated and ripe yet also slightly herbal, with dark fruit flavors, smoke, minerals, and coffee/espresso that build to a medium finish wrapped in oak. This has plenty of intensity but seems to lack freshness and energy. Very good but disappointing relative to expectations.
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Decanted 1 hour. Very dark color. Nose had blackberry and currant. Flavor was Amazing! Tons of dark fruit on the taste with a finish that went on forever! An absolute treat.
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Pre-Nuptial Eve Get Together (Wink Wine Bar): If they still make them like this in CA, I don't know where. It's a funky wine, and an extremely tannic one. With another few years, this could surely be mistaken for Bordeaux in blind tastings (if not already). This has cassis and cherry in spades with some cedar plank and tons of dusty earth on the palate. Finish is a monster and although this is drinking exceptionally well right now, I am convinced it'll be better in 5 years and can hold for substantially longer than that.
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1994 and 1997 California Cabernet Retrospective (Chicago, IL): Roasted coffee notes and red fruit undertones. Sort of a hybrid of classic and modern styling. Ripe fruit. Fine, but resolving tannins, but still quite bright and vibrant. Well balanced. Rated 18/20.
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(2) Drank at Atlas for our anniversary. Popped and decanted for sediment (of which there was only a little). Drank over about two hours. The wine was very tight and tannic with little fruit. It opened up a little, but not much, over the two hours.
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outstanding. Somewhat reticent nose, but very full, rich, well defined mouth of tar and currants and dark cherires and pepper and earth. Nice, length with good extraction. A real pleasure. No sign of decline, and very nice now.
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Still quite dark for 12 years old. Overall an excellent example of Napa. Fruit is still present but nicely integrated. Wonderful Bordeaux nose. Somewhat more medium bodied with the depth I had hoped for. With such a mature nose and still plenty of fruit I expect this to do well for quite some time and perhaps improve some over the next few years.
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Popped, decanted quickly, and immediately poured and consumed.
Very good, but also needs more time. Perhaps a lot more time. I wouldn't touch another for at least three, and possibly as much as five years. Should easily still be in good shape in 2020.
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Very Bordeaux nose. Earth and dark, black fruits with some chocolate and lots of t and a. Mouthcoating tannins and a long finish. A touch alcoholic for my taste, not as balanced as earlier bottles I've had.
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Nose: eucalyptus, mint, black cherry, and red currant. Palate: Slightly austere entry, but nice bordeaux like fruit accompanies the nuances. Black berries, sweet tobacco, and graphite in the midpalate with leather and dry brush showing through. Finish: bright cherry, good acidity and mint/eucalyptus showing. Soil/earth develops as it finishes and tobacco becomes more prominent. This has been plateaued for a while. Great bottle.
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I only give a 90 or better to wines I would buy again. The Montelena, I would not considering the hype and the cost. Cassis yes, bell pepper yes, but to us and Matt Heinz, Prime 112's sommelier, an uninspiring wine. A real disappointment. Deanted for 1/2 hour at home, and consumed over 1-1/2 hours at Prime.
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This wine is drinking great...I had this bottle once b/f upon release and was HOT! The alcohol burn has now subsided and the wine with just ~20 mins of aeration had a beautiful bouquet, an attack that was lush, with a smooth finish. Bravo!
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This wine is special. Has it for a birthday dinner at Market and it did not disappoint. Aged and structured perfectly. My first time experiencing a Chateau Montelana Estate and I want more. Wow!
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An excellent bottle at Steve C's in an evening featuring several other 97's. This was well balanced elegant and did not display any harshness or green notes. One of the better bottles from this producer which in many other vintages seldom seems to live up to it's reputation ( a 1999 tonight was very ordinary and uninspiring)
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August 2008 at Bud Starr's St. Louis Tasting (Bud Starr's -- Clayton, Missouri): The nose is a bit strange here – a Christmas candy note mixed with dark chocolate and a piney, resinous, greenish quality that, for me, wasn’t especially appealing. On the palate, disappointingly monolithic. The acidity is disjointed here. Simple. There was nothing wrong with the bottle -- maybe it was consumed too young but, really, it's hard to be generous here. And, I generally like Montelena.
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From 375ml - Very earthy, with great fruit and tons of depth. This didn't blow the doors off as much as prior bottles, but was another fantastic showing for one of the greatest Cal cabs of the last 15 years, nonetheless.
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Well, this was nice... Opened from the cellar about an hour before the meal, and it was tannic. Sampled at 20 minutes, then 40 minutes. At 40 minutes, seemed to be opening up, so sealed it and threw it into the cellar.
At meal time, nice brick color, tannins mostly under control, very nice, but still a bit tight.
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From 375 ml. Fully ready to drink but will last quite a while. Nicely balanced Napa cab with good depth of flavor. Little in the way of secondary aromas in bouquet, and i doubt that will change.
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This wine was tasted next to a Phelps Insignia. This wine was not as rich, color was lighter with subtle change around the edge. Tannins remain but are quite mellow.
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An exellent California Cab drinking very well. Nice up-front dark cherry fruit with a long cherry and chocolate finish. This wine should be drinking well for many more years.
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EWG does California Cabernets ('74, '90, '91, '97, '99, '00, '05): I have vague memories of this wine. It did not make a great impression. Likely this bottle needed more time. It showed pretty tight and wound up. Hints were all we got. A previous CT note showed I had the same wine in 3/97 from a passive cellar (someone's closet) and the wine showed it's potential. Good things to come. I would hold another 5 yrs before checking in again.
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I've had this from both Magnum and 750 in the past month, and I'm struggling with what it will be. Primary, dark color. Nice California nose - ripe but not too much. The problem is on the palate this wine is not rich in the sense of the best '97s (or the '92) - but it is also less classic Montelena. It honestly comes accross as a bit thin - not bad, but an in-between wine that I just can't place right now. Even after a few hours it does not really open up. Not sure what to do with it, other than trust Montelena and give it some time. Although tannins are soft and it can be drunk now, I would much rather drink the 96 or 95. B+?
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Decanted for 1 1/2 hours before consuming. Nice solid performance with leather and fruit tastes. Medium body in the mouth. Great combination with Steaks off the grill.
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Showing well. Still primary, but very good depth, and very well balanced. Nice nose, superb length, oak is non-existent in taste, but supporting in structure.
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Under performed, but is still a fine wine. I got no sense of place from this wine like I usually get with Montelena. Some toast and medium weight fruit, a bit shorter than many of the '97's we had.
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Dissapointed again by this wine (2nd time in a row) -- very thin, herbal and lean, with dissapearing fruit and finish. At its best, only about an 85. Unfortunate that this wine continues to be either an 80 or a 97, and I seem to be searching for the latter lately.
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Enjoyed a magnum of the '97 with family at this year's Thanksgiving feast. Decanted approximately 45 minutes. Superb at first sip, but grew in leaps and bounds as it opened. Robust, dark-color, lingered in the mouth. Full-bodied and probably would have been better with beef or lamb, but in this setting and with loved ones enjoying, it was all we could have asked.
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Tasted November 14, 2007 at an offline. Opened and served immediately. Dark purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Tight nose giving way to some notes of saddle soap, black berries, leather and maybe some white pepper notes towards the end. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and some bitters on the finish. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full body. Drink now with a decant or continue to hold. This wine continues to be all over the place for me. Not sure where it is headed.
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Decanted 1 hr before serving. Great fruit, smoky in the nose. Soft tannins, still young. Will wait awhile before trying it again. Still has some room to improve with time.
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Tasted September 14, 2007. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Started slowly revealing notes of leather that gave way to floral elements and a mix of dark fruits. Flavors of rich mixed berries and cherries. Medium acidity, integrated tannins, medium to full body. Drink now with a short decant or maybe hold.
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Classic deep Montelena. Similar to prior tastings--outstanding and solid. This Montelena has been interesting recently--sometimes a miss, but usually a hit. Reserved fruit, but not like an aged Bordeaux. Very good wine, but difficult to describe a consistent style from this winery--at least for me.
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Dark purple in the glass, and a muted nose for the first half hour. Tannins still there but becoming smoother. Dark fruits, smoke, some spice notes. Full-bodied. Very enjoyable. Consumed with Nancy & guest Jim Carter over grilled strip steaks, grilled sweet potato, tomato & mozzarella, arugula salad, grilled peaches over vanilla ice cream.
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Had a small taste when I first opened the bottle, completely muted. Decanted for one hour and had with steaks. Superb! Balanced acidity and fruit, lilac notes on the nose with peppers, spices, and black fruit in the mouth.
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Gorgeous complex nose of black fruits, sweet tobacco, leather, green bell pepper, dusty cedar spice. Young and concentrated in the mouth....smooth and pure currant, plum, black cherry fruit; waves of complex Bordeaux-like flavors...leather, dried tobacco, fresh basil, earth spice, cigar box. Long long finish, still firm tannins to age for years and years. Fantastic wine!
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Wineflock - Montelena Vertical (My House): Group #4, My #2 - Full opaque black red color. Big forward black fruit nose with notes of green pepper. Big black round fruit with coffee notes. Still youthful with plenty of structure, but drinking right in its window.
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Second wine of the night at Pat's going away party. Enjoyed from a magnum at Del Frisco's in NY. Decanted for a half hour. Initially the wine tasted musty, but it quickly opened up in the glass and revealed deep black fruit and and firm tannins. Was full bodied, as expected, and wonderfully complex. Awesome.
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Tasted in London at an offline with BirDungy. Best after around 45 minutes of decanting. Surprisingly Bordeaux-like, some guesses were “1st or 2nd growth from ’95 or ‘96”. Not your prototypical bursting-at-the-seams-with-ripeness ’97 Napa cab. It is very focused and well-defined, quite muscular and dynamic. Perhaps lacking some richness, but not lacking depth. Still has many years of life left, and will probably improve further with an additional 3-5 years of cellaring.
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Drinking extremely well, from a passive cellar inside a closet. Surprisingly advanced and open. Wonderful notes of cedar, cassis, tobacco, etc... Silky and long on the finish. Tannins were very tame and smooth. Certainly the passive cellar played a role in this wines advancement. Nonetheless, a great wine experience.
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Strangely, this is the only bottle on Montelena I have ever bought. You know, I read all of the good press on these, but I have never pulled the trigger. I did not take formal notes, but I can still remember where I was and when and who I drank this bottle with, and enjoying it to the last drop. My barely legible scribble reads ripe, deep, and smooth.
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Tasted double blind. This one had me scratching my head initially. It did not resemble anything I would have associated with California. At first I didn't even have a clue on the varietal character, but slowly figured it was cab-based. My problem was the substantial restraint that was still operative, which didn't seem like it could possibly be associated with a New World wine. I subsequently learned that it had been open for 3 hours, so I can't use that as an excuse either. This had a pure vein of Napa fruit in it but it was so tightly cloaked as to disguise it completely from my immediate apprehension. There was a slight herbaceous streak. I guessed Super Tuscan '99 like Solaia. Oops I did it again. Going strong and in no need of immediate consumption.
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From Magnum at Smith & Wollensky, Miami. big nose and fully open at first pour. Did not require decanting. Spicy, complex, great color, good body, wonderful finish. I was suprised at the level of maturity. If this was a representative bottle I would consider drinking up over the next 5 years.
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This wine is so beautiful, so complex and so wonderful that I can not easily describe it. Rich, round and quite elegant it has notes of blueberry, blackberry, acacia, cherries, vanilla leather, earth, chocolate and spice. Did I leave anything out? Undoubtedly. Tannins are still powerfully perfect, spreading across the palate not unlike a top Pauillac. Sadly, I have no more in my cellar.
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This wine was showing very well tonight, better than a bottle a few months ago. Very Bordeaux nose, without the vegetation. Nice smooth black currant and red raspberry overtones, and refined tannins. This is aging well, but drink up?
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Tasted October 14, 2006 at win’s 40th birthday party. Served blind in a Riedel restaurant series Bordeaux wine glass. Bag labeled as “Buckeyes”. Dark purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Dusty nose, that is about it. Pretty flat fruitwise on the palate. Good acidity but mouth puckering tannins. Medium bodied. I hope this is the 2001 Charles Shaw because if it isn’t then it is the 1997 Montelena. COMMENTS: I believe the cork on the wine was removed and reinserted about 8 hours before tasting. I’m hoping it simply died over that time or maybe provenance of this bottle is questionable because I have 4 botttles of this in the cellar.
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Blind Birthday Tasting (Win's House - Texas): Wine was opened and recorked 8 hours previously. This wine caused the biggest range of mixed reviews of the tasting—I thought it was very smooth, yet had dusty aromas that I found very favorable. I was one of the few that liked this wine. (Buckeyes)
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Not ready yet. tight. Not as tasty as the dominus/dunns of this vintage. very heavy, dense. closed red/blk fruit, blk licorice? some herbaceous (pine, eucalyptus) notes but, this bottle, my first Monty, was far less interesting and less tasty than the fairly simple but luscious 97 insignia, to let alone dominus.
ah, this is what Cabernet is a about. such a nose with cassias, black currant, some hints of tobacco, herbs. perfectly balances, although a little tight. tons of fruits with a long finish. Of course it is extremely young for a Montelena, but surprisingly drinkable at this early stage. destined for greatness in another decade.
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Shows as before. Not sure, but I still think that this wine will round out some in the next few years; become more "old cab" and less "full, round cab"...
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This wine almost seems to offer up something different every time I try it. Always great, it was open for business when first released, then closed up in all formats and has only really reemerged in 375. 750s are still tight, in need of another 5-10 years, but are so distinguished that they will be well worth the wait. In an evening with the likes of 82 Cos, 97 Pahlemeyer and 71 Latour this was either WOTN in its current state, or at least damn close to it. So happy to have more of this wine; wish I had purchased even more on release. Complexity in a California cabernet? This has it in spades. An awesome wine that can give any wine in the world a run for its money. What a great example of California cab!
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Drank on the back patio with friends...excellent fruit qualities and mid-palate just beginning the road to maturity. I look for much bigger things from this in the future.
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This wine is a bit perplexing. Color is dark garnet/purple. Nose shows cassis, eucalyptus, smoke, earth, and oak. On the palate, dark berry notes are at the fore with cassis, spice, mint, earth, and oak rounding out the flavors. Definitely a profound California Cabernet, but it lacks some balance at this point. Still quite tannic and the acidity, while appreciated, seems a little too pronounced. I think, however, that this should settle down very nicely with time.
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(From 375) This wine changed a significant amount during the first 2 hours of it being opened. It started tight and focues, turned into over-the-hill, super-ripe, stewed fruit, and eventually settled in-between, with good fruit, not too ripe, with excellent length and good acidity and balance. Fruit tastes of dark plums and black cherries, with pepper and oak notes. I'd like to see some of the more typical, cabernet notes (graphite, earth, etc.) and think that this might round out this wine a bit.
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1997 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley The Montelena Estate WIML89.WA98,WS95 Tasted double blind on February 11, 2006 at an offline. Opened and served immediately in a Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glass. Band aid nose does not bode well for this wine (others said it blew off towards the end of the evening). Red cherries and red licorice on the palate. Definitely California CS, 1999 vintage is likely. NOTE: I was disappointed when I saw this wine unwrapped. Not a good showing in my opinion.
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This wine had a nice flavor profile but was highly tannic with a slight green streak. Hopefully it's still young and needs more time. A nice wine in good shape but definitely not in the WOW category for my palate. [$$; Decanted and poured; it improved with airtime so a longer decant might help]
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On the nose, obvious brett. Not that I mind, but it is surely there. For me, gives this wine an old-world feel. The girlfriend tasted it and guessed France, tasting the brett also. Finally showing hints of development. But all-in-all a baby still. Fierce tannins. This will go decades. Nicer with a couple hours air and intense swirling.
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Brett on the nose? Beyond that, fairly typical Cali Cab nose of currant and cedar. Bits of new leather couch. On the palate much better. Tightly wound - I would wait at least 3 years before expecting a change. Primary red fruits - some roasted strawberry, raspberry, hints of cherry pie. Some grassy notes. Drunk from magnum.
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Dinner club at Steve & Barb's house. Dark ruby. Dark ruby, this is probably the best thing I can say about this bottle. Extremely harsh wood tannins and barely any fruit. Completely unbalanced and a major disappointment. My views were shared by the 3 other experienced palates at the table. Bad bottle? It clearly wasn't corked and was in Steve's cellar since release so it should have been ok. Very alarming bottle. 50+8+6+5+5 = 74
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Thick, rich, concentrated and opulent. Reminds of the 91 Montelena, but younger. Very youthful, but can easily be enjoyed today, or cellared for 20 or more years
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Chateau Montelena vertical (1973-2002) (Bellevue, WA): The nose shows vanilla, volatile acidity and some blueberry, latex and hints of horse. The palate is just too sweet, overripe, lacking the backbone and focus of most other vintages. Group average 91.7 pts.
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Not a formal note - consummd at a biz dinner in Sante Fe. Tight, very tight. Underlying substance to last many years. Dominated by tannin. Wait 3 years at least on this one.
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Can't give this wine a points rating right now, becuase I can't read what lies within. This is the first of my 97 Montelena's I've opened. It's closed down. Tannins are huge, but the wine is green. This needs to sit down for quite a while. Hopefully, the tannins will drop out and the wine will shine. No TCA present (considering the current hoopla by the press).
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From 375, very tight now. It was pretty expressive on the nose (much more so than a '99 Montelena consumed this past weekend) but the tannins dominated on the palate. It is one of those wines where you know the material is there, even if you had never sampled the wine before now. The palate is dense, but the fruit is in hiding. This wine is not in a stage where I prefer to waste bottles by drinking now. So the rest go out of reach for several years.
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the biggest disappoinntment of the night for me. i have a fair amount of this wine, and i'm bummed because i really disliked it. (i know, i know, somebody will take it off my hands ) i'm praying it was closed, or lacked decanting. feedback on this? i mean this was showing nothing.
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awesome buquet! Huge body, touches of oak, berry, nuts and chocolate, finsih lasted 30 seconds. Could not believe how well this wine held up, awesome with beed tenderloin.
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Superb tasting of Ch. Montelena and Dominus 87, 90, 91, 94 & 97 (London, UK): Deep purple. A superb nose of raspberries, boysenberries, cassis and bramble. Lovely plush finish, tannins there but beautifully integrated, nicely sweet with a fleshy mouthfeel but excellent acidity and great length. 95+ points now. Can only get better.
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Decanted for an hour before consumption at Beaujolais in Banff. Color is dark purple and impenetrable. Surprisingly reticent. Scent of mocha, blackberries and vanilla cream peak out finding a lush mouthfeel and silky tannins. Overall, this is a bit subdued when compared to the 94 Phelps Backus that preceded. Still though, the potential is there and I find this bottle to be relatively closed compared to the last one I had 2 years ago. Very enjoyable.
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Red Carpet: Huge nose of fruit, mineral, wood; earthy, blue, strawb., cherries; bark & cedar; very complex, shrooms, loives; med.+bod, earth/frt mth, well-bal, tiny sour fin. in a good way.
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Super dark with no signs of age. Massive nose of chocolate, black fruit, and smoke. Lush, creamy mouthfeel. Impeccable balance with lively tannins that continued to integrate as the wine sat in the decanter. Wow. Blackberry, cocao, candied raspberry, cassis, and licorice. Little to no secondary characteristics but has the structure and balance to last and last and last. Awesome wine.
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Tasted at vertical Chateau Montelena tasting at the home of Amy Weinberg. Opaque ruby/purple robe with a purple rim, appearing very youthful. Clean nose, showing earth, raspberry, cassis and creamy vanilla. Full-bodied on the palate and sporting massive sweet tannins, the flavors are similar to the nose and lead to a long, smooth finish.
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Not the Full Monty, but the half Monty-lena. Recently opened a 375 ml of '97 Montelena. Decanted for 2 hours: Nose of cherries, plums, blackforest cake and earth. On the palate, focused ripe red fruits and cassis with a hint of tart cherry. Tannic right now. More elegant than bold at this stage with a long, long finish. With food (aged porterhouse) the tannins are tamed. As the evening wore on (at hour 3) the fruit gets sweeter in the glass. This one has a LONG life ahead (to confirm the obvious). Unless you've got lots, don't bother it...let it sleep.
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4/22/2024 - ShakenNotStirred Likes this wine: 96 Points
A wonderful wine. Stewed fruits, spices, very nice balance drinking very well. Enjoyed every sip. And here is the interesting part. I had bought my first Coravin at the end 0f 2015 when I was desperately looking for something that would preserve my wine, so I did not have to drink the entire, or most of the, bottle. As a test I sampled several wines in early 2016 (I did not record the dates) using Coravin and put them away to taste after a year. And they all tasted great, one to two years later. Except I buried this one back in my very small cellar and forgot about it and did not notice it until a few days ago when I was re-organizing. I had poured half in 2016 and today had the other half. Wow.
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1/24/2024 - Nothung Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted about an hour before drinking. Opened up nicely in the glass. In a great place. A classic, wonderful Montelena. No rush but don’t think it will get any better with more age.
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1/10/2024 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dinner at Foliage (San Francisco): Pretty nose with dark fruit, black cherries, a bit of spices, leather, cedar, and underwood. Good acidity on the palate with similar flavor profile. Nice finish. A lovely wine that is drinking really well. It's youthful and has a lot of fruit left, yet there's a tertiary character that is starting to emerge.
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1/10/2024 - aagrawal wrote: 95 Points
Dinner with Herwig (Foliage, SF): Deep ruby, excellent color; blackberry, good complexity, some bell pepper; complex palate but with a bitterness on the midpalate which I don’t recall from last bottles. 92
1 hour later: opening up with air. Really fantastic, closer to my last bottle. 95
Day 2: Still lovely! This has held up nicely, which combined with the airtime it needed yesterday to get going suggests it has more time ahead of it for drinking. Unfortunately my last bottle though.
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12/25/2023 - Scottlmatthews Likes this wine: 97 Points
Nose of crushed currants and blackberries with minerals in damp soil of lush forest floor, cigar cedar box. Palate is dark cherries, black berries
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12/24/2023 - Abanker Likes this wine:
Still very good
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11/27/2023 - Montesquieu wrote: 91 Points
On downward slope. Drink sooner rather than later.
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11/16/2023 - Bob H wrote:
Really liking this - I would call this mature, but not in any danger whatsoever of a decline.
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10/28/2023 - vindaddy Likes this wine: 98 Points
Just an absolute beautiful wine. Drinking every bit of 98+ points. Beautiful berry, cherry fruit, earth, kirsh with just a hint of cranberry. The most amazing part of this wine is the perfection of balance. So smooth and the Tannins resolved. The perfect example of why you want to have a cellar.
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10/23/2023 - Javachip Likes this wine: 93 Points
Allowed to breathe in glass 1 hour. Clear deep dark garnet. Notes of mixed black fruits and their liqueurs; damp earth, pipe tobacco, sage, bay leaf, cardamom, hints of dried meat and teriyaki. Full body, seamless, nice balance. Outstanding.
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9/5/2023 - Nothung Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking really well right now, but starting on the downward slope of its peak drinking plateau. Drink up. A beautiful Cali cab.
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8/9/2023 - Buddy318 Likes this wine: 94 Points
94+
Still great. Not sure it will get to 2036 but should be good for the next 3-4 years at least. 7 bottles down, 17 to go….
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8/2/2023 - bhouk wrote:
Fantastic stuff, savory salts, black fruit, fennel. It is still a vigorous wine but fully mature and possibly at a point where drinking in the near term, over the next few years, is a safe approach. Of the 8 left I feel like 7 need to be consumed within the next 3 or 4 years, maybe — maybe — holding one back to see if it’s a 40 year wine.
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7/1/2023 - Wine Canuck wrote: 95 Points
An Epic Summer Wine Weekend - Year 2; 6/30/2023-7/2/2023 (Muskoka, Ontario, Canada): [From Magnum] This pours medium to dark ruby in the glass with light bricking. The nose is just rocking from first pour. Aromas are of sweet cedar, eucalyptus, sweet pipe tobacco, ripe plum, ripe dark cherry, and earthy wet soil. The palate enters on the deep and rich fruit of the nose with sleek medium minus velvety tannin and medium minus acid. The finish is long replaying much of the nose. Everything an old world leaning wine drinker wants a Napa Cab to be, yet still remaining true to the ripe climate. I don't think I'd quite blind this as Bordeaux, but its clearly going to appeal to traditionalists. Drinking fabulously right now with steak, and not going anywhere. Just a wonderful showing.
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6/17/2023 - gharter Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 2 hours and it needed it. Strangely, this one threw nearly no sediment. Drinking as a beautifully mature Cabernet. Black fruits, tobacco, cassis, leather, earth, and a hint of herbal on the nose. Similar flavors with more blackberry, earth, leather dominating. Very soft tannins in the long silky finish. Will easily go at least another decade +. Everything I expect in a mature Montelena.
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6/11/2023 - R Z Likes this wine: 96 Points
Spectacular California cabernet, fully integrated oak, black cherry, black raspberry, velvet finish, at the divine intersection of youthful and mature. Purchased on release, stored until recently in temperature controlled storage. Decanted and enjoyed with a magnificent dry-aged bone-in strip steak from Pino's Prime Meats on Sullivan Street, shiitake mushrooms and fresh sugar snap peas.
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5/3/2023 - gharter wrote: flawed
corked, sadly
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4/27/2023 - Bdgpomerol@msn.com Likes this wine: 98 Points
Took two hours to open open. Went from Brussel Sprouts herbal notes to a classic California Cab at it’s peak.
Gorgeous!! Balanced world class. Great length. Elegant.
Beat vintage ever of Montelena!
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4/12/2023 - mchern02 wrote: 95 Points
2 Hour Decant - drank next to the'09. Absolutely great!
Bordeaux-like nose with bright dark red and blue fruit, graphite shavings, tobacco, and mint. The palate is dense and inviting, with great length, acidity, and texture with bright dark fruit. Long finish which tickles the tongue. In the window but no rush with good provenance. Likely for me the best Montelena of last 25 years. 94-95
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4/3/2023 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 96 Points
Pnp'd tableside for tonight's tasting......a bit balsamic to start but over the course of 3-4 hours this hits a sweet spot that really shows why it's one of the world's great wines. Guessed Bdx by many at the table. Leather and mushroom, orange rind, balanced acidity, resolved tannins, a touch of raisin to the fruit that moves into younger territory with more air time. Make no mistake.....if you drink this one early on, it tastes much older and scores much lower, maybe a 92? But if given 3-4 hours of air, it deepens......it gains layers of class, etc. Hence, my score. What a beautiful, classy Old Napa wine!
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4/3/2023 - brigcampbell wrote:
Blind. I thought this was a brunello along with the behringer. It's dark food in a hint of sweetness very fine tannins with a nice acid base for a very balanced wine. The color is shockingly dark for the age. Excellent wine.
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3/27/2023 - Joelene wrote: 94 Points
Drinking really well. Beautiful wine in a good place, will no doubt continue to show well for several years.
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2/11/2023 - bhouk wrote:
Dinner at McKendrick’s. Bone-in rib eye. Fantastic showing. Seems to be at peak. Savory, pencil shavings, rich leather, black fruits. Drinks like classed growth Bordeaux. Should be just fine for a few more years, but I don’t intend to press my luck.
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2/1/2023 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Well cared for bottle purchased on release. Just an hour of air (no decanter), but it showed very well from first sip. Silky on entry, but with just a bit of bite on the finish, it was easy to drink. Aromas showed more tobacco and cedar up front than I expected, but with cassis and black cherry emerging over time. Good acidity made for a fresh mouthfeel, and the fruit and cedar elements lingered long after each sip. Nothing overdone or overripe here. Classic Cabernet with a touch of extra richness from the vintage.
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12/27/2022 - lovemycab Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted and drank over a few hours. A little funky on the nose which blew off after an hour or so. Plenty of black currant, spice, leather and earth. Some sweetness on the palate as well. Good acidity, tannins resolved, but present.
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12/11/2022 - rmh66 wrote: 94 Points
PnP and followed for several hours. Beautiful mature tastes and smells of plums, red and black cherries, blackberries, leather, damp forest, earth, and a touch of barnyard. Good acidity, resolving but present tannins, long delicious finish. Medium-full body. What's great is the balance, power, and roundness against its mature notes. Dang, this is the way that wines should age.
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11/13/2022 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 94 Points
Coravin a good size glass. Needed time to open. Ate with Tri meat burger. Solid fruit, great palate and long finish. Can’t wait to finish the btl game n a couple of months. Drink
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11/6/2022 - aagrawal wrote: 96 Points
Lunch at Home (Fremont, CA): Fully mature with a lovely mint component, excellent minerality, balanced, long finish. 96
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10/7/2022 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic Cabernet nose of cassis, dark cherry, blackberry, and leather. The palate is really lovely with good balance and nice acidity along with sweet dark fruit, dark cherries, forest floor, and more leather notes. Long finish. Very good wine. Compared to the 97 Spottswoode from a few days ago, this was a bit prettier and more elegant, but maybe not quite as complex and powerful.
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9/6/2022 - ShadowIII Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic Napa cab, dark berry fruit, blackberry, currants, spice, tobacco notes, well integrated tannins, long finish, on a still youthful plateau, still has many years ahead
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8/7/2022 - PerryParkBordeaux wrote: 88 Points
Cork was definitely on life support. Typical color for 25 years. Got to admit, I opened this last bottle a few years too late. Still nice, traditional CM, but a little past its prime. Had with a filet and enjoyed this last of my 97's.
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6/27/2022 - colima wrote: 90 Points
missing
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3/20/2022 - capacious Likes this wine: 95 Points
25 years old, this is a beauty. Probably another 5 years if well stored, complex, evolved, lengthy, marvelous finish. Served to a Francophile friend blinded, loved the look on his face when we stripped the cover off. I enjoyed my first taste of Montelena with the gift of the 84 estate; glad I signed on as a Cellarmaster. Yes, I let that go, didn’t need that much every year as I got older, the same refrain, how much wine do I want to leave to my kids. But I’m sure glad I kept this one around a while.
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3/13/2022 - jimcopland wrote: 95 Points
Mature, balanced, integrated -- a far cry from when tasted at winery in 2006. Paradigm California Cab.
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3/3/2022 - gharter Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking as a beautifully mature Cabernet. Decanted 2 hours, throwing a lot of sediment. Black fruits, tobacco, cassis, leather, earth, and a hint of herbal on the nose. Similar flavors with more blackberry, earth, leather dominating. The tannins have softened in the long finish. Sitting well in its drinking window for at least another decade +.
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12/10/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Still going strong with its layers of ripe blackberries, herbs, tobacco leaf, and black cherries. Full-bodied, rich, round, and packed with fruit, this is a great showing that has at least another 15 or more years in the tank, if well stored.
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10/8/2021 - SimonG wrote: 92 Points
Farewell Patra (La Trompette, London): Ripe and rounded on the nose. Lovely. A richness on the mid palate too along with a sense of sun on terracotta tiles. Some mint too. A cool elegance alongside the warmth. ****
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10/4/2021 - mchern02 wrote: 94 Points
PnP
Ready to go with dark black fruit, cassis, nice soft earthiness, resolved tannins, gorgeous acidic structure and weight. Medium plus finish and just delicious. Great now and will hold for a while
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9/22/2021 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 97 Points
Celebrating our 24th anniv on 9-20-21...a wine I bought futures on when I knew this would be our wedding year wine. All bottles have been pretty much perfect! Glad I decanted at home before dinner, as I had a fight with the cork...it shredded into pieces as it was glued to the neck of the sediment caked bottle...should have used the Durand! Decanted, and brought to the restaurant...the wine was in amazing shape! So dark and youthful...silky smooth seamlessness...loaded with rich and pure dark berry fruits...SO integrated and extracted like an oozing chocolate brownie! Has wonderful dusty graphite dryness of tannins...plenty of structure for a long long life...amazing complexities of mint tobacco, herbs, walnut, rich mineral soil, leather, cigar box...went perfectly with an italian herb chimichurri grilled ribeye! Glad to see this wine still going strong as ever after 24yrs...just like us! Of course...always 97pts.
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9/12/2021 - kstoddard wrote:
Tired
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9/4/2021 - mkparker wrote:
unknown
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8/10/2021 - diffwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Okay, so this is/was a birth year wine and my first venture into truly aged wine. I somehow misplaced my ah-so and went with a waiters key, bad move as the cork crumbled in the middle. Managed to take it out with very little cork in the wine, so I decided to decant. It was delicious, I’d gladly have it again. It evolved over a few hours and had its stages.
Pnp- hour 2: quite a bit of bretty, barnyard funk. Was also more primary than I expected. Still plenty of punchy fruit. Tannins were definitely present but balanced.
Hour 2-3: kind of went into a dumb phase. There was still fruit and barnyard but the funk started to wear off. There was also a juicy blackberry/blueberry note in here, as well and some mint and herb. Super fresh. But that was about it.
Hour 3-5: this is when I think it was at the top. Slight funk but in a way I enjoyed it the most, although I love it to begin with. Tannins were present but even more resolved, acid kept me coming back for another sip once the minute + long finish ended. Here I also had a musty note that I couldn’t fully place but I would almost call it leather belt or dried suede on a shoe after rain?
It’s amazing that this is drinking this way after 24 years, and probably needs some more time borderline of being great, but in my amateur opinion not quite there.
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8/1/2021 - bhouk wrote:
Exudes pure class — sweet (red and black fruits), savory (soy sauce, earthy mushrooms) and long. Fully mature, going nowhere soon. Napa Cab Aristocracy and showing its pedigree.
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7/19/2021 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 98 Points
Flint, ash, deep raspberry flavors with blackberry, light earth and licorice. Lovely texture, perfect weight & balance and incredible structure. Can easily understand why this is considered a first growth of CA. Really drinking spot on after almost 25 years - extremely impressed.
p.s. pot roast
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5/4/2021 - Peech wrote: flawed
decanted for 2 hours before serving. Perhaps a hint of TCA, possibly decanted for too long. Pretty short on the palate at first.
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4/11/2021 - Urodoc4 Likes this wine: 92 Points
great fruit, wonderful color, drinking beautifully
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4/11/2021 - ShadowIII Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big wine, still has all its fruit, currants, dark berries, has not developed much in the way of secondary character, delicious, long finish, well integrated tannins, years to go
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3/27/2021 - kenv Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted around 6pm. Glorious nose of ripe red currants, chocolate, and spice. Juicy and tannic up front. Long finish of red fruit. Still quite young. Needs air.
10pm: Still intense and tight, but opens up beautifully with brisket. This brilliant wine should continue to improve for at least another decade, probably two.
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12/30/2020 - bigbass250 Likes this wine:
Having with penne pasta and red sauce, caprese salad, and some wonderful leftovers. I prefer more fruit forward but at almost 24 years young would not expect that.
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12/15/2020 - aagrawal wrote: 96 Points
Zoom tasting with the wine group - Bordeaux vs. Cali Cabs (Zoom): Medium-deep ruby with age-appropriate bricking; aromatic, forest floor initially with strong core of black fruit, slight minerality, capsicum, slight menthol, all elegantly restrained on the nose but with presence; palate is medium-full bodied with black fruits, minerals, slight tertiary forest floor, medium-plus acidity and great freshness, medium-plus alcohol (14%) but holds it very well without any heat, fruit driven but with plenty of non-fruit complexity and always feels composed rather than showy; finish is medium-long. 95-96
Day 2: The last half-glass held up well, maybe even improved.
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11/29/2020 - mchern02 wrote: 94 Points
2 hour decant
Mature left bank bdx nose with strong herbal and flower flavors, smoke, cassis, and minty tones. Great tension on the medium bodied palate with mature tannins, balanced acidity and young, lush and entirely attractive mature red fruit. Finish is long minus but perfectly suitable for this wine. Excellent juice and fully mature but with many years ahead of it.
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10/9/2020 - 83Vintage wrote: 93 Points
PnP. Aromatics consist of soy, dusty earth, dark figs as this continued to evolve on the palate at one point showing a slight juicy blackberry note but always remained balanced and focused, comfortable like an old glove. A refined Napa Cab in the beginning of its old age.
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9/1/2020 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Rich, delicious dark full-bodied black cherry fruit with earth and tobacco box flavors, excellent structure, slightly fading, wine seemed a little past its prime
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8/5/2020 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic structure with beautiful fruit. Pretty soft tannins, with some lovely earthy notes. Popped and drank. Started to fall a bit at the end.
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7/21/2020 - mchern02 wrote: flawed
Bad bottle erg....good replacement for manicewicz
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7/4/2020 - Burgundy Mitch Likes this wine:
At Mike S's for July 4th. Pretty much my WOTN besting a Schrader, a 2005 Laurent Clos St Denis, and another cab I'm blanking on. Now fully mature, resolved tannins, smooth as silk, easy drinking but a sneaky persistence on the finish and classic Montelena flavor profile. I've got 1 750 and 2 mags left and will find occasions in the next 5 years for the 750, 10 for the mags to drink.
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7/3/2020 - jlgnml wrote: 93 Points
Very good, smooth, dark crushed berries, long on the palate. Drink up.
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6/16/2020 - Ara Kafafian Likes this wine: 97 Points
From half bottle, pristine cork, deep ruby, slight bricked rim, complex nose of barn yard, mushrooms, cassis, tobacco, leather, anise, menthol, mocha. Spicy, peppery finish, still tannic. A monster that is at its peak drinking from half bottles. Will easily hold a decade. Incredibly well made.
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6/14/2020 - Stlrain0341 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Drinking beautifully right now but will last for much longer. Lots of violets, wonderfully balanced.
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3/30/2020 - werdna39 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Most perfumed bottle of wine I've ever opened (out of many, many). Couldn't get over the nose. Taste was dark fruit as many have noted, with a good balance of ripe tannin (no surprise from '97) and even a touch of acid. Delicious by itself -- pairing with food not necessary.
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2/9/2020 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
Once again this btl was stunning and delicious.
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1/11/2020 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes, and it followed the '94 Mondavi Reserve. The Montelena has slightly more bold and ripe black fruits than the Mondavi, which I liked and the finish was a little longer. Also nearly silky smooth. The is some sweet vanilla Oak in the background, along with dried herbs, some cedar and hints of graphite.
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12/24/2019 - dankrems wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 90 minutes. Old world style. Plum, cassis, baking spice, cedar and mint. Very good. Acidity still bright but tannins have mellowed. Wonderful wine
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11/10/2019 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Charleston V - the wooden anniversary; 11/6/2019-11/10/2019 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): Wine #1 in our blind. This was all fresh and fruity. Darker berries. A bit of sweetness. This came across as quite young. The balance in the wine seems to come from the tannin though which balances the fruit reasonably well. Drinking nicely. It's definitely new world fruit, but it has a more old world style to it.
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11/10/2019 - S1 wrote:
Charleston Offlineorama V; 11/7/2019-11/10/2019 (The Holy City): (blind) Muted and faded. Even as disappointing as that is, the wine still has lots of good qualities with some fruit and decent acid balance.
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11/4/2019 - 83Vintage wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 3+ hours. Starts with mature red fruits, spice, decaying flowers, soil, old mints left in your pocket, very elegant old school style, integrated tannins with that ever so faint mint note providing a freshness to the finish.
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10/26/2019 - rickym13 wrote: 95 Points
pop and pour and was great from the start. very well balance napa cab that drinks like old world bordx. plenty of fruit still left
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10/14/2019 - Som-Geo Likes this wine: 97 Points
Always a treat. Plumb, blackberry, baking spices and forest notes all in lovely balance. For the money an AMAZING Napa cab.
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9/29/2019 - levinml wrote: 95 Points
95 points again, same as last bottle a couple years ago. Drank with Dirkes at their house with rack of lamb. Really nice drinking as both cocktail and with chops, big nose upon opening, good, middle-of-fairway flavors (nothing exotic) and tannin soft without flabby prune textures. Not likely to get any better and maybe slightly on the downhill, so don't wait if you have it.
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9/20/2019 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
WX+ Meetup at The Marq with Brian Ball from Skipstone Vineyards (The Marq - Chicago, IL): Really showing nicely. Better than the '97 Mondavi Reserve tasted alongside. More elegant and more balance. Lighter bodied but enjoyable.
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9/2/2019 - gharter Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 4 hours and would not hesitate to go longer. Even better than the last bottle. Blackberry, cassis, anise, leather, earth, tobacco, and a hint of herbal all lead to a beatufull balanced wine with a long finish. Tannins are still there, but have really softened. Just really starting to hit its window. Should be amazing for another decade plus.
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9/1/2019 - springdrive wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Deep garnet. Deep, rich fruit, vegetal cabernet flavor. Spices, licorice. Started off bold and young, opened up and developed more elegantly over a couple hours. Definitely recommend 3 hour decanting or so at this time.
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8/29/2019 - mchern02 wrote: 96 Points
90 minute decant
Fantastic juice once again and consistent with recent prior note.
Youthful, vibrant, with red fruit, black licorice, smoke, and zest.
Fantastic body with old school balance and not too much power; very graceful.
Great length and tannins which make this a huge winner.
I love this wine from this vintage and it has many many years left but drinks very well right now
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8/16/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Drinking very nicely. Youngish and very well balanced. Fruit there but in balance. A bit of woodsy note. Drinking well.
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8/2/2019 - bhouk wrote:
Could very easily pass for a wine within its first decade of life. Black fruits and soy sauce framed by firm tannins. Had this with filets tonight—would be even better with lamb or ribeyes. Looking forward to following this over another decade or two.
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7/19/2019 - Som-Geo Likes this wine: 100 Points
Perfect, extraordinary Napa Valley Bordeaux blend at its best! Nose of blackberries, blueberries, baking spices, coffee/mocha and tobacco leaf, overtone of minerality throughout. Intoxicating to enjoy. Full bodied yet incredibly balanced on the palate, sweet tannins yet possessing layers upon layers of fruit and joy. Delightful finish that my friends commented lasted at least a minute. While always sad to kill one of these bottles, I'm thankful there was sufficient production that the 1997 is still available. Large format bottle best yet, a notch better than the 750ml's. Wow.
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7/18/2019 - KellerWine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Large format etched 3 liter bottle. Outstanding.
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7/2/2019 - mchern02 wrote: 95 Points
1 hour decant
Fantastic left bank Bordeaux nose with pencil shavings, black refined fruit, tobacco, menthol, and anise. Wonderful balanced structure and acidity with red jammy fruit shining through and great length. Quite an enjoyable finish with mature tannins that provide great grip.
Prime drinking window with room to continue to develop and soften.
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6/22/2019 - tomlee wrote: 98 Points
Ruby red in color. 14% ABV. Breathtaking nose of red fruits, leather, pencil shavings and cedar. Old school, rustic Cabernet Sauvignon. Powerful, lean and somewhat tannic. Concentrated and chewy. Dried cherries, currants, cassis and minerals on the palate. The finish is exceptionally long with a shroud of gritty tannins. This wine is the complete package. An iconic vintage for Montelena that rivals some of their classics from that era including the '87, '91 and '94. This will surely cruise to 30 years of age and I will keep the few bottles I have left to verify this.
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5/9/2019 - Chiarawine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good but perhaps not as good asI had expected Opened about one hour before dinner probably needed more time Still has plenty of body Had a bit of musty old wine smell on opening decided to eventually decant We enjoyed the bottle eventually over dinner. I have six more bottles of this wine so will try a longer period of opening prior to dinner
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4/21/2019 - andolini wrote: 98 Points
Superb. Dark ruby red, with ever so slight bricking. Opened for an hour. Vanilla, floral notes, earth, grass. A beautifully aged wine without any rough edges. Core of cabernet fruit with notes of vanilla, cocoa, leather. Amazingly smooth finish. In a perfect place now.
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4/20/2019 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
The nose and perfume said Cabernet, color dark, good body on the palate with that lingering sweetness to the finish. A great Btl with great food.
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4/12/2019 - martin_e Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very pleasant to drink. Ruby, tons of tobacco on the nose, and a pleasant taste of sweet & tart black cherry with an aftertaste of almonds. It still has a strong structure with good acidity, but everything is nicely integrated. Needs some decanting (~1.5 hour). It’s totally cool to drink now but with its structure it can go for many more years. Nice and honest wine
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2/22/2019 - WinoRick Likes this wine:
Drank with grilled and up against the 1997 Dominus. This was the favorite.
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12/25/2018 - Grinner wrote: 95 Points
This was a great bottle! Birth year wine for daughter ("it's good"). Cork was fine, decanted 2 hours, it has an open nose of cassis, black plum, earth / loam, and mint. Some spice, stone, and cigar peek through as well. Great balance and fully resolved. Maybe it was closed/dumb when I gave it 90 pts. eleven years ago! Now-2022.
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12/2/2018 - gharter Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still a youngster. Decanted 2 hours and it needed it. Blackberry, cassis, cedar, tobacco and earth on the nose and similar flavors. Started out a little acidic, but smoothed out with time. Long lingering finish with smooth tannins and a hint of earth and tobacco. Very good now, but has years ahead of it.
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10/20/2018 - wa2ofd Likes this wine: 93 Points
2nite this wine was more balanced than the last time I tasted. It still a big cab with lots of tannins, however it drank very nicely paired with veal shank...
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9/13/2018 - Markus IWC wrote: 91 Points
California BYOB #8: brown/red color. Surprisingly developed with some oxidative notes. Mature nose with cedar, wet leafs, mushrooms, bay leafs and damp cellar. Calm, smooth and slim mouthfeel, low on fruit, slightly dry. 1 BV.
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9/13/2018 - redknife Likes this wine: 94 Points
last bottle
brief decant
took to Ruth Chris with the group
Showed very nicely but we had a 1989 Ch Angelus that stole the night
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8/6/2018 - tmhouse wrote: 92 Points
750ml. Give this a little time to open up and show itself. Left in glass for 30 minutes and improved over the next 30 minutes- no decanter. Everything improved: nose, complexity, fruit, balance, finish. Wonderfully complex. Well balanced with nuance to remain very interesting. Showing age but drinking very well. Approaching the downward trend, if not there already.
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8/5/2018 - ChrisR Likes this wine: 93 Points
A much better bottle compared to my previous one. Flavors of currant and cassis, mingling with menthol, tobacco and green herbs, which grew more noticeable as it opened up, with a little molasses sneaking in on the finish. Still firm and juicy, it was nonetheless mellow and silky. A very nice older Montelena that obviously came from a vintage resulting in bigger wines.
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6/8/2018 - Javachip Likes this wine: 92 Points
Allowed to breathe in glass 1 hour before tasting. Clear deep dark inky garnet color. Classic Napa cab bouquet of black cherries, blackberries, black currants and their liqueurs, eucalyptus, sandalwood, bourbon vanilla, forest floor, fennel, mocha, baking spices. Similar on the palate, excellent structure, balance, full body. However this seemed a bit lackluster compared to a previous bottle a few years ago.
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5/26/2018 - wa2ofd Likes this wine:
Interesting, still a very big wine and tannins seem to be overpowering the fruit...not sure at this age that is a good sign...
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3/30/2018 - MC wrote:
My last 750, and after significant bottle variation it was nice to finish with a winner. Good dark fruit on the open and with air it improved a bit more. Enjoyable, but would be drinking now. A-
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3/13/2018 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 92 Points
Château Montelena Vertical: This is a warm nose with great soil influence in the rustic red berry fruit. Mild brett, but mostly nice mineral soil. Underneath there is lush blackberry and currant fruit. On the palate this has delicious black and blue fruit with some pleasant sweetness and a pronounced texture. This is drinking like it is at its peak development and expression, and is terrific right now, but based on this bottle uncertain as to longevity from here.
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3/13/2018 - MC wrote:
After a great bottle late last year, I opened one that was DOA, and then another that was reasonable at open and better after an hour in the decanter - but short of the bottle from last year (all from the same case). Not that I have much left, but expecting some bottle variation as I drink this up. B+/A- for the second bottle.
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2/10/2018 - Gnieboer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice immediately on opening. Slightly tawny color, as befitting it’s age. Elegant depth. Lavender and eucalyptus, very smooth.
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2/10/2018 - Justinwine wrote: 89 Points
Becoming long in the tooth
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1/14/2018 - jasonh Likes this wine: 94 Points
At 20 years this wine is now starting to show itself. Not flashy. Just wonderfully structured with nice edges. Earth, dark fruits, pencil and tobacco. With a nice balance of citrus running throughout.
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1/14/2018 - peternelson wrote: 94 Points
Stunning, tobacco, some old oak, well integrated, hazelnut, coffee grounds; I loved the elegance, silky smooth, very Bordeaux like, beautiful. 10 years on dinner at Conrads.
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1/7/2018 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Vinetasters: Montelena (1987-2003) (Skokie, IL): My 2nd, group's 9th. Served double blind. Smells like a slightly younger example again, probably from the 90s. The palate's fruit isn't as prominent here and there is great balance with the structural elements -- more so than many of the other wines. This isn't the most dense nor powerful of the wines, but everything seems to sit in the middle of the road. One of my favourites tonight.
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1/6/2018 - rcg62 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Two hour decant. Light ruby color. No particular signs of age other than lightness. Nose very much plum and black cherry, and that eucalyptus. Palate has tar, plum, black fruit. I think Graves here a bit. Relatively light and soft on the palate, tannins very much softened. Really nice. Lovely. Drink, I feel this is down from here.
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12/23/2017 - pablopilot Likes this wine: 95 Points
I have to say I am a French/Italian snob. With an occasional Oregon Pinot noir tossed in for giggles. Most high end California Cabernets leave me cold, flat, bored, and ready to catch the next train home. Like a bad conversation with an ignorant drunk who is not aware he is either.
The ‘97 Montelena Estate, however... easy company all the way. Friendly, very well knit and understated. No sharp or rough edges. The crappy Chinese food threatened to overwhelm it... but we solved that problem by tossing it in the rubbish and focusing on the delicious redness... hints of roast meats, sharp acidity, pine tar and slight eucalyptus... grapefruit. Tamari. Papaya and creole sauce. Big raspberry bouquet.
When it works, it works, which is why we best check our prejudices at the door, in wine and nearly all other matters. I am the lucky owner of one more bottle of this tastiness, and I am perfectly comfortable drinking my way through more urgent cellar matters before cracking it.
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11/29/2017 - sduraybito wrote: 87 Points
Poured at Terrence's Turkey Bowl Party. Sour fruit, no back bone. Disappointed.
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11/2/2017 - Bordeaux_Jon Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Tasted blind in a flight of 1997 new world Cabs and blends. The supposed headliner was my 7/10. Started with black fruit on the nose that quickly got hidden by far too much Brett and none of the power and intensity of a half bottle and full bottle I had a few years ago. Palate was also weak and bretty. My review seems to concur with a few recent others. There is bottle variation due to storage, aging, or manufacture. I’ve personally found Montelenas to age rather inconsistently.
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10/14/2017 - Mouton Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is an outstanding Montelena from an excellent vintage year. Drinking at its best, gracefully aged and possibly the most Bordeaux-like Napa Cabernet I have tasted. Opened for 2 hours and drunk for anniversary dinner, it did not disappoint. I'm sure it would happily have lasted another 5-10 years.
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9/21/2017 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 89 Points
Not as good as prior bottles. PnP and drank over 2 hrs. Cherries, eucalyptus, cherry cough medicine, and heavy old barn, forest floor and musty notes. Significant bricking on the edges that I don't remember from prior bottles.
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9/3/2017 - Milos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank from 375 ml bottle. Dark red; black cherry, blackberry, dark chocolate on the nose; very classic Montelena. Fine tannins balanced by great flavour intensity; great acidity and again all in balance; still has many years to go. Try again in five years.
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9/3/2017 - MC wrote:
Popped and poured. Finally in the zone, this wine is drinking really well right now. All enjoyed - probably the wine of the night. Should hold for
a while. Glad I stayed with this one all these years. A-
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8/12/2017 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep, dark reddish-purple garnet in color with very slight clearing at the edges. Full, forward & fragrant nose of ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries & dark currants with classic cigar box overtones of cedar & tobacco, leather, some floral & herbal notes, loam, earthy/dusty, coffee grounds & dark cocoa, minerals, spices & a slight hint of mint in the background. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, plush & seamless, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & cassis with cocoa, herbs, minerals, earthy, spices &, toasty oak in the background. Long lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but even at 20 years of age, it should continue with its present plateau of development for several years longer if cellared properly although any further development may be minimal. The cork was crumbly upon opening but fill was mid-neck.
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8/7/2017 - kcloman Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very drinkable, smooth, a great light Cabernet. Maybe a little past prime. Will drink remaining bottles in the near future.
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7/20/2017 - firstgrowth Does not like this wine: flawed
A little corked
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7/6/2017 - Capt. Cork Likes this wine: 92 Points
An exquisite cabernet. A great vintage from a supreme wine maker. After 20 years this wine marches on, although I believe it's time to enjoy the fruits of patience and fine cellaring. I double decanted and filtered for sediment and found quite a bit. But that posed no problem with the overall experience. Deep garnet and purple with a nice rich mouthfeel. Not a long finish, but softer than I would have expected. I also found that about 2 hours was needed after decanting, indeed indicating the time necessary for the complex flavors to develop fully. Although lacking somewhat in tannic structure at this point, it is still a great, full bodied and amply structured cabernet. I will enjoy it as it is my last '97 Montelena Reserve Cabernet. I rate it a solid 92 points. Cheers!
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6/29/2017 - winepaw Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking beautifully, in its prime. Outstanding Cabernet exhibiting the classic aroma and flavor characteristics associated with top flight Napa Cabernets. Beautiful balance of rich, dark fruit, anise, soft tannins, and acidity. Not showing any signs of diminishing fruit. Try again in 3 or 4 years. Paired perfectly with prime beef fillet with cabernet wine reduction.
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5/26/2017 - Collector1855 wrote: 95 Points
From Magnum, served blind against a Magnum of 1995 Mission Haut Brion. Half the table got it wrong which one the Bordeaux was. I spotted this easily as California for its sweetness in the mid palate and for the aromatic profile with more scorched earth. I have to say though, having visited Napa six month during a Robert Parker Master Class, I had a bit of an advantage due to extensive, recent memory. A very convincing Chateau Montelena, albeit a bit too sweet for my palate. Score higher if you don't mind that. What a great, Judgement of Paris style, comparison my friend staged here.
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5/20/2017 - MC wrote:
Decanted an hour this showed really well. Smooth, balanced, nice finish. Fruit still there but mellow and nice with food but also stands well on its own. In a great spot right now. A-/A
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5/4/2017 - MC wrote:
Perfect fill and cork. Popped and poured. Needs about 30 minutes of air, but drinking very well and very good with food. Solid wine that seems to be in as good a place as I can remember, and holding up well - but I would start drinking up. A-
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4/28/2017 - Javachip Likes this wine: 94 Points
Allowed to breathe in glass 2 hours before tasting. Clear deep dark garnet - blood red. Classic bouquet of black cherries, black currants, boysenberries, and their liqueurs; nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, cedar chips, lilacs, roses. Initially there were some notes of asphalt, coffee, and savory soy sauce, but these blew off after a few hours. On the palate, this was beautifully balanced with generous ripe fruit along with polished tannins and acidity providing great structure; seamless, elegant, with full body, long finish. Improved with extended aeration, held up fine under vacuum stopper in refrigerator, showed best on day four.
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4/9/2017 - oldwines Likes this wine: 95 Points
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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4/4/2017 - KenK wrote: 90 Points
Finished near middle of 1997 Napa Cab tasting, done blind. Good dark brooding fruits, with little nuance.
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3/27/2017 - rgawlowski Likes this wine: 94 Points
Elegant, nice nose, sweeter on scent than taste, very good balance, with earthy tones.
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2/18/2017 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 94 Points
Similar notes as before but just not the same wow factor as bottle 1. Cork shattered again, requiring surgery and filtering. True to CM Estate standards, this was still delicious. Went well with grilled flank steak.
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2/11/2017 - randyjc wrote: 95 Points
The last bottle of these - I lingered over the last bit. This wine is so elegant and expressive, and so aged Bordeaux-like in character. Soft aromatics of leather and pipe tobacco with an undercurrent of cassis. Not what I think of as a Napa nose. Soft, smooth and round in the mouth - black currant, smoke and leather. Perfectly integrated tannins. A wonderful experience - happy to share it with friends.
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12/25/2016 - lovemycab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Solid wine. Decanted and enjoyed with a great steak. May have been better a number of years ago when more fruit was present.
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12/23/2016 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 96 Points
PnP. Cork shattered on open. After some surgery and a makeshift Durand, cork was out and we were rockin. 14% AC according to the bottle. No bricking even though this is now almost 20 yrs old. A bit of must on open that quickly blew off. Nose and palate were consistent with each other, scorched earth, charcoal, forrest floor, bing cherries with a nicely integrated hint of oak. Black olives showed up every now and then. Tannins were gone. This went quickly and seamlessly. A great bottle of wine...and a nice mix up from the typical over extracted Napa wines I really like. I hope the others I have are just as good.
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12/14/2016 - joshabramson Does not like this wine: 90 Points
Drank from a 1/2 bottle. Past its prime. Not bad, but falls very flat.
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12/7/2016 - floridawinedrkr wrote:
Another flawed bottle.
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11/24/2016 - JCDR Likes this wine: 93 Points
Thanksgiving. Terrific still. So smooth.
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10/10/2016 - Bigtuna Likes this wine: 92 Points
Same notes as last time, except a fair amount of brett in this bottle.
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10/2/2016 - levinml wrote: 95 Points
Drank first night back from Bayfield. Really nice over two nights; balance, nose, fruit, finish. Right down the middle of the fairway flavor-wise. Not sure this will get any better, so why wait, but not going anywhere either. Enjoy.
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9/28/2016 - Ed Veritas wrote:
Tasted at Hawksworth. Smoooth and very Bordeaux-style. Decanting for 2 hours helped a lot. Excellent. ES score 97.
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8/5/2016 - galewskj wrote: flawed
Non-Blind Very Nice Reds (St. Genevieve): I'm marking this flawed due to brett, even though it was still quite enjoyable. An old school California cabernet that has more in common with Bordeaux than most current napa cab. Even with the brett, I could give this 92+ easy.
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6/11/2016 - Amerique wrote: 92 Points
Rich, delicious, full-bodied black cherry fruit, raisony flavors, chewy, muscular, excellent structure, ample tannins, slightly short finish, front palate drinking, flavor profile was a little eccentric
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5/18/2016 - gotwine Likes this wine: 97 Points
Celebrated my 74th birthday at Chambar with friends who are wine producers and connoisseurs from Austria, Italy, London and Boston. This magnum was enjoyed by all. I consider this my best bottle yet. Quite Bordeaux in style yet with ample California fruit remaining. Exceptional nose with noticeable anise and cassis on the palate. Quite elegant. 97
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4/14/2016 - g289519 wrote: 88 Points
Very little fruit or alcohol left, poured the last 3 bottles out
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4/3/2016 - Valbonne Likes this wine: 96 Points
Still loving this. Drink now.
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3/26/2016 - vpiedrah Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very smooth and elegant, very Bordeaux. From a magnum, quite youthful.
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3/10/2016 - King of the Blind Likes this wine: 95 Points
It amazes me reading through other's tasting notes on this wine and the fundamental lack of understanding of what they're tasting. This wine contains Brett. Like it, love it, or hate it, it's one off the textbook characteristics of this estate from this era. They purged and bleached their cellars not long after. Too bad...
Decanted one hour- I type this while drinking a bottle in a small restaurant in Tahoe that was bestowed with this, and other back vintages, by the owner of the estate. Providence of the wine is spectacular. It's just now starting to blossom. Fruit is still the driving force and the Brett is adding the "funk" and barnyard it's known for. It's not an overwhelming presence, but more of an accessory. (Like a diamond solitare necklace on a buxom blonde.) Stop focusing on the necklace!
Sweet black currents, earthy loam, damp underbrush, and hints of vanilla still whispering. Great harmony can be found here with a long finish where the black currants transition to crunchy red. Impressive acidity for what's otherwise considered a very ripe vintage losing steam. Not THIS bottle. Not THIS day.
The perennial Cali Cab drinker is probably best to leave this alone. This is not your wheelhouse nor flavor profile. Bordeaux drinkers looking for a ringer to bring to your next brown bag- this is for you. You'll have em guessing 2000 left bank.
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3/6/2016 - Valbonne Likes this wine: 96 Points
Outstanding. Still drinking well. red fruit - some chocolate and vanilla notes.
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1/13/2016 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Poured by Alex Yan and served with a Bison Steak-thank you Alex for a terrific evening of food and wine, nose of cabernet, cassis, and a touch of wood, more of the same on the palate, already decanted for an hour and it opened slowly but steadily, big body, one dimensional but tasty and superbly paired with the Bison Steak, long, long finish.
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1/9/2016 - awaxenberg wrote: flawed
corked all alcohol and vinegar taste musky smell waited 3 hours hoping it might open, but nope. I have a second hopefully not corked going to give it a month.
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12/27/2015 - Mech-E Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Poured nice and dark with a little bricking on the edges.
Certainly a bit funky on the nose. The muskiness never really blew off over the 3 hours we were drinking this. Full body, caramel tones. I would say this tasted like a second growth Bordeaux with its minerality.
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12/18/2015 - floridawinedrkr wrote: flawed
I believe this bottle was flawed. After 3 hours it had massive mint, eucalyptus, and spearmint notes that dominated the experience. It also had an off flavor on the finish.
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11/15/2015 - shaferguy91 wrote: 94 Points
1 hour decant. Outstanding !
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10/23/2015 - d'Artagnan wrote:
Années 90 - Bordeaux visite Napa ou vice versa ! (Restaurant Chez Christophe): Un nez oxydatif qui nous fait toute la gamme! Des chips au ketchup, au Bovril, jusqu'au Bloody Ceasar :)
Bouche correcte mais clairement une bouteille imparfaite. Dommage.
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10/17/2015 - Sonoma Duck Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for one hour. Medium ruby, rich, elegant and in a nice place.
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9/24/2015 - Hodby wrote: 93 Points
Dark, murky red-purple color. Cork fell apart. Intense and savory nose, tar, graphite oil, eucalyptus leaf, bay leaf, olives, cherry, spearmint. Medium tannin, medium-low acidity. On arrival, deep burned cherry and spearmint, medium intensity. Medium finish, a little disappointing. Kept this in the glass for several hours and it never budged towards shut-down or a more full release. Bottle #2 of two.
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9/23/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
With an earthy, cassis filled nose, the wine is full bodied, rich, fresh, young and vibrant, with a long, spicy, ripe, fruit driven finish.
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8/17/2015 - WinoRick wrote: 96 Points
Grilled a steak with my son and opened the third bottle of a case. Beautiful dark garnet color, with a complex Napa nose. All tannins are dissolved and the wine is smooth as silk... delicious. We talked about how good the wine was... and what makes a perfect wine. I'd scored my first bottle 92, the 2nd 94, now this one at 96. That tells you that, as with all Montelenas, their wines age beautifully... older is better. Maybe it deserves a better score... maybe next bottle?
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7/19/2015 - GeorgeSW wrote: 96 Points
Amazing from beginning to end, dark
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6/28/2015 - Lazerlar wrote: 90 Points
last of my 375 ml bottles and I believe I waited to long - good but not the same as the previous bottles consumed a few years ago.
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6/6/2015 - kenv Likes this wine: 96 Points
[Decanted for 30 minutes.] Amy liked this so much when I opened one for the tasting on Thursday that I opened another for our anniversary dinner. Smokin' right out of the bottle. Dark black fruit. The essence of Napa Cab. Juicy, ripe. A great wine with a long future still ahead.
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6/4/2015 - kenv Likes this wine: 95 Points
WCC 1990s California Cabernet Blind Tasting (Dorato's Resturant, Guilderland, NY): [Double decanted for 2 hours at 4:30.] Tasted non-blind after 1 hour in decanter: Nose of tar, licorice and black fruit. Intensely structured on the palate. Riveting finish lasts for minutes. Simply amazing wine. Still very young.
As part of the blind tasting: Muted black fruit nose. Juicy red fruit in the mouth. Complex, but still very young. Licorice in the finish. Should continue to improve for 5-10 years.
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5/29/2015 - canan wrote: 93 Points
Melville Clone Tasting AND pre-2000 California Cabernet: Dense and dry black currant fruit in a very Bordeaux style of wine.
A solid and impressive wine. 93-94p
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4/23/2015 - Giggs wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Big yet restrained, acidity just starting to give way. Lots of exotic coffee bean and graphite. Great mouthfeel, high quality red currant fruit, straddling between youth and maturity, but the overall package has at least 8-10 more years of development. Drink now-2028.
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4/16/2015 - Bigtuna Likes this wine: 95 Points
4/16/15 Outstanding wine - not even sure it has reached its full potential. Probably good for another 10/15 years. Needed to decant almost 5 hours before fully opening up. Best with food - lamb chops?
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3/22/2015 - sastewart wrote: 95 Points
Dinner at Commander's Palace. Great California Cabernet. Dark berries on the nose. Great Purity of Cassis fruit, nice minerality - full bodied but not heavy with a beautiful long finish. WOTN was a 90 Montrose but this stood up very well. 95+ points
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3/8/2015 - Chris Likes this wine: 97 Points
one of my all time favorites. Been drinking for a number of years. Alas, this was my last bottle. Still had structure to last a few more years. About as good as an 18 year old Napa Cab could be. Sorry to see this one go.
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2/27/2015 - Redteeth wrote:
The cork crumbled on this bottle. We decanted it as there was a bit of funk initially. The wine improved over the next couple hours and the left over was better the next day. the wine is showing its age, but was nice once the funk blew off. I don't se improvement with further age.
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2/22/2015 - Simply Wine Likes this wine: 92 Points
My first return to this wine in 7-8 years. Though still a very good cab that is aging well (and will for quite a while longer) and has much going for it, it seems to have lost the excitement that pleased me so much more a number of years ago. Still vibrant and well balanced but seems to have lost the layered complexities of its younger years. Perhaps it is time to wait on my remaining couple bottles of my case for the wine's next stage - hopefully similar to what some of the better 70s Montelenas turned into.
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2/16/2015 - aegerter Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened up very nicely and drinks well today. Not amazing complexity or concentration, but well balanced.
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12/25/2014 - FLI wrote: flawed
A Christmas Limerick (It sucks to waste 325 bucks)
A magnum of Estate Montelena
Would go great with my Navidad cena,
But my guests' hopes were humbled,
When the rotten cork crumbled,
And the skunked wine went right down the drain-a.
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12/25/2014 - BMCKIE99 wrote: 95 Points
Slight tObacco, leather, collar accents but fantastically smooth. It IS time.
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12/20/2014 - JJA Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is a outstanding wine. Beautiful aroma on the nose, medium to full-bodied with long finish. Cherries on the mid-palate with a hint of graphite on the finish. I made the mistake of serving this too soon after opening, but after an hour or so in the glass the wine really came on strong. Decant this for a few hours. It is so compelling to drink a California Cabernet of this age and quality. Gorgeous.
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12/20/2014 - MWiking wrote: 92 Points
jordgubbar , kola och cassis är mina anteckningar. Vid vin nr 7 börjar min skärpa försvinna och jag blandar ihop dofter, är ganska säker på att detta är ett Bolgheri-vin med massa cab i och att det har en ålder. Helt ok gissning kan jag tycka i efterhand.
väldigt gott och alltid kul att prova äldre napa-cab.
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12/18/2014 - Ramberg wrote: 89 Points
Blind, and had as a new world (Cali.?) cab.
Nose showed some herbs, sweet dark fruit, with typical Cabernet Sauvignon profile.
Alcohol heat, some unpleasant glue, acetone and solvent.
(Not the fine Piemontese Nebbiolo type of glue and acetone, but much more industrial and chemical)
On the palate this feels slightly unbalanced, but still fine taste of cassis, black currant, darker fruit, with alcohol heat and high viscosity.
Rather mature, with a medium finish.
Not completely in balance, with the alcohol taking overhand.
(88 – 90 P)
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12/18/2014 - Patrik H Likes this wine: 93 Points
On the nose, acetone, solvent, processed meat.
On the palate, Tobacco, oak, tannins, cherry stones
medium + finish
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12/12/2014 - WinoRick Likes this wine: 94 Points
Purchased 2 six packs on release and have had two prior to this one. Still bright ruby with only the slightest browning on the edge. The nose has developed the musty dark fruit nose that makes Montelena worth the weight. The wine is round, soft and complex. I'd say there is no hurry here and you have a beautiful wine to look forward to.
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11/10/2014 - pigdaddy wrote: 93 Points
decanted one hour (big chunk!). out of the gate, a sweet, ripe black-fruited nose, in no way candied or cooked, just pure black berry & the blackest cherry, followed by minerally iron & soil aroma; med+ weight, not nearly as viscous as some of its vintage brethren, balanced palate feel; restrained yet purely fruited on tasting, really pliant & seamless, showing a cherry & currant elixir profile, subtle iron ore & totally smooth & integrated tannins. one of the best examples of this bottle & showing well.
grilled 2" ribeye on wild-foraged oyster mushrooms w/shallots & thyme; garlicky escarole w/grilled corno di toro peppers & sherry vinegar
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9/28/2014 - redknife Likes this wine:
Brought to dinner with the So FL crowd in Aventura
Decanted for about 1 hr. Elegant in a very nice spot, plenty of fruit with some tertiary aromas. Didn't take notes but this was a 96+ wine
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9/1/2014 - MC wrote:
Decanted 45 minutes. This is very good, and a nice wine with food. Not sure it will every reach some of the lofty scores, but overall a fine wine an possible it will improve a bit. A-
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8/15/2014 - twoamps wrote: 87 Points
this particular bottle--my last--had faded a lot. Brick red, some gritty sediment, sharp acid dominated what fruit was left. Last year's bottle fared much better.
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6/15/2014 - Koods wrote:
Incredibly fresh out of 5L
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6/12/2014 - firstgrowth Likes this wine: 88 Points
a bit tired, losing life- drink now
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6/11/2014 - Redteeth wrote:
this bottle was not decanted but it was allowed to stand open for a while. The cork was in decent shape and there was no sign of TCA. The wine was mature but very polished and quite enjoyable.
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6/7/2014 - Kmad55 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasty full nice bite enjoyable!
The legs are slow. The body is medium/full.
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6/7/2014 - Kmad55 Likes this wine:
Tasty full nice bite enjoyable!
The legs are slow. The body is medium/full.
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5/26/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Rich, full bodied and intense, with polished tannins, lift, purity of fruit and freshness, the wine moves from blackberry to dark cherry and back to black fruits again in the finish. This is good now and will keep getting better with age.
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4/3/2014 - jonnyoro wrote: flawed
Last one of 6 bought on release... Corked.
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3/4/2014 - psyrah wrote: flawed
Corked
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2/12/2014 - heldermramos@gmail.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
Frutas negras e vermelhas em geléia, leve amargor, baunilha, amadeirado e intenso.
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2/11/2014 - Lakersguy wrote: 96 Points
Balance, intensity, complexity, purity and length. This bottle of 97 Montelena is the best I’ve had yet. Just now coming into a drinking window, it will last another decade at least. Did not decant. It needed about two hours to open up. The nose opened up at about three hours. Gosh this is good. May be the best ever Montelena. 96 points!
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2/9/2014 - firstgrowth Likes this wine: 88 Points
A bit tomatoey this time
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1/26/2014 - Wine_Bear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wine was properly stored from purchase upon release at the winery. Good color. Extremely well balanced. Fruit upon opening. Becomes dark berries and cherries, plums, peaches, with a touch of mango and citrus. Perfume adds to the mix. Honey, vanilla. Dark Cherries are dominant. Lovely bouquet, layers, full of fruit. Tannin is resolved, luscious mouth feel. Mouthwatering.
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1/20/2014 - TGLeroy wrote: 96 Points
Great wine drinking very well, a little bricking, but has years left. Saddle leather and gravel on the nose at opening. Let sit open 3 plus hours before drinking. Plummy fruit emerged with the earthier elements taking a back seat. Not as dry as I had expected, beautiful length with a medium-full body. A fantastic bottle of wine!
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12/25/2013 - Haggis Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened a 375ml to accompany our Christmas dinner. It was just me and Mrs Haggis today, as our daughters decided to stay on the mainland rather than enjoy the tropical bliss, not to mention our company )). Yes, we did drink other wines, so it was not just this little bottle, ok? Wow...this is in such a good place now. Some slight bricking, but great color. Loads of plum, earth, leather, herbs, and that little bit of tart acidity to pull things together. Very Bordeaux-like, as are many Montelenas. I imagine that this is about peak for these 375's, but that 750's still have the bulk to age nicely for at least another 7-10 yrs. but, why wait? Delicious.
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11/9/2013 - Javachip wrote: 96 Points
San Diego WineSpectator.com Offline, 11/9/2013 (Nine-Ten Restaurant, La Jolla, California): Decanted 30 minutes before tasting. Clear dark garnet. Glorious bouquet of blackberries, black cherries, black currant liqueur, toast, cloves, espresso, nutmeg, cocoa, forest floor. Similar on the palate, full body, rich and generous, excellent balance and structure, with long finish. Seaquam and I agreed that this was more open and mature than the 1991 Heitz MV. Cheers to SD-Wineaux for my #1 tonight. My first experience with this wine, glad I have some in the cellar.
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11/9/2013 - winepaw Likes this wine: 94 Points
11/9/13 Pure cassis with anise on the nose; beautiful dark fruit up front with velvety texture; more cassis and anise on the mid-palate; finishing with great balance and soft tannins. Remarkably youthful. Should drink well for many more years.
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11/2/2013 - Capybara562 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still in its youth, this had a strong tannic backbone and will be stellar for at least another decade. Intense, well-balanced fruit/tannin/acid, with a medium-long finish. Matched great with filet and Wagyu hangar steak, and blew away an '01 Mouton at the dinner.
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10/1/2013 - firstgrowth wrote: 95 Points
Decanted with filter- sediment out very smooth and silky.
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9/8/2013 - mdefreitas wrote:
Football & Domestic Cabs @ Howard's 2013 (Old Greenwich, CT): This was an odd wine, in that is showed depth, elegance and a complex, Bordeaux-like character early on. Dried herbs, leather and well-resolved tannins. When I revisited it later in the night it seemed to have deteriorated quite a bit. Not rated.
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9/7/2013 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
Old & Rare CA Cabs: Lovely darker mixed berries, sweet pipe tobacco, wet earth, dried herbs, dried cassis; medium body, lower tannins, medium acidity, fine dry more ample tannins that the '85 or '84, but less tertiary notes and more straight forward. Slightly less complex and darker. Good but without the class and complexity of the '85. 90-91
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9/1/2013 - Chris Likes this wine: 95 Points
Yet another wonderful bottle of the '97 Estate Cab. I love this wine. I did think that my other bottle was even better but still a great wine, hitting its stride after 16 years. This wine is perfect from the nose to the fruit and tannins in beautiful balance to the long finish.
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8/23/2013 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent. I believe this is at it's peak. There is time - but it is not going to get any better than it is showing now (unless you just like a real old tasting wine). I have been guilty of holding wines too long just to say/know that I still had one from that vintage in the cellar. Not anymore. At this point on my wine journey, I like wine that has settled down and is more in balance, but yet that still retains a little of its youthful spunk, fruit and character - before it turns into just another old wine that used to be good. This is the PERFECT window to consume this vintage of this wine IMHO.
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7/28/2013 - MC wrote:
Double decanted 2 hours before, this was drinking well and right there with the 97 Catena as the best of the group. Enjoyable, but still short of the lofty scores on release for my palate. A-
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7/8/2013 - KVM wrote: 92 Points
Maturing nose shows cigar box and pencil lead. Excellent.
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7/6/2013 - Chris Likes this wine: 95 Points
Not quite as good as out of a magnum but still fantastic. Amazing nose right out of the bottle with a deep red color. Nice mix of fruit and aged character as well. This estate is my favorite and this vintage is well worth seeking out specifically. You can't go wrong. With cult Napa cabs fetching $500 and up a bottle, Montelena Estate at $125 or less is a great value for what you get.
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6/16/2013 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted non blind with dinner. Opened and served immediately.
Dark garnet color in the glass, fairly clear looking. Nose of Kirsch, sandalwood, pepper and currants. Flavors of black cherries, currants, plums and berries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold. No rush. Might even improve a little more in bottle.
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6/15/2013 - buckeye76 wrote: 96 Points
BLACK CHERRIES, CURRANTS, LEATHER, AND CHOCOLATE IN THE NOSE WITH BLACKCURRANTS, BLACKBERRIES, AND LICORICE IN THE FLAVOR. ELEGANT WINE WITH NICE COMPLEXITY AND A LONG FINISH.
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5/5/2013 - TheDarkPrince Likes this wine: 91 Points
Daughter is returning to the UK next weekend, so I thought I would bring out the 'big guns'. For a 16 years old wine, it looks superb in the glass. Virtually no visible signs of aging. Its dark, almost impenetrable to the eye. On the nose, signs of age are evident. Raisins are apparent, but still very pleasing. On the palette, lead pencil, black autumn fruits with a hint of white pepper and cinnamon. Pleasing and well balanced.
In my humble opinion, past its prime. This was my last bottle of a case. If you have these in your cellar, go get em!!!
:0)
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5/3/2013 - tomandlu Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted roughly 1 hour and consumed over the following 2 hours. Virtually black red-garnet color with only a hint of maturing at the rim. An exhuberant nose of crushed berries, tar, tobacco, baking spice, leather, and cedar almost explodes from the glass. The fragrance filled the room almost from the moment the cork was pulled. Interestingly the aroma didn't change over the course of two hours. On the palate the wine is densely fruited yet beautifully balanced. The tannins are a bit more forward than expected but they are ripe. All in all the wine is almost succulent on the palate yet elegant. The finish is very long and never looses balance. Superb.
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4/22/2013 - JustOneMore Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully right now, no decant required. Reminiscent of a smokey Saint Estephe or a very good Bordeaux Superior. I normally rate wine solely on its own, but this bottle amplified the smoked meats we ate and made the meal. I tend to think the 1997 Montelena could be on its way down, because a certain complexity of flavors was missing, so would drink additional bottles by the end of 2013.
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4/10/2013 - FLI Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fruit was rich without being "jammy". Tannins well integrated. Showing the balance and fullness of maturity. Not a show-stopper, but a very nice bottle. Expensive for what it is, however. From magnum.
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4/4/2013 - kenv Likes this wine: 97 Points
WCC 1997 California Cabernet Blind Tasting (Fort Orange Club, Albany, NY): [Doubled decanted around 5pm. Drunk around 9pm.] Smoky black fruit nose. Stunning in the mouth. Like most of the other wines in this tasting, this has rich smooth black fruit and a long finish, but this one takes up another notch. An ethereal quality that I can't quite put my finger on and an expansiveness in the mouth. My WOTN. Kinda nice that it turned out to be the wine I brought (and that I have more!).
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3/20/2013 - MC wrote:
Dark color, nose opened up after about an hour. This is rich and concentrated, but needs an hour in the decanter to open. It shows well, but there is a hint of drying tannin at the back end. A-/?
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2/22/2013 - sirwine Likes this wine: 90 Points
I was expecting more from this wine. It seems like it has already peaked. I bought these as futures and they have been well kept in my cellar, but when I visited the Chateau in December 2012 they suggested I drink up. I agree.
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1/29/2013 - vinojones wrote: 92 Points
Dark ruby red; rich nose of red currant, cherry, red raspberry, light cedar and dark choc/coffee; rich mouthfeel, ripe red cherry, raspberry fruit and pomegranate,currants, soft cedar tannins; in between primary fruit and final tertiary flavors-- an awkward "teenager" will make great old bones
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1/13/2013 - awineo Likes this wine: 96 Points
This was an incredible bottle. The fruit was solid but fully integrated with solid tannins, but extremely smooth and balanced.
This is what you get when you wait. Yummy!
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1/8/2013 - bibendumrrb wrote:
Delicious
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12/27/2012 - aagrawal wrote: 96 Points
Wafting aromas of deep black fruit as soon as the cork is pulled and as the wine is decanted.
Pop and pour: Deep ruby colored; nose of black cherry, sour cherry, some blackcurrant, slight cola; palate is full bodied, ripe but structured tannins that still taste a bit young, some juicy black fruits but the fruits seem somewhat hidden right now; finish is medium length. This is an exceptional wine already, and I've opened it up three hours before our event based on others' notes to allow for substantial decanting time. At this stage, the wine still tastes young but approachable. 95-96
30 minutes: The aromas waft out of the glass and pleasantly hit my nose. It's quite incredible.
3.5 hr decant: The nose has picked up more of a brambly quality (almost like an aromatic burgundy) that adds complexity; the palate continues to have big tannins, now more balanced by primary black fruit and transitioning into a medium-long finish. This is very young and has a long life ahead. 96.
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12/25/2012 - Wineandsports Likes this wine: 93 Points
Must must let this open in the glass. Opened. Decanted after an hour and still was a bit closed. After pouring and letting it sit a bit, it blossomed I to a truly terrific wine. Some graphite, earthy and smoother by the minute.
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12/23/2012 - mike1234 wrote: 89 Points
Opaque purple color, hard to get much of a nose on this wine. Balanced, good acidity, moderate tannins, medium body, makes back sides of mouth pucker, decent finish.
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12/23/2012 - shaferguy91 wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 3 hours. This wine is totally hitting on all cylinders now.
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12/16/2012 - randyjc wrote: 93 Points
This took some coaxing. At three hours decanting and just a few degrees above cellar temperature, it was nothing special. As it warmed and opened, it became a gorgeous Bordeaux-like wine. Very masculine in flavor profile but with an elegant, balanced feel and a very pleasing band of red fruit. Lovely. Far from the standard Napa cabernet.
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12/1/2012 - firstgrowth Likes this wine: 87 Points
At Bouchon Beverly Hills for T birthday: good but too tart; decanted 2 hours mellowed out somewhat but still needs time in bottle. Have a bunch of .375s, looking forward to see progression over the years, hopefully will get better.
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10/21/2012 - Wineandsports wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and poured after about 30 mins. Terrific nose with earthy and floral tones blending nicely. Early tasting was a bit hollow-a bit tannic and leathery without a lot of fruit. Filled in very well over time, almost to the point wher the fruit was a little too strong. Look forward to drinking more over the next couple of years.
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10/21/2012 - KSWinegeek wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with previous tastings. Fully mature, with reduced tannins and potentially at it's peak.
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10/9/2012 - Lakersguy wrote: flawed
Opened a .375 split of the 1997 Montelena that I had purchased upon release. This bottle was over the hill. After an hour, it was not very good. It just tasted over the hill but not corked. The color was like a wine twice its age. Not sure what happened on this bottle. Cork was perfect and tight and it was stored perfectly. I hope my remaining 750's are still good.
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10/9/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
I have not always been the biggest fan of Montelena. While the wines are always well made, for my palate, they have been lacking in character. Popped and poured at the end of the night, I was blown away by the quality of this wine! Everything about it rocked starting with the deep color. The pungent aromatics packed with cassis, earth, tobacco and truffle were a pleasure to experience. But the thick, plush, palate coating texture was where the fireworks took off. The wine has great intensity, purity, complexity and length, and it's still young! This is the vintage to buy of Montelena. If it was this good just popped and poured, with time and air, this is a serious Cabernet Sauvignon for the cellar.
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9/17/2012 - JCDR wrote: 95 Points
leather, earthy...mature....though i will let it sit a bit longer.
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9/9/2012 - rpenn77 wrote: 92 Points
Rich earthy mature cabernet with cedar on the nose that is reminds me of Bordeaux.
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8/29/2012 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
Double Blind @ Le Provencal; 8/28/2012-8/29/2012 (Le Provencal, Miracle Mile, Coral Gables,FL): - Violet color with fast forming legs. It's in total harmony with a medium/full body. Bright texture with a long finish - Jerry's wine.
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8/23/2012 - Blair Curtis wrote: 90 Points
(From magnum) This wine is a bit perplexing. The nose at this juncture shows obvious brett, which put some tasters off. The palate remains forbiddingly tannic...doesn't help when the format is a magnum. There is a core of excellent and elegant fruit. But the wine is closed down and the tannins rule. There is a nice pencil lead element to this wine. To me, it shows quite Bdx-like for a Napa wine. Some others at the table felt the 1997 Karl Lawrence served beside it was more Bdx-like...this mystified me, as I found the KL to be unmistakably, unabashedly 100% California cabernet (with super-ripe fruit roaring from the glass...not sure what Bdx that would resemble other than Pavie...). Anyhow, back to the Montelena - as it remained in the glass, it did begin to open up somewhat...just a little...so if you are going to disturb this wine, a good decant is recommended. But frankly, this wine could use a lot more cellar time. I just hope the brett does not get worse...it does seem to have come to the front more over the years with this wine.
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8/22/2012 - godx wrote:
Magnum Madness (Salade de Fruits): From magnum. This was shy and somewhat bretty on the nose with a musty profile giving hints of red fruits and spice. On the palate the fruit seemed muted although the structure was fully out to play with firm tannins dominating. It did open up a tad after 30min in the glass showing some nice red and cherry fruit and more Bordeaux-like notes, but ultimately this needs more time, especially in magnum. Judgment reserved.
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8/19/2012 - AlexHop wrote: 97 Points
Beautiful and drinking at is prime. Shows an almost European elegance but with still a core of the classic Napa Cabernet character. Opened at the WA Wine Auction.
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8/11/2012 - ghanbai wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for half an hour, and enjoyed it immensely more than my first bottle earlier this year.
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7/14/2012 - tomandlu wrote: 95 Points
Decanted roughly 3 hours and consumed over 2 hours. Virtually opaque red-garnet color. The nose is best described, to my nose, as sumptuous - loaded with rich cassis, tea, tobacco, herbs, and red clay so deep and heady that I just want to bury my face in it. The fragrance kept that pace throughout the evening. On the palate the wine is deep and intensely fruited, yet still moderately tannic and the balance is impeccable. This wine is hitting on all cylinders right now and if it gains complexity with more age it will be truly profound! Purchased from the winery on release and stored in my cellar since then.
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5/19/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Good aromatics start with nuanced elements including plum, cassis, espresso, licorice, mint and mushroom. A bit simpler and straightforward on the palate, but well balanced and very easy to enjoy. Plenty of life going forward. Roughly an equal number of tasters thought this Old World as New World.
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5/16/2012 - rdsboca wrote: 95 Points
This wine was ridiculously good. Vibrant, rich, chewy. Drinking young but very well integrated. Pure dark cherry fruit. Great balance. Awesome finish.
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5/12/2012 - tooch wrote: 91 Points
Chicago Disorderly Afternoon (Phil's House): Lovely bottle with dark fruit, cedar and smoke on the nose. The palate is powerful and balanced with violets, dark fruit, spices, and truffle tones. This has a lot of life left - no rush drinking this baby.
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4/22/2012 - toomuchwine wrote: 94 Points
initially tight with a fair bit of Iodine smell, and the palate, even at 15 years was a bit tighter than i expected. It settled down quickly with about 45 minutes of air time and was classic Montelena, cassis, black cherry and well-integrated tannins. A really nice, well-balanced wine. Next time decant it for 45 minutes (there was also a fair bit of sediment).
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4/21/2012 - ghuggie wrote: 95 Points
Drinking really well. Outstanding.
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2/19/2012 - shaferguy91 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Long life ahead but I doubt if it will improve much more.
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2/18/2012 - wpd wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Opened up after time. Tight on opening. Very nice wine. Deep color, cassis notes. Plenty of life left in this wine.
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2/12/2012 - MC wrote:
From magnum. Unfortunately back to the inconsistency of previous bottles. This had 2 hours to open up, but still showed lean and just off in general. It certainly has plenty of structure, but the fruit just seems off with odd aromas and thin overall. Unlike any other vintage of their wine, here have been a couple of good ones, but also a couple of not so good ones as I have tasted through this vintage on Montelena. Is it just in need of a lot of time? B+/?
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1/17/2012 - danielk168 wrote: 92 Points
By chance, a re-match with QC, this time a 99 bottle. This time did not use the decanter but drank from the bottle after 1 hour of opening. We drank mostly QC first as that wine opened up sooner. The 97 needed about 1.5 hours before fully opened, still very young and powerful, this one will last for many more years. This round I would say a draw as both were excellent with the QC more elegant and Montelena more powerful.
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1/11/2012 - g289519 wrote: 90 Points
Was expecting better, seems to have peaked abruptly since my last bottle. Had with steak, decanted for about an hour. Perhaps it just wasn't in a good stage right now. Will try another in 6 months or so.
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1/8/2012 - WinoRick wrote: 94 Points
First of a case. Opened, decanted (not too much sediment), aerated and drank with a grilled steak. The aeration softened the slight edge, and the wine opened up as an outstanding Montelena. And, as a typical Montelena, it will only get better with age. Drink or save. 94 points.
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1/3/2012 - Siggy wrote: 92 Points
A much better showing than my last bottle (see previous TN). Old-school dark fruit, mint, eucalyptus. Ripe, but well-balanced.
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12/20/2011 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Hadn't sampled a cab in quite a while. Paired with T-bones. Purple in color with some bricking at the edges. Decanted for about an hour. From the get-go the nose exuded lovely smells of cassis, red currants, camphor, pine forest, cedar. Wonderfully balanced on the palate with excellent structure underlying layers of currant fruit, plum, menthol, and a bit of soy. Acidity was just right, providing verve and energy. Sweet grip and moderate, fine-grained tannins on the long, plum-infused finish. This wine is in a beautiful place right now, with years of pleasurable drinking ahead.
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12/16/2011 - soyhead wrote: 93 Points
3rd Annual Best of Bordeaux vs Kings of Kalifornia (PRIMA, Walnut Creek): tasted blind, (wine#11) ; personal and group WOTN
nose - sour cherry, earth, hint of orange, toasty oak
mouth - cranberry, orange peel, asian spice box, full bodied, complex and tannic.
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10/23/2011 - mwanasheria wrote: 94 Points
Dark fruit, cassis, tobacco, underwood, cedar and very silky tannins. Long finish.
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10/22/2011 - wingc123 wrote:
Last of my bottles. Took 3 hours to really open up in decanter and glass. Starting to lighten just a little in colour. The nose was muted at first, but then violet and chocolate. Really smooth, medium-full bodied. Tannins mostly gone. Nice last bottle.
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9/23/2011 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 95 Points
This gem was generously provided to our Vintage Wines, Ltd. Friday tasting group by Mike Christensen. It was tasted in double-blind fashion, and "wowed" from the get-go. The robe is deep-to-opaque garnet and the complex nose is full-throttle, with aromas of plums, cocoa, sage, mint and pickling spice. Full-bodied on the palate, with low-to-medium acidity and medium residual tannins. The flavors are complex and mirror the nose. The solid middle leads to a smooth finish which goes on and on (and on). Stunning now, but with the right elements to age gracefully. Drink now-12/25.
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9/22/2011 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 97 Points
To celebrate our 14th....opened in bottle for 3hrs, then took to dinner. This wine is in such PERFECT balance right now, it is simply amazing. Still dark purple color, with bottle coating sediment. Silky smooth tannins, rich and pure dark berry fruit(currants,plum,black cherry), warm earth, cigar box, leather, dried tobacco spice. The rich fruit gives it away as Cali...but it is so well balanced and silky that you would be second guessing 1st growth. Should age even longer, but SO good right now!
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9/17/2011 - Ibetian wrote: 92 Points
Drank alongside '96 Montelena. I slightly preferred style of 96, Bob the reverse. This was more classic Cali cab, with bright, clean fruit. A wonderful wine, I just liked the BDX style of the '96 a bit better.
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9/7/2011 - danielk168 wrote: 90 Points
Drank as 3rd bottle of the night as a last minute decision, about 30min in the bottle and started pouring. Normally would be a great pleasure to drink this but it was after the 98 Quilceda Creek which was performing so well tonight it outshined the Montelena, a pity. Still, very well balanced body with soft tannins and nose of complex black fruit + floral.
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9/4/2011 - KSWinegeek wrote: 95 Points
A superb wine. Powerful, but balanced. Drinking nicely now, but still has some years to go. Decanted for 2+ hours prior to tasting.
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7/3/2011 - JustOneMore wrote: 92 Points
Upon opening, muted chocolate flavors. However, after 24 hours of breathing in the bottle, huge chocolate flavors. Very well structure and complex finish.
Let this one breathe.
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6/29/2011 - jasonh wrote:
Drank with Gutting. Had a few other '97s as well. This one just got off the plane with me so it was a little shook up. Not show a lot right now. Probably could have used more airtime. Secondary flavors are just starting to peek through. My last bottle will remain sleeping.
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6/26/2011 - gutt22 wrote:
14.0% alcohol. Still extremely youthful, with a dark red-purple color. Terrific nose of brooding black fruit, leather, earth, and tobacco. In the mouth, a powerful wine that nevertheless retains a sense of restraint, allowing each element of the flavor profile to show in its place. A cool-fruited Cabernet, with wonderful earthiness and spice intermingling with high-toned tobacco and spice notes. Strongly structured on the back end. This is just a baby. More time needed, but it's a winner all around. A-/A
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6/1/2011 - sgamiz wrote:
This is a great wine but difficult to decribe - at first the wine was a little hot but afetr 20 minutes it came togheter quit nicely. The word for me is Black - taste and color with a sense of soy souce. It end it tasting great and balance.
Score ..mmm 92 to 94
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5/31/2011 - EMichels wrote: 92 Points
These have shifted to the modern style - nothing more to say
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5/12/2011 - bruinesq84 wrote: 90 Points
cork broke on extraction. just filtered and decanted over 2-3 hrs. Never really showed much fruit, though had god structure and very smotth feeling. Left me kinda feeling eh......perhaps not the best example.
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4/13/2011 - HenryW wrote: 92 Points
Slightly subdued. Nose of dark fruits, graphite, a hint of sweat. Palate has some earthy notes. A bit dry on the finish.
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3/28/2011 - geodeemoore wrote: 87 Points
Drank from Magnum, purchased direct from the winery and stored under perfect conditions. I agree with rdfech. This wine is past it's prime. Pleasant but not much body or fruit.
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3/26/2011 - jonradus wrote: 97 Points
Wow!! This wine was ridiculous. I've had some Montelena cab reserve's in the past, but this one was on another level. It was new world fruit forward with tantalizing raspberry and blackcurrant with an old world peppery finish that cut right through your olfactory taste buds. This wine was absurdly good and had an unbelievable finish. I have tasted some great wines in my days. This is in the top 10.
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2/25/2011 - salil wrote: 93 Points
From magnum. Incredibly youthful, full of primary cassis and dark berried fruit tinged with gentle tobacco, cedar and herbal notes. There's a sense of restraint and finesse here I rarely find in Napa Cabernet with outstanding balance, depth and the stuffing and structure to age a long time.
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11/21/2010 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
Cab's at the Capital Grille (Minneapolis): This wine has it all. great nose of earth, a bit of funk, floral elements, cassis, black fruits abound, impeccable balance of fruit, acid, tannins, layer upon layer reveals itself, very complex and pure joy. Very long finish. 95-96pts. My WOTN.
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11/21/2010 - Mattshank wrote: 94 Points
Cabs at Capital Grill (Minneapolis): Nose: Incredible, inky, orchid nose with black fruits. Palate: Black fruits with dense inky qualities. Unreal depth and my WOTN.
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11/7/2010 - Ibetian wrote: 95 Points
No detailed note, but a terrific combination of complex nose, smoothe palate and lingering finish. Still plenty of life left but I doubt this will get much better.
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10/31/2010 - rdfech01 wrote: 88 Points
I must have gotten the bad magnum. Held since release. Not much fruit. Reticent nose. Nothing special.
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10/30/2010 - Chris wrote: 99 Points
This wine was close to perfect. The nose was pure aged Cab and the taste lingered forever in your mouth. This wine was drunk from a magnum, which may have helped a little.
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9/27/2010 - davergny wrote: 96 Points
From memory, this bottle was rockin'! Fantastic earthy and cassis driven on the nose, multi-dimensional cabernet, dark fruit flavors, earthy, plums, truffles and cassis. Long, deep, great finish. Open for business but should drink well for a long time. Only sad note is that this was my only bottle.
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9/25/2010 - VinoKep wrote: 94 Points
outstanding
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8/19/2010 - jeff nowak wrote: 91 Points
i've never been a montelena fan, but this was a good bottle of this vintage, which i will attribute to superb bottle prep by the campanile somm. it's still a bit harsh for my desires in a napa cab. if this were a 96, i'd cut it some slack. still too young you say? of course you do.
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7/26/2010 - Gfritzh wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Very tight and closed down when first opened, the wine opened up to a wonderfully complex Cabernet with moderate fruit notes, firm tannins and a long finish. This wine has many good years left but is drinking very well now after two or three hours in the decanter.
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7/13/2010 - kanjimoti wrote: 93 Points
Such a beauty. The 1997 Montelena Estate Cab is still going strong. Very dark with only the slightest hue change towards the edge. On the nose the wine is dramatic and complex displaying eucalyptus (ala Heitz Martha's) cassis, licorice, gravel, and thankfully last, the oak which sits so nicely in the background. One of the reasons I opened this was that I was told most of the Napa cabs from 1997 were starting to unwind and even fall apart. That may be true of others but the Montelena has hardly reached middle age, yet to exhibit much of the tobacco I know this is hiding for now. The tannins are soft and beautiful but what is really holding it all together is the beautifully integrated backbone of acid. Another ten years and I think all the elements here will intertwine into near perfection and finally be able to display everything it has to offer. At least five years from peaking.
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6/26/2010 - JustOneMore wrote: 92 Points
I decanted 2 hours 15 minutes, but the wine did not begin to open significantly until 3 more hours in the glass. Drank it in a side-by-side with a 1994 Ch. Montelena Estate. Wish I had decanted the 1997 at least 5+ hours, as it began to show its elegance. At that point, the softer 1994 began to fall apart.
As far as taste, very similar to the 1994 but a little more muted and austere (Pronounced vanilla and cherries. Moderate tannins. Beautfully structured.)
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6/7/2010 - Gfritzh wrote: 92 Points
Drinking very well now.
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6/5/2010 - JJB007 wrote: 95 Points
it was excellent- it tastes pretty darn good
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5/22/2010 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Incredible balance, this is still a fabulous wine. Should be good for another year or two and perhaps more. Still lots of flavor, especially anise and black cherry. Wish I had more of this.
The wine looks Garnet colored.
The legs are Slow.
It smells like Cherry, and Mushroom.
The body is Medium/Full.
The wine is textured Polished.
The wine finishes Long.
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5/4/2010 - petitblanc wrote: 90 Points
Deep cranberry-blueberry color tinged with purple. Initially very bitter and acidic, this showed best after 2 hours in the decanter. Lots of fine sediment that required filtering. Earthy, mineral nose. Simple and very fruity palate. Plenty of acidity, considerable smooth but bitter tannins, very warm alcohol. Although the refined Montelena style shone through just a bit, this never lost its bitter edge. Possible upside in 4 to 6 years, but I won't buy more at the current price.
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5/3/2010 - DonWinspear wrote: 93 Points
The wine was allowed to breathe for 2 hours, but did not decant. Color displays slight rust around the edges, indicating some maturity. The nose is subtle, but classic Cali cab. Dark berries, cassis, a hint of spice, leather. I think this wine is absolutely humming. The tannins have relaxed to reveal a wonderful cabernet with a subtle hint of bordeaux terroir. I detected some mocha, a hint of oak. The acidity is balanced, the mouthfeel is smooth. Delicious.
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4/30/2010 - Capybara562 wrote: 95 Points
This has reached maturity - it is smooth, fully integrated, and rich. The tannins, fruit, and acidity are in balance.
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4/5/2010 - dmattson wrote: 96 Points
outstanding.
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3/28/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
This began with spice box, black cherry and smokey aromatics. Soft, elegant and full bodied, the wine seemed like it was still holding a lot in reserve.
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3/26/2010 - pkimhk wrote: 95 Points
Still huge and tight. A massive wine. Dried cherried, mocha, chocolate, Firm tannins. Feels like it can live forever
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2/27/2010 - Brett wrote: 90 Points
Past prime
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2/18/2010 - madeiradog wrote: 96 Points
Dinner with Bernard Burtschy (Taberna del Alabardero): Great concentration - just delicious. Great structure and acidity to pair with minty fruit with additional notes of berry, tobacco and coffee.
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2/14/2010 - colleen90405 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 4 hours and tasted at a dinner party with super rich foods and amazing wines - I am hoping the Montelena is still in its slumber b/c it tasted disjointed, no bordeaux taste that older Montelenas from the early 90s still taste like. The 97s were supposed to be monsters, and if the early and mid 90 Monties still taste amazing, this guy must still not be ready to open yet. Needs a few more years still.
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2/7/2010 - skwid wrote: flawed
This wine was very slightly corked. NR
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2/5/2010 - ebergan wrote: 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!
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2/2/2010 - sandwich wrote: 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.
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1/30/2010 - ken-yyz wrote: 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.
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1/24/2010 - the godfather wrote:
pretty tasty
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1/16/2010 - otisabdul wrote: 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.
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1/16/2010 - DonWinspear wrote: 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.
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12/29/2009 - Sausalito wrote:
"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.
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12/10/2009 - gutt22 wrote:
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
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12/4/2009 - JScott wrote: 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.
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11/24/2009 - AlexHop wrote: 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.
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11/24/2009 - AlexHop wrote: 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).
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11/7/2009 - MC wrote:
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-
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10/25/2009 - davidandrose wrote: 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.
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8/31/2009 - phenricsson wrote: 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.
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8/8/2009 - JJA wrote: 95 Points
No need to give this too many adjectives other than stunning. Too bad there's none left in the cellar!
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6/16/2009 - mdrwineman wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic wine! Decanted and poured....just kept getting better over time. Has everything: power, depth and finesse.
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6/13/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 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
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6/5/2009 - vinojones wrote: 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.
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5/24/2009 - halfred wrote: 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.
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5/22/2009 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 98 Points
A drop dead stunning Cabernet. Delightfully supple, complex and layered, this is intense while caressing, with mouth watering pure currant, blackberry, tar, pain grille, and some subtle bell pepper. The fruit is powerful and potent, yet graceful and refined. This blew my mind. – JD98
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5/16/2009 - andolini wrote: 94 Points
Classic style California cab. Opened for about an hour. A bit disjointed at first -- tannic, somewhat green, cedar box and tobacco. Really came together over time -- bell pepper, earthy, Bordeaux-like profile. Smooth finish and even the wife enjoyed it.
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5/11/2009 - Siggy wrote: 88 Points
'80s and '90s California Cab Tasting w/ Bob Macdonald (Our House): A faint whiff of brett on the nose that quickly blew off. On the palate this is concentrated and ripe yet also slightly herbal, with dark fruit flavors, smoke, minerals, and coffee/espresso that build to a medium finish wrapped in oak. This has plenty of intensity but seems to lack freshness and energy. Very good but disappointing relative to expectations.
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5/2/2009 - bigdogflow wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Very dark color. Nose had blackberry and currant. Flavor was Amazing! Tons of dark fruit on the taste with a finish that went on forever! An absolute treat.
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5/1/2009 - steffenpelz wrote:
Pre-Nuptial Eve Get Together (Wink Wine Bar): If they still make them like this in CA, I don't know where. It's a funky wine, and an extremely tannic one. With another few years, this could surely be mistaken for Bordeaux in blind tastings (if not already). This has cassis and cherry in spades with some cedar plank and tons of dusty earth on the palate. Finish is a monster and although this is drinking exceptionally well right now, I am convinced it'll be better in 5 years and can hold for substantially longer than that.
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4/28/2009 - psmith wrote:
1994 and 1997 California Cabernet Retrospective (Chicago, IL): Roasted coffee notes and red fruit undertones. Sort of a hybrid of classic and modern styling. Ripe fruit. Fine, but resolving tannins, but still quite bright and vibrant. Well balanced. Rated 18/20.
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4/4/2009 - AZ Cat wrote:
(2) Drank at Atlas for our anniversary. Popped and decanted for sediment (of which there was only a little). Drank over about two hours. The wine was very tight and tannic with little fruit. It opened up a little, but not much, over the two hours.
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4/3/2009 - jbaron wrote: 94 Points
outstanding. Somewhat reticent nose, but very full, rich, well defined mouth of tar and currants and dark cherires and pepper and earth. Nice, length with good extraction. A real pleasure. No sign of decline, and very nice now.
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3/28/2009 - Montecalvo wrote: 94 Points
Still quite dark for 12 years old. Overall an excellent example of Napa. Fruit is still present but nicely integrated. Wonderful Bordeaux nose. Somewhat more medium bodied with the depth I had hoped for. With such a mature nose and still plenty of fruit I expect this to do well for quite some time and perhaps improve some over the next few years.
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3/20/2009 - ml wrote:
Popped, decanted quickly, and immediately poured and consumed.
Very good, but also needs more time. Perhaps a lot more time. I wouldn't touch another for at least three, and possibly as much as five years. Should easily still be in good shape in 2020.
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3/15/2009 - Tight Lines wrote: 94 Points
It is flat out wonderful. What a treat.
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3/10/2009 - jlemerond wrote: 90 Points
Very Bordeaux nose. Earth and dark, black fruits with some chocolate and lots of t and a. Mouthcoating tannins and a long finish. A touch alcoholic for my taste, not as balanced as earlier bottles I've had.
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2/28/2009 - Cheryl wrote:
Craft NYC/LA Live (New York, NY): Flawed. Really green.
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2/22/2009 - RockinCabs wrote: 95 Points
Nose: eucalyptus, mint, black cherry, and red currant. Palate: Slightly austere entry, but nice bordeaux like fruit accompanies the nuances. Black berries, sweet tobacco, and graphite in the midpalate with leather and dry brush showing through. Finish: bright cherry, good acidity and mint/eucalyptus showing. Soil/earth develops as it finishes and tobacco becomes more prominent. This has been plateaued for a while. Great bottle.
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2/21/2009 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 89 Points
I only give a 90 or better to wines I would buy again. The Montelena, I would not considering the hype and the cost.
Cassis yes, bell pepper yes, but to us and Matt Heinz, Prime 112's sommelier, an uninspiring wine. A real disappointment.
Deanted for 1/2 hour at home, and consumed over 1-1/2 hours at Prime.
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2/8/2009 - wa2ofd wrote:
This wine is drinking great...I had this bottle once b/f upon release and was HOT! The alcohol burn has now subsided and the wine with just ~20 mins of aeration had a beautiful bouquet, an attack that was lush, with a smooth finish. Bravo!
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1/17/2009 - Tight Lines wrote: 95 Points
It is just magnificent; just smooth.
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12/15/2008 - bundydavis wrote: 95 Points
This wine is special. Has it for a birthday dinner at Market and it did not disappoint. Aged and structured perfectly. My first time experiencing a Chateau Montelana Estate and I want more. Wow!
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10/12/2008 - bon vivant wrote: 94 Points
An excellent bottle at Steve C's in an evening featuring several other 97's. This was well balanced elegant and did not display any harshness or green notes. One of the better bottles from this producer which in many other vintages seldom seems to live up to it's reputation ( a 1999 tonight was very ordinary and uninspiring)
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8/31/2008 - jwsmith wrote: 92 Points
I cant recall any details just that the wine has barely aged in the past 10 years. Excellent.
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8/12/2008 - BordeauxNut wrote: 89 Points
August 2008 at Bud Starr's St. Louis Tasting (Bud Starr's -- Clayton, Missouri): The nose is a bit strange here – a Christmas candy note mixed with dark chocolate and a piney, resinous, greenish quality that, for me, wasn’t especially appealing. On the palate, disappointingly monolithic. The acidity is disjointed here. Simple. There was nothing wrong with the bottle -- maybe it was consumed too young but, really, it's hard to be generous here. And, I generally like Montelena.
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8/1/2008 - BeavisCC wrote: 96 Points
From 375ml - Very earthy, with great fruit and tons of depth. This didn't blow the doors off as much as prior bottles, but was another fantastic showing for one of the greatest Cal cabs of the last 15 years, nonetheless.
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7/17/2008 - ebergan wrote: 92 Points
Well, this was nice... Opened from the cellar about an hour before the meal, and it was tannic. Sampled at 20 minutes, then 40 minutes. At 40 minutes, seemed to be opening up, so sealed it and threw it into the cellar.
At meal time, nice brick color, tannins mostly under control, very nice, but still a bit tight.
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6/16/2008 - burgbob wrote: 93 Points
From 375 ml. Fully ready to drink but will last quite a while. Nicely balanced Napa cab with good depth of flavor. Little in the way of secondary aromas in bouquet, and i doubt that will change.
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5/21/2008 - norsktorsk wrote: 90 Points
This wine was tasted next to a Phelps Insignia. This wine was not as rich, color was lighter with subtle change around the edge. Tannins remain but are quite mellow.
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2/19/2008 - kstoddard wrote: flawed
Dominant green bell pepper throughout the wine. Barnyard, soy sauce, black fruit and charred oak. Flat and chalky on the finish. Heat damaged.
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2/11/2008 - Gfritzh wrote: 96 Points
An exellent California Cab drinking very well. Nice up-front dark cherry fruit with a long cherry and chocolate finish. This wine should be drinking well for many more years.
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1/31/2008 - jasonh wrote:
Still very young. A very nice wine. Needs 10 more years.
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1/31/2008 - gregg g wrote:
EWG does California Cabernets ('74, '90, '91, '97, '99, '00, '05): I have vague memories of this wine. It did not make a great impression. Likely this bottle needed more time. It showed pretty tight and wound up. Hints were all we got. A previous CT note showed I had the same wine in 3/97 from a passive cellar (someone's closet) and the wine showed it's potential. Good things to come. I would hold another 5 yrs before checking in again.
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1/30/2008 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
Nic & Stef’s: Light veggie & mint, blk cherry, med. light mth; fairly closed, not getting much, a bit plain, shut down, but may hold surprises. EWG
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1/27/2008 - MC wrote:
I've had this from both Magnum and 750 in the past month, and I'm struggling with what it will be. Primary, dark color. Nice California nose - ripe but not too much. The problem is on the palate this wine is not rich in the sense of the best '97s (or the '92) - but it is also less classic Montelena. It honestly comes accross as a bit thin - not bad, but an in-between wine that I just can't place right now. Even after a few hours it does not really open up. Not sure what to do with it, other than trust Montelena and give it some time. Although tannins are soft and it can be drunk now, I would much rather drink the 96 or 95. B+?
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1/3/2008 - sgpracer wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 1 1/2 hours before consuming. Nice solid performance with leather and fruit tastes. Medium body in the mouth. Great combination with Steaks off the grill.
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12/25/2007 - deanda wrote: 95 Points
decanted for 1 1/2 hours; absolutley drining great right now; round, full and complaex.
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12/7/2007 - jbaron wrote: 94 Points
Showing well. Still primary, but very good depth, and very well balanced. Nice nose, superb length, oak is non-existent in taste, but supporting in structure.
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11/27/2007 - Grinner wrote: 90 Points
Under performed, but is still a fine wine. I got no sense of place from this wine like I usually get with Montelena. Some toast and medium weight fruit, a bit shorter than many of the '97's we had.
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11/26/2007 - dionysis wrote: 85 Points
Dissapointed again by this wine (2nd time in a row) -- very thin, herbal and lean, with dissapearing fruit and finish. At its best, only about an 85. Unfortunate that this wine continues to be either an 80 or a 97, and I seem to be searching for the latter lately.
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11/24/2007 - fordpat wrote: 97 Points
Enjoyed a magnum of the '97 with family at this year's Thanksgiving feast. Decanted approximately 45 minutes. Superb at first sip, but grew in leaps and bounds as it opened. Robust, dark-color, lingered in the mouth. Full-bodied and probably would have been better with beef or lamb, but in this setting and with loved ones enjoying, it was all we could have asked.
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11/14/2007 - win wrote: 90 Points
Large Tasting: Drink up.
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11/14/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
Dallas 2nd Wednesday Group - November 2007 (Danielle Osteria, Dallas, TX): WIML90
Tasted November 14, 2007 at an offline. Opened and served immediately. Dark purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Tight nose giving way to some notes of saddle soap, black berries, leather and maybe some white pepper notes towards the end. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and some bitters on the finish. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full body. Drink now with a decant or continue to hold. This wine continues to be all over the place for me. Not sure where it is headed.
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11/10/2007 - rpenn77 wrote: 97 Points
Decanted 1 hr before serving. Great fruit, smoky in the nose. Soft tannins, still young. Will wait awhile before trying it again. Still has some room to improve with time.
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10/16/2007 - Robbi wrote: 97 Points
Excellent with smoke and wood and earthiness and huge flavor and very drinkable now!
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9/23/2007 - shaferguy91 wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 1 hour.
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9/14/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted September 14, 2007. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Started slowly revealing notes of leather that gave way to floral elements and a mix of dark fruits. Flavors of rich mixed berries and cherries. Medium acidity, integrated tannins, medium to full body. Drink now with a short decant or maybe hold.
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9/14/2007 - win wrote: 92 Points
Classic deep Montelena. Similar to prior tastings--outstanding and solid. This Montelena has been interesting recently--sometimes a miss, but usually a hit. Reserved fruit, but not like an aged Bordeaux. Very good wine, but difficult to describe a consistent style from this winery--at least for me.
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8/18/2007 - GSW wrote: 94 Points
Still delightful.
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8/5/2007 - GSW wrote: 94 Points
Dark purple in the glass, and a muted nose for the first half hour. Tannins still there but becoming smoother. Dark fruits, smoke, some spice notes. Full-bodied. Very enjoyable. Consumed with Nancy & guest Jim Carter over grilled strip steaks, grilled sweet potato, tomato & mozzarella, arugula salad, grilled peaches over vanilla ice cream.
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6/17/2007 - nemloc wrote: 94 Points
Had a small taste when I first opened the bottle, completely muted. Decanted for one hour and had with steaks. Superb! Balanced acidity and fruit, lilac notes on the nose with peppers, spices, and black fruit in the mouth.
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6/17/2007 - Alpine wrote: 92 Points
Father's Day Sunday watching the US Open at Oakmont....dinner with my boys and a nice steak from Whole Paycheck (Foods). Priceless....
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5/4/2007 - DaveF wrote: flawed
Flawed bottle. Flabby, no fruit. Could have had a bit of TCA. Hoping my other bottles are not like this.
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5/3/2007 - Mrbuzz wrote: 97 Points
Gorgeous complex nose of black fruits, sweet tobacco, leather, green bell pepper, dusty cedar spice. Young and concentrated in the mouth....smooth and pure currant, plum, black cherry fruit; waves of complex Bordeaux-like flavors...leather, dried tobacco, fresh basil, earth spice, cigar box. Long long finish, still firm tannins to age for years and years. Fantastic wine!
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5/1/2007 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
Wineflock - Montelena Vertical (My House): Group #4, My #2 - Full opaque black red color. Big forward black fruit nose with notes of green pepper. Big black round fruit with coffee notes. Still youthful with plenty of structure, but drinking right in its window.
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4/27/2007 - ErinByrne wrote: 97 Points
Second wine of the night at Pat's going away party. Enjoyed from a magnum at Del Frisco's in NY. Decanted for a half hour. Initially the wine tasted musty, but it quickly opened up in the glass and revealed deep black fruit and and firm tannins. Was full bodied, as expected, and wonderfully complex. Awesome.
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3/24/2007 - EMichels wrote: 92 Points
Tasted from magnum; Beautiful balance; Strong youthful fruit; 5-11-17-9
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3/14/2007 - otisabdul wrote: 93 Points
Tasted in London at an offline with BirDungy. Best after around 45 minutes of decanting. Surprisingly Bordeaux-like, some guesses were “1st or 2nd growth from ’95 or ‘96”. Not your prototypical bursting-at-the-seams-with-ripeness ’97 Napa cab. It is very focused and well-defined, quite muscular and dynamic. Perhaps lacking some richness, but not lacking depth. Still has many years of life left, and will probably improve further with an additional 3-5 years of cellaring.
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3/14/2007 - gregg g wrote:
Drinking extremely well, from a passive cellar inside a closet. Surprisingly advanced and open. Wonderful notes of cedar, cassis, tobacco, etc... Silky and long on the finish. Tannins were very tame and smooth. Certainly the passive cellar played a role in this wines advancement. Nonetheless, a great wine experience.
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3/1/2007 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 96 Points
Strangely, this is the only bottle on Montelena I have ever bought. You know, I read all of the good press on these, but I have never pulled the trigger. I did not take formal notes, but I can still remember where I was and when and who I drank this bottle with, and enjoying it to the last drop. My barely legible scribble reads ripe, deep, and smooth.
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2/23/2007 - bevetroppo wrote: 90 Points
Tasted double blind. This one had me scratching my head initially. It did not resemble anything I would have associated with California. At first I didn't even have a clue on the varietal character, but slowly figured it was cab-based. My problem was the substantial restraint that was still operative, which didn't seem like it could possibly be associated with a New World wine. I subsequently learned that it had been open for 3 hours, so I can't use that as an excuse either. This had a pure vein of Napa fruit in it but it was so tightly cloaked as to disguise it completely from my immediate apprehension. There was a slight herbaceous streak. I guessed Super Tuscan '99 like Solaia. Oops I did it again. Going strong and in no need of immediate consumption.
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2/4/2007 - georgeohr wrote: 93 Points
From Magnum at Smith & Wollensky, Miami. big nose and fully open at first pour. Did not require decanting. Spicy, complex, great color, good body, wonderful finish. I was suprised at the level of maturity. If this was a representative bottle I would consider drinking up over the next 5 years.
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1/13/2007 - slawrence wrote: 100 Points
drank bottle in sun valley with Stew - it was fantastic drinking it and eating at The Knob Hill Inn - what a fantastic time!
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1/12/2007 - rothdog wrote: 97 Points
This wine is so beautiful, so complex and so wonderful that I can not easily describe it. Rich, round and quite elegant it has notes of blueberry, blackberry, acacia, cherries, vanilla leather, earth, chocolate and spice. Did I leave anything out? Undoubtedly. Tannins are still powerfully perfect, spreading across the palate not unlike a top Pauillac. Sadly, I have no more in my cellar.
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12/31/2006 - win wrote: 93 Points
This wine was showing very well tonight, better than a bottle a few months ago. Very Bordeaux nose, without the vegetation. Nice smooth black currant and red raspberry overtones, and refined tannins. This is aging well, but drink up?
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12/26/2006 - JScott wrote: 92 Points
Closed at first, opened over an hour or more. Will improve.
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12/21/2006 - vintage61 wrote: flawed
Very slight cork. Not everyone could detect it. Tasted fully mature and ready to drink, which was surprising. No score due to cork.
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10/14/2006 - wineismylife wrote:
win's 40th Birthday Party (win's house in The Colony, TX): WIMLNR,WA98,WS95
Tasted October 14, 2006 at win’s 40th birthday party. Served blind in a Riedel restaurant series Bordeaux wine glass. Bag labeled as “Buckeyes”. Dark purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Dusty nose, that is about it. Pretty flat fruitwise on the palate. Good acidity but mouth puckering tannins. Medium bodied. I hope this is the 2001 Charles Shaw because if it isn’t then it is the 1997 Montelena. COMMENTS: I believe the cork on the wine was removed and reinserted about 8 hours before tasting. I’m hoping it simply died over that time or maybe provenance of this bottle is questionable because I have 4 botttles of this in the cellar.
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10/14/2006 - win wrote: 91 Points
Blind Birthday Tasting (Win's House - Texas): Wine was opened and recorked 8 hours previously. This wine caused the biggest range of mixed reviews of the tasting—I thought it was very smooth, yet had dusty aromas that I found very favorable. I was one of the few that liked this wine. (Buckeyes)
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7/31/2006 - jdtonic wrote: 90 Points
Not ready yet. tight. Not as tasty as the dominus/dunns of this vintage. very heavy, dense. closed red/blk fruit, blk licorice? some herbaceous (pine, eucalyptus) notes but, this bottle, my first Monty, was far less interesting and less tasty than the fairly simple but luscious 97 insignia, to let alone dominus.
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7/27/2006 - goofy Yno wrote: 93 Points
ah, this is what Cabernet is a about. such a nose with cassias, black currant, some hints of tobacco, herbs. perfectly balances, although a little tight. tons of fruits with a long finish. Of course it is extremely young for a Montelena, but surprisingly drinkable at this early stage. destined for greatness in another decade.
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7/26/2006 - jbaron wrote: 93 Points
Shows as before. Not sure, but I still think that this wine will round out some in the next few years; become more "old cab" and less "full, round cab"...
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7/25/2006 - mmdavis4 wrote:
This was a bit of a dissapointment. I am hoping it is just young. Hard to tell though.
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5/31/2006 - BeavisCC wrote: 98 Points
This wine almost seems to offer up something different every time I try it. Always great, it was open for business when first released, then closed up in all formats and has only really reemerged in 375. 750s are still tight, in need of another 5-10 years, but are so distinguished that they will be well worth the wait. In an evening with the likes of 82 Cos, 97 Pahlemeyer and 71 Latour this was either WOTN in its current state, or at least damn close to it. So happy to have more of this wine; wish I had purchased even more on release. Complexity in a California cabernet? This has it in spades. An awesome wine that can give any wine in the world a run for its money. What a great example of California cab!
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4/22/2006 - Alpine wrote: 95 Points
Drank on the back patio with friends...excellent fruit qualities and mid-palate just beginning the road to maturity. I look for much bigger things from this in the future.
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4/5/2006 - BradE wrote:
Half bottle. Really thin and not that sexy. The cork and bottle seemed perfect, so not sure what the issue is.
Rather dissappointing.
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3/30/2006 - Chuck Miller wrote: 93 Points
Solid drinking wine, entering drinking window, can hold another 5 years or so.
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3/28/2006 - GreenDrazi wrote:
Atlanta Vielles Vignes – Bone’s and Cabs (Bone's Restaurant, Atlanta, GA): Nose was too volatile. Bretty, muted fruits - flawed. I could not drink this.
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3/4/2006 - Thilo wrote: 94 Points
This wine is a bit perplexing. Color is dark garnet/purple. Nose shows cassis, eucalyptus, smoke, earth, and oak. On the palate, dark berry notes are at the fore with cassis, spice, mint, earth, and oak rounding out the flavors. Definitely a profound California Cabernet, but it lacks some balance at this point. Still quite tannic and the acidity, while appreciated, seems a little too pronounced. I think, however, that this should settle down very nicely with time.
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2/14/2006 - jbaron wrote: 93 Points
(From 375) This wine changed a significant amount during the first 2 hours of it being opened. It started tight and focues, turned into over-the-hill, super-ripe, stewed fruit, and eventually settled in-between, with good fruit, not too ripe, with excellent length and good acidity and balance. Fruit tastes of dark plums and black cherries, with pepper and oak notes. I'd like to see some of the more typical, cabernet notes (graphite, earth, etc.) and think that this might round out this wine a bit.
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2/11/2006 - wineismylife wrote: 89 Points
1997 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley The Montelena Estate
WIML89.WA98,WS95
Tasted double blind on February 11, 2006 at an offline. Opened and served immediately in a Spiegelau Authentis Magnum glass. Band aid nose does not bode well for this wine (others said it blew off towards the end of the evening). Red cherries and red licorice on the palate. Definitely California CS, 1999 vintage is likely. NOTE: I was disappointed when I saw this wine unwrapped. Not a good showing in my opinion.
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1/23/2006 - Winetex wrote: 91 Points
This wine had a nice flavor profile but was highly tannic with a slight green streak. Hopefully it's still young and needs more time. A nice wine in good shape but definitely not in the WOW category for my palate. [$$; Decanted and poured; it improved with airtime so a longer decant might help]
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1/3/2006 - Blair Curtis wrote:
On the nose, obvious brett. Not that I mind, but it is surely there. For me, gives this wine an old-world feel. The girlfriend tasted it and guessed France, tasting the brett also. Finally showing hints of development. But all-in-all a baby still. Fierce tannins. This will go decades. Nicer with a couple hours air and intense swirling.
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12/31/2005 - Aschwartzdc wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Huge mouthful and very primary fruit. Some secondary flavors already revealing themselves.
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12/10/2005 - MarkC wrote: 91 Points
Brett on the nose? Beyond that, fairly typical Cali Cab nose of currant and cedar. Bits of new leather couch. On the palate much better. Tightly wound - I would wait at least 3 years before expecting a change. Primary red fruits - some roasted strawberry, raspberry, hints of cherry pie. Some grassy notes. Drunk from magnum.
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11/30/2005 - Herb Blair wrote: 96 Points
Drank with Mike & Sasha Zolik and Sasha's mom at Artisan Cooking School. A great bordeaux like wine wine.
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8/20/2005 - JeffGMorris wrote: 74 Points
Dinner club at Steve & Barb's house. Dark ruby. Dark ruby, this is probably the best thing I can say about this bottle. Extremely harsh wood tannins and barely any fruit. Completely unbalanced and a major disappointment. My views were shared by the 3 other experienced palates at the table. Bad bottle? It clearly wasn't corked and was in Steve's cellar since release so it should have been ok. Very alarming bottle. 50+8+6+5+5 = 74
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7/22/2005 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Thick, rich, concentrated and opulent. Reminds of the 91 Montelena, but younger. Very youthful, but can easily be enjoyed today, or cellared for 20 or more years
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5/14/2005 - Jason wrote: 92 Points
4 Decades, 21 Bottles, 1 Producer- Chateau Montelena (Daniel's Broiler, Bellevue , WA): The nose was high-toned with blueberries, dried herbs, and chocolate. The palate was thick with very, very low acid. The tannins were a bit coarse. The finish was long and showed a Chex Mix element to it.
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5/14/2005 - Eric wrote: 88 Points
Chateau Montelena vertical (1973-2002) (Bellevue, WA): The nose shows vanilla, volatile acidity and some blueberry, latex and hints of horse. The palate is just too sweet, overripe, lacking the backbone and focus of most other vintages. Group average 91.7 pts.
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5/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
Nice, not great. 5/05
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2/13/2005 - RJD wrote:
Not a formal note - consummd at a biz dinner in Sante Fe. Tight, very tight. Underlying substance to last many years. Dominated by tannin. Wait 3 years at least on this one.
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1/5/2005 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
A vertical of Montelena for a good cause: Smells tannic, but tastes less so. Dense black currant fruit. Old wood. Nice.
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11/5/2004 - DaveF wrote:
Can't give this wine a points rating right now, becuase I can't read what lies within. This is the first of my 97 Montelena's I've opened. It's closed down. Tannins are huge, but the wine is green. This needs to sit down for quite a while. Hopefully, the tannins will drop out and the wine will shine. No TCA present (considering the current hoopla by the press).
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10/14/2004 - Blair Curtis wrote:
From 375, very tight now. It was pretty expressive on the nose (much more so than a '99 Montelena consumed this past weekend) but the tannins dominated on the palate. It is one of those wines where you know the material is there, even if you had never sampled the wine before now. The palate is dense, but the fruit is in hiding. This wine is not in a stage where I prefer to waste bottles by drinking now. So the rest go out of reach for several years.
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10/2/2004 - jeff nowak wrote:
the biggest disappoinntment of the night for me. i have a fair amount of this wine, and i'm bummed because i really disliked it. (i know, i know, somebody will take it off my hands ) i'm praying it was closed, or lacked decanting. feedback on this? i mean this was showing nothing.
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9/25/2004 - Drobs wrote: 95 Points
awesome buquet! Huge body, touches of oak, berry, nuts and chocolate, finsih lasted 30 seconds. Could not believe how well this wine held up, awesome with beed tenderloin.
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9/21/2004 - CharlesM wrote: 95 Points
Superb tasting of Ch. Montelena and Dominus 87, 90, 91, 94 & 97 (London, UK): Deep purple. A superb nose of raspberries, boysenberries, cassis and bramble. Lovely plush finish, tannins there but beautifully integrated, nicely sweet with a fleshy mouthfeel but excellent acidity and great length. 95+ points now. Can only get better.
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8/6/2004 - Dteng wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for an hour before consumption at Beaujolais in Banff. Color is dark purple and impenetrable. Surprisingly reticent. Scent of mocha, blackberries and vanilla cream peak out finding a lush mouthfeel and silky tannins. Overall, this is a bit subdued when compared to the 94 Phelps Backus that preceded. Still though, the potential is there and I find this bottle to be relatively closed compared to the last one I had 2 years ago. Very enjoyable.
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3/5/2004 - peternelson wrote: 94 Points
Red Carpet: Huge nose of fruit, mineral, wood; earthy, blue, strawb., cherries; bark & cedar; very complex, shrooms, loives; med.+bod, earth/frt mth, well-bal, tiny sour fin. in a good way.
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1/16/2004 - ipp wrote: 93 Points
super dark ... full-bodied ... tons of mouth-watering tannins ... needs time ... not as ripe as the 96
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9/2/2003 - Jason wrote: 96 Points
Super dark with no signs of age. Massive nose of chocolate, black fruit, and smoke. Lush, creamy mouthfeel. Impeccable balance with lively tannins that continued to integrate as the wine sat in the decanter. Wow. Blackberry, cocao, candied raspberry, cassis, and licorice. Little to no secondary characteristics but has the structure and balance to last and last and last. Awesome wine.
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11/3/2002 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 96 Points
Tasted at vertical Chateau Montelena tasting at the home of Amy Weinberg. Opaque ruby/purple robe with a purple rim, appearing very youthful. Clean nose, showing earth, raspberry, cassis and creamy vanilla. Full-bodied on the palate and sporting massive sweet tannins, the flavors are similar to the nose and lead to a long, smooth finish.
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9/6/2001 - Blair Curtis wrote: 95 Points
Not the Full Monty, but the half Monty-lena. Recently opened a 375 ml of '97 Montelena. Decanted for 2 hours: Nose of cherries, plums, blackforest cake and earth. On the palate, focused ripe red fruits and cassis with a hint of tart cherry. Tannic right now. More elegant than bold at this stage with a long, long finish. With food (aged porterhouse) the tannins are tamed. As the evening wore on (at hour 3) the fruit gets sweeter in the glass. This one has a LONG life ahead (to confirm the obvious). Unless you've got lots, don't bother it...let it sleep.
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8/6/2001 - ipp wrote: 92 Points
awesome potensial ... wonderfully dark ... great complexity and structure ... cellaring will improve this huge, youg cab
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9/24/2000 - dbg wrote:
very dark, somewhat restrained nose, opens with time, very deep
concentrated fruit, big tannins, wait a few years
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