2011 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga

Community Tasting Notes (54) Avg Score: 89.1 points

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  3/25/2023 - Don Roberto Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Pleasantly surprised. We blind tasted this at a party we hosted got universally good ratings. Classic Cab black current. Hints if tannin and mild acidity

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  1/3/2023 - mbtownsend Does not like this wine: 80 Points

  Like many, agree this is past it's prime. Initial bouquet lovely, but gone in 5 minutes. Is harsh to drink- no smooth mouthfilling flavors. Maybe will taste different in 30 minutes

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  7/17/2020 - pgrzesik Likes this wine: 90 Points

  I have started to drink up my 2011 Napa cabs and have been pleasantly surprised at how good of them are! This is no exception - albeit maybe I had a little different experience then the majority of people here.
  
  Did not decant this and it did not need it. The nose was a little subdued - but with a couple swirls in the glass lots of forest floor, baking spices, and stewed fruits came up. The palate is little light for a cabernet. Not your typical Napa powerhouse, but a pleasant restrained interpretation of the grape. It felt more like I was drinking a soft pinot noir (not in a bad way). The finish was little short. But this is still pretty vibrant. Drank over two days - better on the first day.
  
  Do not give up hope on this vintage!

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  5/6/2020 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 88 Points

  We had a bottle of this about a week ago and thought it was past it's prime, which made us want to drink our last bottle sooner than later. This bottle is better, showing brighter fruit characteristics.. While we still think this vintage is past it's prime, we appreciate that some bottle variations will make some better than others. This bottle in particular went superbly with our cast iron baked Frittata.
  
  We gently urge anyone having these '11 in their cellars to drink up!

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  4/30/2020 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 87 Points

  This bottle is on the downhill side. The fruit has become more dried fruit and raisin flavors with less vibrancy than before. Ch. Montelena Napa Cabs are more restrained and elegant in style than most Napa Cabs, but this bottle just seemed tired. Saying all that, this wine is still very smooth and enjoyable, and went very well with our take out burgers.

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